Example question

paper and Examiners’

feedback on expected
answers (ED1)
Example question paper and
Examiners’ feedback on
expected answers

NEBOSH NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

CONTENTS

Introduction 2

General comments 3

Comments on individual questions 5

 NEBOSH, Dominus Way, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1QW

tel: 0116 263 4700 fax: 0116 282 4000 email: info@nebosh.org.uk website: www.nebosh.org.uk

The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health is a registered charity, number 1010444
 Introduction

NEBOSH (The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) was formed in 1979 as
an independent examining board and awarding body with charitable status. We offer a comprehensive
range of globally-recognised, vocationally-related qualifications designed to meet the health, safety,
environmental and risk management needs of all places of work in both the private and public sectors.

Courses leading to NEBOSH qualifications attract around 50,000 candidates annually and are offered
by over 600 course providers, with exams taken in over 120 countries around the world. Our
qualifications are recognised by the relevant professional membership bodies including the Institution
of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the International Institute of Risk and Safety
Management (IIRSM).

NEBOSH is an awarding body that applies best practice setting, assessment and marking and applies
to Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) regulatory requirements.

This report provides guidance for candidates which it is hoped will be useful to candidates and tutors in
preparation for future examinations. It is intended to be constructive and informative and to promote
better understanding of the syllabus content and the application of assessment criteria.

© NEBOSH 2015

Any enquiries about this report publication should be addressed to:

NEBOSH
Dominus Way
Meridian Business Park
Leicester
LE19 1QW

tel: 0116 263 4700

fax: 0116 282 4000
email: info@nebosh.org.uk

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 General comments

Many candidates are well prepared for this unit assessment and provide comprehensive and relevant
answers in response to the demands of the question paper. This includes the ability to demonstrate
understanding of knowledge by applying it to workplace situations.

There are always some candidates, however, who appear to be unprepared for the unit assessment
and who show both a lack of knowledge of the syllabus content and a lack of understanding of how
key concepts should be applied to workplace situations.

Course providers and candidates will benefit from use of the “Guide to the NEBOSH National Diploma
in Environmental Management” which is available via the NEBOSH website. In particular, the Guide
sets out in detail the syllabus content and tutor reference documents for each Element.

Some candidates may over rely on knowledge of environmental management gained through their
own work experience. While practical experiences can sometimes be helpful they are not a substitute
for tuition and study of the syllabus content, to the breadth and depth indicated in the Guide referred to
above.

In order to meet the pass standard for this assessment, acquisition of knowledge and understanding
across the syllabus are prerequisites. However, candidates need to demonstrate their knowledge and
understanding in answering the questions set. Referral of candidates in this unit is invariably because
they are unable to write a full, well-informed answer to one or more of the questions asked.

Some candidates find it difficult to relate their learning to the questions and as a result offer responses
reliant on recalled knowledge and conjecture and fail to demonstrate a sufficient degree of
understanding. Candidates should prepare themselves for this vocational examination by ensuring
their understanding, not rote-learning pre-prepared answers.

Candidates should therefore note this Report has not been written to provide ‘sample answers’ but to
give examples of what Examiners are expecting and more specifically to highlight areas of
underperformance.

Common weaknesses and suggestions to assist providers and candidates

It is recognised that many candidates are well prepared for their assessments. However, recurrent
issues, as outlined below, continue to prevent some candidates reaching their full potential in the
assessment.

Weakness in examination technique

 Many candidates fail to apply the basic principles of examination technique and for some
candidates this means the difference between a pass and a referral.
 Candidates need to plan their time effectively. Some candidates fail to make good use of their
time and give excessive detail in some answers leaving insufficient time to address all of the
questions.
 In some instances, candidates do not attempt all the required questions or are failing to
provide complete answers. Candidates are advised to always attempt an answer to a
question even when the question is on an unfamiliar topic. At the risk of stating the obvious,
an unattempted question will gain no marks. Questions or parts of questions missed can also
indicate a weakness in time management.
 Some candidates fail to answer the question set and instead provide information that may be
relevant to the topic but is irrelevant to the question and cannot therefore be awarded marks.
The comment below about rote learning may be relevant also.

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  Some candidates fail to separate their answers into the different sub-sections of the questions.
These candidates could gain marks for the different sections if they clearly indicated which
part of the question they were answering (by using the numbering from the question in their
answer, for example). Structuring their answers to address the different parts of the question
can also help in logically drawing out the points to be made in response.

Candidates benefit from the chance to practice answering questions in examination like conditions.
This should assist them to become familiar with the need to read questions carefully, consider, plan
their answer and then begin to write. By examination like conditions, practicing their answers within
appropriate time limits should help candidates with time management within the examination.

Feedback to candidates on their answers to questions is a key part of these practice activities.

