NEBOSH General Certificate NGC - Past papers, Practice papers

Full title: The pattern of NGC1 and NGC2 questions in

the examinations of the last ten years; obtaining copies of
Examiners' reports, attempting our Practice papers and
obtaining feedback from your tutor.

NEBOSH offer four national sittings of the Certificate examination per year (March, June,
September and December) and after a few months, the examination papers are made publicly
available, as are the Examiners’ reports which you can purchase from the NEBOSH 'shop'; we
also have some loan copies available at the Chichester office.

Analysis of questions in past examinations

Our analysis of past questions are supplied to you as pdf files ...

NGC1 Analysis of questions

Dec02 to Sep05

NGC2 Analysis of questions

Dec02 to Sep05

... and so on, up to the most

recent examinations.

When familiarising yourself with past

questions, for obvious reasons you
should concentrate on examinations
from recent years. However, if you
happen to have to hand some examination
papers from a few years ago, you will find that
the majority of the questions will still be relevant.

The recent revision has reduced the syllabus coverage of ‘bricks and mortar’ construction matters,
although scaffolding remains in the syllabus, as do the CDM Regulations - now to be found in
the first element of all - and these Regulations will surely continue to be a popular question topic.
(That is, popular with the examiners; not always the same thing as popular with candidates.)

... continued ...

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Towards the start of your studies, you may feel inclined to attempt some past Certificate
questions with the appropriate study books open before you. However, as you build towards the
examination, there will come a time when you will need to attempt the questions under as near
examination conditions as you can manage; this of course means no access to any study material
or to reference sources and it also means working within the question by question time constraints
which you will face in the actual examination. As the NEBOSH examiners have frequently
commented in their examiners’ reports:

Time management is very important in the examination. For the one 20 mark question, the
Examiners expect an answer to take 25 minutes to write (a page and a half, as an approximate
guide). For the ten short-answer questions (8 marks each), the Examiners suggest that an
appropriate answer of half a page should be written in about 8 minutes.

Such examiners’ comments come up again and again demonstrating that, year by year,
candidates mis-manage their time and have to rush through the last three or four 8 mark questions
with insufficient time to do themselves justice. Over the years we have worked hard to create
good study material and to keep it up to date so providing you with appropriate coverage of the
syllabus; complementing this study material is our commitment to mark and comment on any past
NEBOSH papers which you submit to us ...

… there is no substitute for attempting past papers.

We have often commented to students that, particularly towards the end of their studies, it is better
to spend time tackling past papers than revising a particular topic for the second or third time. The
problem of course is that, when you are tired and it is late in the evening, it is much easier to sit
in your comfy chair and doze your way through one of our books than it is to sit at your desk and
spend, perhaps, 40 minutes attempting one long-answer and two or three short-answer questions.
It is of course tempting to claim that “I don’t have time to do the whole paper, so I’ll do some
revision instead.”

It is no secret - and our analyses demonstrate - that many of the same basic questions will, slightly
modified, occur again and again; and why not, there are certain basic principles upon which
NEBOSH lay great stress so they have every right to keep checking the candidate’s knowledge in
these areas.

Hopefully, we have now made our point about attempting past questions and submitting them for
comment. These are the steps to take ...

Step 1 Purchase a few past examiners reports from NEBOSH and attempt some or all of the
questions under ‘examination conditions’. Use a wide margin on your answer sheet, leaving
room to …

Step 2 Check your own answers against your study material and note in the margin any
improvements which you are now able to make to your answer(s). Submit your work to your
tutor (having made a photocopy if possible).

Step 3 We will look through your original answer and your subsequent added improvements
and see if there is any more we can say. Normally, we will discuss your work over the phone,
as this is quick and flexible.

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Imagine that you were attempting the following short-answer Certificate question:

Explain the meaning of a workplace exposure limit WEL;

include the related legal requirements in your answer. (4)
Explain how certain substances which are either carcinogenic
or allergenic are subject to additional legal requirements. (4)

This is how steps 1–3 would work. (For clarity, the example below is shown in mock-handwriting.)

First, here is the answer which the student has written ...

Workplace exposure limits are listed for all industrial and commercial
substances in the HSE publication EH 40. EH 40 comes out every year.

A workplace exposure limit must not be exceeded and the legal requirement is
that exposure must be reduced as low as is reasonably practicable below the
workplace exposue limit.

Illnesses are acute if they are caused by short exposures, for example to a
poisonous gas such as sulphur dioxide or chronic if they are caused by long
exposure to chemical such as hard wood dust which can cause nasal cancer.
Actually, in a real examination,
Workplace exposure limits are set by the Health and Safety Executive and can answers should be in black pen.
be used in Courts of Law to prosecute companies.

