For learners studying for the NEBOSH General Certificate, questions on health and safety culture can be challenging. While the concept of health and safety culture is essential to the exam, it can also be confusing because of the different interpretations provided by various organizations, such as NEBOSH, IOSH, and the HSE.
In the past, learners were asked to explain or outline what was meant by health and safety culture. However, with the open-book format, the questions have changed. Today, learners are more likely to be asked to read a scenario and then identify positive and/or negative indicators of health and safety culture.
It might seem overwhelming at first, but it’s easier than many learners realise. To identify indicators of positive health and safety culture, all you need to do is look for good things in the scenario. Conversely, if you are tasked with identifying negative indicators of health and safety culture, look for bad things.
For instance, if you’re given a scenario where employees are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), working in a well-maintained, organised work environment, and have access to all necessary safety equipment and training, these are all indicators of a positive health and safety culture. Conversely, if you’re given a scenario where employees don’t wear PPE, work in an unkempt, disorganised environment, and don’t have access to necessary safety equipment and training, these are all indicators of negative health and safety culture.
To get a better idea of how to approach these types of questions, learners can watch the video that accompanies this post. In the video, the question covered is worth 25 points, a quarter of the marks on the paper and over half the marks required to achieve a pass. This shows how important it is to have a good understanding of health and safety culture, and how it can impact the overall success of the exam.
With practice and a clear understanding of the concept, learners can perform well on these types of questions, and ultimately achieve success on the NEBOSH General Certificate exam.