Lack of attention to command word

 Many candidates fail to apply the command words (eg describe, outline, etc). Command
words are the instructions that guide the candidate on the depth of answer required. If, for
instance, a question asks the candidate to ‘describe’ something, then few marks will be
awarded to an answer that is an outline. Similarly, the command word ‘outline’ requires more
information than a list.
 The most common weakness is the provision of too little content in an answer to meet the
requirement of the command word. This is an unfortunate error as it can mean that a
candidate, who knows the topic, and correct points to include in their answer, misses out on
marks.

There is good guidance available to candidates and providers “Guidance on command words and
question papers” which can be accessed on the NEBOSH website. This guidance will assist
candidates to see and understand what is required in an answer when the different command words
are used in questions. Some candidates miss out on marks by spending too long writing about one or
two points when the answer requires more points to be covered. The chance to practice questions
with a range of command words and to receive feedback on the quality of their answers will benefit
candidates.

Failing to read the question/memorising answers

 Some candidates appear to have answered a question they hoped to see in the question
paper rather than the question actually asked. This error can lead to all the available marks
for a question being missed which can significantly impact on the likelihood of achieving the
pass standard.

Other weaknesses observed

 Candidates should be aware of the need to make their handwriting as legible as possible.
 Candidates should note that it is not necessary to start a new page in their answer booklet for
each section of a question.
 Candidates do not need to write the question out before answering it, they just need to
indicate in the top right hand corner of the page which question is being answered. In some
cases valuable time is lost doing this rather than focusing on the answer needed.

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 Examination paper – five from eight questions to be attempted

Question 1 Describe factors that should be considered when designing an

environmental inspection programme for a workplace. (20)

The main factors that should be considered in designing an inspection programme are
the scope, type and frequency of inspections. Linked to this, candidates should then
describe the practical arrangements for conducting inspections, including
responsibilities, competence of inspectors, and mechanisms for structuring and
recording inspections. Candidates should avoid being side-tracked into describing the
areas that would be subject to inspection, such as waste storage, process operations
or raw material storage.

Question 2 (a) Give the meaning of the term ‘cost benefit analysis’. (4)

(b) Describe how cost benefit analysis may be applied to

environmental risks. (16)

Cost benefit analysis is a systematic process for calculating the expected balance of
benefits and costs of projects, decisions and policies. It includes consideration of
justification and feasibility and can be used to compare a different range of projects,
decisions or policies. Many candidates confuse ‘cost benefit analysis’ with ‘life cycle
analysis’ and gain few or no marks.

For part (b) candidates who structure their answers into the main stages of setting
boundaries, calculating costs and benefits using a single unit of measurement and cost
benefit ranking, gain most marks. Candidates who describe the various approaches to
valuation of cost/benefit for environmental risk would gain additional marks. Candidates
who confuse cost benefit analysis with life cycle analysis would perform poorly as there is
little similarity between the two techniques.

Question 3 (a) Outline the nitrogen cycle. (10)

(b) Describe how human activities may cause changes to the

nitrogen cycle. (10)

The nitrogen cycle starts with nitrogen in the atmosphere being fixed by bacteria, taken
into plants and then released back into soils through excretion or decay processes. Once
in soils it may be released in soluble form into rivers and oceans, or de-nitrified back into
nitrogen gas. Candidates who are able to identify the chemical state of nitrogen
throughout the cycle gain additional marks.

There are many ways in which human activity may cause changes to the cycle, including
use of nitrogen based fertilisers leading to excess runoff into rivers or groundwater, high
temperature combustion processes leading to oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen and
subsequent deposition in acid form, or release of nitrogen from sewerage leading to
eutrophication in rivers. Many candidates who perform well on this part of the question
are able to demonstrate their understanding of pollution effects in the media of air, water
and land.

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Question 4 A chemical organisation is planning a major increase in capacity for one
of its products.

(a) Outline environmental concerns that should be taken into

account in the plans. (8)

(b) Advise management, in the form of a brief, on the legal

requirements that must be considered before the change can be
implemented. (12)

Part (a) is generally well answered, with many candidates gaining high marks for
outlining environmental concerns such as transport, waste, water, air emissions, noise
or effects on habitats or species. Candidates providing lists rather than outlines
perform less well.

For part (b), there are a wide range of legal requirements that may apply to the
scenario, including variation to existing environmental/PPC permits, planning
permissions, Environmental Impact Assessments, waste and water permits and
relevant health and safety requirements. Candidates who do not produce answers in
the form of a brief, or do not provide management with sufficient and accurate
information on these various requirements, miss out on available marks.

Question 5 Residents living close to a factory have been complaining both of an

intermittent pungent smell and of a dust that appears to have a corrosive
action on the bodywork of their cars.