Depending on where you are in your studies (in particular, if you have completed element NGC2/7
which deals with the subject of workplace exposure limits) we would not necessarily expect you to
be able to judge the quality of this particular answer although you certainly should question why
the candidate didn’t save time and write ‘WEL’ instead of writing it each time in full. (It crossed our
minds that the candidate might be trying to fill up time and space in this way.)

We gave this answer 3 marks out of 8 feeling that although the candidate has obviously come
across EH 40, he hadn’t, at the time, done much detailed studying. In fact all 3 marks came from
the first part of the question - he said almost nothing on the second part and thus gained no further
marks. The paragraph on ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’ is ok although the wording could be better and
there are in any case other things that the examiner would want to see first - not least getting the
information about the legal requirements in paragraph 2 correct.

... continued ...

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Time for the student to check his answer against the study material (element NGC2/7), starting by
crossing out bits which he now realises are incorrect ...

Workplace exposure limits are listed for all industrial and commercial
substances in the HSE publication EH 40. EH 40 comes out every year.

A workplace exposure limit must not be exceeded and the legal requirement is
that exposure must be reduced as low as is reasonably practicable below the
workplace exposure limit.

Illnesses are acute if they are caused by short exposures, for example to a
poisonous gas such as sulphur dioxide or chronic if they are caused by long
exposure to chemical such as hard wood dust which can cause nasal cancer.

Workplace exposure limits are set by the Health and Safety Executive and can be
used in Courts of Law to prosecute companies.

... time to produce an improved answer ...

Workplace exposure limits are listed for most common industrial and commercial
substances in the HSE publication EH 40. They are usually given for short
exposures (15 minutes) and long exposures (8 hours). EH 40 comes out every
year. Many substances are not in EH 40 and thus do not have a WEL.

Any WEL must not be exceeded and for allergenic substances and carcinogenic
substances and processes, the legal requirement is that exposure must be
reduced as low as is reasonably practicable below the WEL.

Workplace exposure limits are set by the Health and Safety Executive and can be
used in Courts of Law to prosecute companies.

This new answer would be worth 6 marks and it could certainly be written in 8 minutes. For a
start, the new answer comes much nearer to actually answering what the question asked. EH 40
hasn't been an 'annual' for several years, and even if it were, would the examiner give any
marks for this statement? We'd guess that marks wouldn't be lost in this case although it does
emphasise the importance of not chucking around extra information which may not be correct.
On the other hand of course, it's often an extra bit chucked in at the very end of the answer which
saves the day.

Finally, for step 3 in the process, we would look to see if the answer could be improved still further
and we would add any comments of our own. In this case, our suggestions would include:

Improvement 1 Mention the relevant legislation - there must be some. The last paragraph
of the answer hints at legislation, but more could be said. In this case it is the COSHH
Regulations which deserve a mention; for a bonus mark you could mention Schedule 1
of COSHH which lists (carcinogenic) substances and processes which require particular
attention. Ditto the CHIP Regulations and the substances with risk phrases (link this back
to the question if you have time).
... continued ...

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 Improvement 2 Going back to basics there is, even in the improved answer, no indication
that the terms we are talking about actually refer to airborne pollution; it may be ‘obvious’
but it is worth a one sentence mention.

Improvement 3 Finally, we feel that, as a demonstration that you really have got to grips
with the subject, the candidate could provide a sentence along the lines of:

... typically a WEL will be given in EH 40 in mg m-3 or parts per million

Our final word is that this candidate will struggle without appropriate knowledge of the required
topics in the Certificate syllabus. It only needs the candidate to completely mess up one or two
questions (perhaps only getting 1 mark from 8 on each) for failure to loom. If the candidate’s
ignorance coincides with a 20 mark question, failure is almost certain.

Note to more experienced candidates ...

... we have had a lot of these over the years and they almost always pass but sometimes without
the ‘credit’ that they feel their knowledge deserves. You can guess why, they spend too long on
some questions and run short of time. We cannot emphasise enough that the Certificate is not
a vehicle for you to demonstrate your deep knowledge of a subject (although that does help!).
Accept that the Certificate is for pithy straight to the point answers.

Practice papers
Having looked at past papers and hopefully attempted a few questions, the time will come when
you need to attempt complete papers - either real past papers or our made-up (but still ‘real’)
practice papers.

See the next page.

