Continuing professional development is the process by which OSH practitioners maintain, develop and improve their skills and knowledge. IOSH CPD is very flexible in its approach to the ways in which CPD can be accrued, and one way is by reflecting on what you have learnt from the information you receive in your professional magazine. By answering the questions be posed below, practitioners can award themselves credits. One, two or three credits can be awarded, depending on what has been learnt – exactly how many you award yourself is up to you, once you have reflected and taken part in the quiz.
QUESTIONS
1 Which of the following is not at the heart of safety management?
a Risk assessment
b Hazard identification
c Auditing
d Training
2 What is the pivotal component of risk assessment that, when done incorrectly, can undermine the whole programme?
a Hazard spotting
b Developing risk matrices
c Planning the processes required
d Recording the risk assessment
3 Risk assessors’ competence can be improved by?
a More training in techniques
b Training with relevance to the hazards to be controlled
c Using generic tools and methodologies
d Keeping the status quo
4 A common problem associated with risk assessment is?
a Defining a framework for monitoring
b Risk-assessing a procedure but not the actual working practice
c Using a team of people rather than an individual
d Looking for long-term health hazards
5 A check list is useful in risk assessment because?
a Only specific items requiring attention need to be identified
b It reduces engagement with the workforce
c It helps identify hazards
d There is no need for training in its use
6 When implementing the results of risk assessments it is necessary to prioritise:
a The risks that can be most easily dealt with
b High risks over lower risks
c Longer-term solutions to problems
d Checking processes
7 When training is necessary it needs to be?
a Reactive to identified problems
b Very generic, covering a range of risks
c A transfer of knowledge that is informative and engaging
d Emphasis on the legal requirements for safety
8 Accident investigation is necessary for?
a Recording and reporting an accident
b Making a rapid conclusion about the causes of the accident
c Defending the company against the HSE
d Identifying and evaluating indirect and underlying causes
9 There are various forms of audit but which of the following is NOT an acceptable audit criterion:
a Risk control
b Compliance
c Management systems as a whole
d Inspection of a workplace
10 The article recommends that practitioners focus their professional development on?
a Wide technical knowledge
b Having a wide and in-depth legal knowledge
c Softer management skills relating to planning, managing and monitoring
d Risk assessments
Answers
1) b
2) c
3) b
4) b
5) c
6) b
7) c
8) d
9) d
10) c
James Pomeroy is Group HSE manager for Senior plc, and Dr Tony Boyle is director of HASTAM
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Excellent article although I would have to agree with others that workplace inspections are essential to monitor/ensure that policies/procedures and safe systems of work are being implemented
An excellent article, well structured balanced views and indeed the way forward. I suspect some readers will get confused with ‘inspection of the work place’ not being an acceptable audit criterion. One assumes you are referring to the fact that a ‘work place inspection’ by itself is not an acceptable criterion, however does form an integral part of an audit process in terms of evidence to prove that the systems and process documented are indeed effective ‘on the coal face’ .
Good article, I think more focus needs to placed on professional competence to ensure that we keep our status within industry.
Can you please explain why the inspection of a workplace during an audit is not an acceptable audit cxriterion especially in view of the need for an effective audit to determine if “What I say is what I do”?
Are your acceptable answers based on the very popular and much practiced fallacy an audit is based only on a discovery of paperwork and interviews?
A very good article from which I have learned much. The quiz is excellent and proves you have taken it in
Excellent, thought provoking article. A challenging multi-choice ten.
the article was quite interesting and the quiz not too challenging
Again an interesting article and a novel way of doing CPD. Still didn’t get 100% correct answers though.
Good article and a nice touch having a small quiz @ the end. I also consider “inspection of the workplace” to be an acceptable audit criterion.
Excellent article only managed 8 out 10 though, so I will read it again and try to understand the areas I was weak on. Quiz was a brilliant idea and confirms what you have and in my case have not understood.
Interesting article which refreshed my ideas about competence and risk assessment in particular. Key learnings for me where never be complacent and blinkered.
A well constructed, informative article and the CPD quiz at the end encourages it to be read again! I hope that SHP will continue with a similar quiz in future publications as it helps reinforce own knowledge and information picked up from the article.
Very interesting article – just shows how every stage and level of an operation can be audited and lessons learned.
As a SHEF adviser for the MoD, another slant on risk assessment training. Sitting in a nice warm training room learning the techniques on how to make assessments suitable & sufficient, is a million miles away from a military training officer out in the field, with the full forces of nature bearing down on him, attempting to evaluate all the likely risks to his men of a vital training activity. Risk assessment in this case is very dynamic & therefore assessment training must reflect this.
I cannot understand why ‘inspection of a workplace’ is NOT an acceptable audit criterion.
I consider it to be a very necessary part of an audit.