Describe the legal remedies under civil law that might be available to the
residents. (20)

The main civil remedies concern the civil Torts of negligence, nuisance, the rule in
‘Rylands and Fletcher’ and breach of statutory duty.

For a claim under negligence to succeed, the plaintiffs (residents) would need to establish
proof of causation and proof of harm. They would then need to demonstrate that they
were owed a duty of care (as neighbours), that the duty had been breached in that the
factory owner had not done all that was reasonably practicable to prevent foreseeable
harm and that the breach led directly to harm.

Nuisance comprises both public and private nuisance. Better answers make reference to
the need to demonstrate that there had been unreasonable interference with the use and
enjoyment of land, taking into account issues such as sensitivity and the general
character of the neighbourhood.

For a claim for damages under the tort of breach of statutory duty it must be shown that a
statutory breach had led to damage and where the statute does not specifically disallow
such an action.

The common law doctrine developed in the case of ‘Rylands and Fletcher’ imposes strict
liability for the escape of things likely to cause foreseeable harm.

The remedies sought by the above actions might include injunctions and court orders to
prevent further harm, and compensation for harm already caused.

This question was popular and generally answers were satisfactory. Some candidates
digress in areas of statute law, such as statutory nuisance, that have little relevance to
the question and gain no additional marks.

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Question 6 A plating organisation wants to discharge trade effluent to a public ‘foul’
sewer.

Describe:

(a) possible advantages of pre-treating the effluent prior to discharge

to sewer; (7)

(b) how a consent to discharge is obtained; (9)

(c) enforcement action that may be taken, and the penalties that
could be imposed, if consent limits are exceeded. (4)

In part (a), possible advantages that could be described are: reducing trade effluent
charges due to lower pollutant loadings; reducing risk of exceeding consent conditions
or causing harm to the sewerage system; providing an opportunity to recover
substances for recycling or reuse; and allowing greater control of what is discharged.

In part (b) answers should describe how consent from the sewerage, undertaken
under the Water Industry Act 1991, is gained. This includes a formal application
giving information on the total daily volume, maximum rate and nature (eg BOD,
COD, suspended solids, toxic metals). Applications are assessed by the sewerage
undertaker and granted where effluents can be legally treated. A number of
candidates state that applications are submitted to and consent granted by the
Environment Agency which will not gain marks.

Breaching conditions to the agreement can render the organisation liable to

amendment to or revocation of its consent or prosecution under the Water Industry
Act 1991. If convicted, penalties are, following summary conviction, a fine not
exceeding statutory maximum and for conviction on indictment an unlimited fine.

Question 7 Explain to a Board of Directors, in the form of a paper, possible benefits

of implementing an environmental management system. (20)

Answers to this popular question are generally of a good standard with candidates
providing answers structured according to the financial, organisational and stakeholder
benefits arising from the implementation of a formal environmental management
system. As the question requires an explanation, candidates justify each of these with
examples of the benefits, such as the financial benefits deriving from energy and
material efficiency or avoiding the costs associated with prosecution.

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Question 8 Under the Air Quality Regulations 2000, local authorities have a duty to
prepare an ‘air quality assessment’ to determine whether prescribed air
quality objective levels are likely to be exceeded.

(a) In relation to stack emission, explain what is meant by:

(i) ‘in-situ’ and ‘extractive’ monitoring; (4)

(ii) ‘continuous’ and ‘periodic’ monitoring. (4)

(b) Describe THREE quantitative methods that can be used to

monitor stack emissions, AND, for each method, identify the
types of pollutant and monitoring regimes that may be
appropriate. (12)

Many candidates achieve quite high marks on this question, particularly for part (a).
Good answers show that in-situ monitoring is where measurement takes place in the
stack without removing a sample, whereas in extractive monitoring a sample is
removed from the stack and either concentrated for analysis or analysed directly.
Continuous monitoring is generally a fixed installation that gives a continuous
measurement of stack gas concentrations whereas periodic monitoring takes a short-
term sample at regular intervals (eg six-monthly). Both methods may be in-situ or
extractive. Continuous monitoring is generally a preferred method as it provides
continuous data stream. Periodic monitoring does not pick up short-term fluctuations
and is slow to identify failure of control systems.

Answers for part (b) are variable. Some candidates lose out on gaining marks for not
clearly identifying types of pollutants relevant to their chosen methods of
measurement. Good descriptions would include a basic description of the method,
examples of pollutants that the method is appropriate for and identifying whether it is
an in-situ or extractive and a continuous or periodic monitoring method.

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The National Examination
Board in Occupational
Safety and Health

Dominus Way
Meridian Business Park
Leicester LE19 1QW

telephone +44 (0)116 2634700

fax +44 (0)116 2824000
email info@nebosh.org.uk
www.nebosh.org.uk