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As we said earlier, the first examinations that you should attempt are
the December 2009 NGC1 and NGC2 papers which are duplicated as
‘Sample examination papers’ in your Syllabus Guide. Discuss your
attempts at some or all of the questions with your tutor who will supply
you with the model answers we have prepared.

This is how the NGC1 paper starts ...

SECTION 1
You are advised to spend about half an hour on this section which contains ONE question.
1 The results of a safety audit have identified weaknesses in the organisation’s safety
management system and in particular their permit-to-work system.
(a) Outline the key elements in the safety management system which would
have been examined during the audit. (5)
(b) Identify FIVE typical work tasks that might require a permit-to-work,
giving reasons in EACH case for the requirement. (5)
(c) Identify the key information which should be found on a permit-to-work. (10)
SECTION 2
You are advised to spend about one and a half hours on this section, which contains TEN
questions.
2 Employers have a common law duty of care for the health, safety and welfare
of their employees.
Giving an example in EACH case, identify what an employer must provide
in order to fulfil this common law duty of care. (8)

and then the NGC2 paper ...

SECTION 1
You are advised to spend about half and hour in this section, which contains ONE question.
1 As part of a general refurbishment, air conditioning units are to be installed on
the roof of a two-storey office building. The units will be lifted onto the roof by a
mobile crane that is situated at ground level.
(a) Outline the control measures that will be necessary to carry out the
lifting operation safely. (12)
(b) Outline the control measures that will be required to protect the safety ​
of the workers on the roof. (8)
SECTION 2
You are advised to spend about one and a half hours on this section, which contains TEN
questions.
2 In order to improve the safety of pedestrians in vehicle manoeuvring areas,
identify the rules that should be followed by:
(a) drivers (4)

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On the following pages you will find three sets of our own Practice papers, NGC1 + NGC2. Every
question is based on a real past question and the particular mix of questions that we have chosen
in these Practice papers is intended to encompass subject areas which we know have caused
problems for candidates.
Starting with NGC1 Practice paper A ...

SECTION 1
You are advised to spend approximately half an hour on this section which contains ONE
question.
1 (a) Draw a flowchart to show the relationships between the six elements
of the health and safety management system model in HSE’s 'Successful
Health and Safety Management', HSG 65. (4)
(b) Outline the part that EACH element of the HSG 65 model plays within
the health and safety management system. (12)
(c) Outline the economic benefits that an organisation may obtain by
implementing a successful health and safety management system. (4)
SECTION 2
You are advised to spend about one and a half an hours on this section which contains TEN
questions.
2 Outline the general duties placed on employees by:
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (4)
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (4)
3 Outline the issues which should be considered to ensure the health and
safety of cleaners employed in a school out of normal working hours. (8)
4 Outline the measures an employer might consider to minimize the risk
of violence against employees. (8)
5 (a) In relation to employee involvement in health and safety, explain
the differences between ‘informing’ and ‘consulting’. (2)
(b) Outline the health and safety matters on which employers must consult
their employees under the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees)
Regulations 1996. (6)
6 (a) Explain the meaning of the term ‘competent person’. (2)
(b) Outline the organisational factors that may cause a person to work
unsafely even though they are competent. (6)
7 Outline, giving an example of each, the differences between health and
safety regulations and HSC Codes of Practice. (8)
8 Name and describe FOUR classes of safety sign prescribed by the Health
and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. (8)
9 Outline the initial actions to take following a major injury accident at work. (8)
10 Identify EIGHT sources of information that might usefully be consulted
when developing a safe system of work. (8)
11 Outline the main features of an:
health and safety inspection (4)
health and safety audit (4)

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From now on we will not include the instructions that you will see on the examination papers ...
'you are advised to spend approximately half and hour ...'. We assume that you know this.

Next, NGC1 Practice paper B ...

SECTION 1
1 A newly established company is to refurbish existing office accommodation
before recruiting staff. Outline:
(a) the welfare facilities that should be considered when planning
the refurbishment. (8)
(b) the main issues to be addressed in a general health and safety induction
programme for the new staff. (6)
(c) the procedures that might be needed in order to ensure the health and
safety of visitors to the premises during working hours. (6)
SECTION 2
2 (a) Identify FOUR factors relating to the individual that might increase
the risk of accidents at work. (4)
(b) Give reasons why maintenance operations may pose particular risks
to those undertaking them. (4)
3 Explain the difference between Approved Codes of Practice and HSE
guidance, giving an example of EACH. (8)
4 (a) Explain, using an example, the meaning of the term ‘risk’. (2)
(b) Outline the key stages of a general risk assessment. (6)
5 (a) Outline the legal requirements whereby employers must prepare a
written statement of their health and safety policy. (2)
(b) Outline the circumstances that may give rise to the need for a health
and safety policy to be revised. (6)
6 (a) Explain the circumstances under which an employer must form a
health and safety committee. (2)
(b) Give reasons why a health and safety committee may be ineffective. (6)
7 Identify EIGHT sources of information that might usefully be consulted
when developing a safe system of work. (8)
8 (a) Give the meaning of the term ‘health and safety culture’. (2)
(b) Identify ways in which the health and safety culture of an
organisation might be improved. (6)
9 Outline the reasons why an organisation should monitor and review
its health and safety performance. (8)
10 With reference to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations, 1995:
(a) State the legal requirements for reporting a fatality resulting from
an accident at work to an enforcing authority (5)
(b) Outline THREE further categories of work-related injury
(other than fatal injuries) that are reportable. (3)
11 Outline the factors to consider when making an assessment of first-aid
provision in a workplace. (8)

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Here is the third of your NGC1 Practice papers, NGC1 Practice paper C. Again, you should
discuss your answers with your tutor who will supply you with a set of prepared answers.

SECTION 1
1 A factory manager intends to introduce a new work process for which
a risk assessment is required under regulation 3 of the Management of
Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
(a) Outline the factors that should be considered when carrying out the
risk assessment. (8)
(b) Explain the criteria that must be met for the assessment to be deemed
‘suitable and sufficient’. (4)
(c) Identify the various circumstances that may require a review of the
risk assessment at a later date. (8)
SECTION 2
2 Explain why it is important to use a variety of methods to communicate
health and safety information in the workplace. (8)
3 With reference to the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees)
Regulations 1996:
(a) Identify the particular health and safety matters on which employers
must consult their employees (4)
(b) Outline the entitlements of representatives of employee safety
elected under the Regulations. (4)
4 (a) Outline the circumstances under which a written health and safety
policy is legally required. (2)
(b) Identify the purposes of EACH of the following sections of a health
and safety policy document:
(i) ‘statement of intent’ (2)
(ii) ‘organisation’ (2)
(iii) ‘arrangements’ (2)
5 Outline the ways in which employers might motivate their employees
to comply with health and safety procedures. (8)
6 (a) Define the term ‘permit-to-work system’. (2)
(b) Outline THREE types of work situation that may require a
permit-to-work system, giving reasons in EACH case for the requirement. (6)
7 An organisation uses various types of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Outline the general issues relating to the requirements, benefits and
limitations of PPE. (8)
8 (a) Outline FOUR powers available to an inspector when investigating
a workplace accident. (4)
(b) Identify the TWO types of enforcement notice that may be served by
an inspector, stating the conditions that must be satisfied before EACH
type of notice is served. (4)
9 Outline the factors that may increase risks to pregnant employees. (8)
10 (a) State the requirements for reporting an ‘over three-day’ injury under
the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995. (2)
(b) Giving reasons in EACH case, identify THREE categories of persons who
may be considered a useful member of an internal accident investigation team. (6)
11 Outline FOUR proactive monitoring methods that can be used in assessing
theRoad,
24 Stirling healthChichester,
and safety PO19
performance
7DS of an organisation. (8)
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Turning now to NGC2, here is NGC2 Practice paper A ...

SECTION 1
1 (a) Outline the four main categories of guards and safeguarding devices that
may be used to minimise the risk of contact with dangerous parts of machinery. (8)
(b) Outline a hierarchy of control measures which may be used to prevent
contact with dangerous parts of machinery. (4)
(c) Identify FOUR non-mechanical hazards that may be encountered on
woodworking machines and outline the possible health and safety effects
from exposure in EACH case. (8)
SECTION 2
2 In relation to the ill-health effects from the use of vibrating hand-held tools:
(a) Identify the typical symptoms that might be shown by affected individuals (4)
(b) Outline the control measures that may be used to minimise such effects (4)
3 (a) Describe the possible effects of electricity on the body (4)
(b) Outline FOUR factors that may affect the severity of injury from
contact with electricity (4)
4 (a) In relation to the classification of fires, give an example of a material
(fuel) that falls within each of the classes A, B, C, D (4)
(b) Identify TWO methods of heat transfer and explain how each
method contributes to the spread of fire (4)
5 In relation to occupational dermatitis:
(a) Identify TWO causative agents (2)
(b) Describe the typical symptoms of the condition (2)
(c) Outline specific measures designed to prevent the occurrence
of occupational dermatitis (4)
6 For EACH of the following agents, outline the principal health effects AND
identify a typical workplace situation in which a person might be exposed:
(a) hepatitis virus (2)
(b) chlorine (2)
(c) carbon dioxide (2)
(d) silica (2)
7 (a) Identify the persons that an employer may need to appoint in order to
comply with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (2)
(b) Outline the means of controlling exposure to ionising radiation (6)
8 An assessment has concluded that the person carrying out a particular
manual handling task is fit and capable of lifting the loads involved.
Outline the factors associated with the task and the work environment that
would need to be considered in order to complete the assessment. (8)
9 Outline the precautions to be taken when using a mobile elevating work
platform (MEWP) to reach a high point such as a streetlight. (8)
10 Outline the precautionary measures that may be needed to prevent slip
and trip hazards in an engineering factory. (8)
11 List EIGHT rules to follow when a fork-lift truck is left unattended. (8)

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Next, NGC2 Practice paper B ...

SECTION 1
1 An employee is required to use a petrol-driven strimmer to trim roadside
grass verges.
(a) Describe the potential hazards faced by the employee in carrying out
this task. (10)
(b) List FIVE items of personal protective equipment that should be
provided for and used by the employee in carrying out this task. (5)
(c) Outline measures other than the use of personal protective equipment
that might be necessary to ensure the health and safety of the employee. (5)
SECTION 2
2 Outline the main precautions that must be used when excavation work is
being carried out. (8)
3 A large item of equipment, situated within a factory, is to be cleaned
manually with a solvent. Outline the precautions to minimise the risks
to persons involved in cleaning the equipment. (8)
4 Outline EIGHT precautions that should be considered to prevent accidents
to children who might be tempted to gain access to a construction site. (8)
5 With regard to work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs):
Identify the typical symptoms that might be reported by affected individuals. (4)
Outline the factors that could increase the risk of a worker developing
WRULDs. (4)
6 Outline the health and safety considerations when a fork-lift truck is to be
used to unload palletised goods from a vehicle parked in a factory car park. (8)
7 (a) Explain the meaning of the term ‘dilution ventilation’. (2)
(b) Outline the types of circumstances in which the use of dilution
ventilation may be appropriate. (6)
8 Outline the measures that should be taken to minimise the fire risk from
electrical equipment. (8)
9 A worker is required to install some glass-fibre insulation in a loft.
(a) Identify TWO hazards connected with the use of the glass-fibre. (2)
(b) Outline the precautions that could be taken to minimise harm to the
worker carrying out this operation. (6)
10 Identify suitable measures to protect against people and / or materials
falling from a mobile tower scaffold. (8)
11 Outline the main requirements for the safe escape of personnel from
a building in the event of the outbreak of a fire. (8)

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And finally, NCG2 Practice paper C ...

SECTION 1
1 A contractor is to be selected to drain and clear a section of canal.
(a) Identify the information that might be required to establish the suitability
of the contractor. (4)
(b) Describe the hazards associated with the draining and clearing operation. (8)
(c) Outline suitable controls to minimise the risk from the hazards identified. (8)
SECTION 2
2 Outline measures to be taken to prevent accidents when pedestrians are
required to work in vehicle manoeuvring areas. (8)
3 (a) List FOUR respiratory diseases that could be caused by exposure to
dust at work. (4)
(b) Identify the possible indications of a dust problem in a workplace. (4)
4 (a) For EACH of the following types of non-ionising radiation, identify
a source and state the possible ill health effects on exposed individuals:
(i) infrared radiation (2)
(ii) ultraviolet radiation (2)
(b) Identify the general methods for protecting people against exposure
to non-ionising radiation. (4)
5 Outline a procedure for the safe lifting of a load by a crane, having ensured
that the crane has been correctly selected and positioned for the job. (8)
6 (a) Identify the types of hazard against which gloves could offer protection. (4)
(b) Outline the practical limitations of using gloves as a means of protection. (4)
7 Outline the health and safety risks associated with welding operations. (8)
8 A cleaner is required to polish floors using a rotary floor polisher.
(a) Identify the hazards that might be associated with this operation. (4)
(b) Outline suitable control measures that might be used to minimise the risk. (4)
9 State the items that should be included on a checklist for the routine
inspection of portable electrical appliances. (8)
10 (a) Outline the possible health risks associated with working in a seated
position for prolonged periods of time. (4)
(b) Outline the features of a suitable seat for sedentary work. (4)
11 List EIGHT ways of reducing the risk of a fire starting in a workplace. (8)

Remember that your tutor has prepared answers for all eight of the Sample and Practice papers
contained in this leaflet.

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