Nebosh IGC ELEMENT 3-IMPORTANT TOPICS AND KEY POINTS

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📘 NEBOSH IGC – Element 3 Summary Sheet

Title: Managing Risk – Understanding People and Processes

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🔹 3.1: Health and Safety Roles and Responsibilities

✅ Employer’s Responsibilities:

• Provide a safe workplace.
• Conduct risk assessments.
• Provide information, instruction, training, and supervision.
• Consult with workers.
• Provide PPE where required.

✅ Worker’s Responsibilities:

• Take reasonable care of own and others’ safety.
• Cooperate with employer.
• Use safety equipment correctly.
• Report hazards and unsafe conditions.

✅ Other Duty Holders:

• Contractors: Follow site rules, manage own risks.
• Suppliers: Provide safe equipment/materials.
• Designers: Consider safety in design.

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🔹 3.2: The Concept of Health and Safety Culture

✅ What is Safety Culture?

• Shared attitudes, values, and practices toward safety.

✅ Features of a Positive Safety Culture:

• Strong leadership.
• Open communication.
• Worker involvement.
• Learning from mistakes.

✅ How to Improve Safety Culture:

• Lead by example.
• Encourage near-miss reporting.
• Recognize safe behavior.
• Provide training and resources.

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🔹 3.3: Human Failure and Its Impact

✅ Types of Human Failure:

• Human Error:
  • Slips – unintended actions.
  • Lapses – memory failures.
  • Mistakes – wrong decisions.
• Violations:
  • Routine – shortcuts.
  • Situational – under pressure.
  • Exceptional – in emergencies.

✅ Factors Contributing to Failure:

• Fatigue, stress, poor communication, bad design, lack of training.

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🔹 3.4: Assessing Risk – General Principles

✅ Definitions:

• Hazard: Something with the potential to cause harm.
• Risk: Likelihood + severity of harm.

✅ Risk Assessment Steps:

1. Identify hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
3. Evaluate the risk and decide on precautions.
4. Record findings.
5. Review and update as necessary.

✅ Key Principles:

• Consider all persons affected (employees, visitors, public).
• Control risks at source.
• Use hierarchy of control measures.

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🔹 3.5: Management of Change

✅ What is Change Management?

• Managing H&S risks during changes in processes, people, equipment, materials.

✅ Types of Change:

• Organizational, technical, legal, location, workforce.

✅ Why It’s Important:

• Change can introduce new or increased risks.

✅ Controls:

• Plan changes in advance.
• Consult employees.
• Update risk assessments and procedures.
• Train affected personnel.

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🔹 3.6: Safe Systems of Work (SSoW)

✅ What is an SSoW?

• A formal procedure to carry out tasks safely.

✅ Key Elements:

1. Task analysis.
2. Hazard identification.
3. Control measures.
4. Step-by-step procedure.
5. Training and supervision.

✅ Special Case: Permit-to-Work (PTW)

• Used for high-risk activities (e.g., hot work, confined space).
• A written document authorizing specific people to do specific tasks under strict controls.

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🔹 3.7: Emergency Procedures

✅ Key Elements of Emergency Planning:

• Fire, chemical spill, gas leak, explosion, medical emergencies.
• Roles and responsibilities (e.g., fire warden).
• Communication and alarms.
• Evacuation procedures.
• Assembly points and headcounts.
• First aid arrangements.

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🧠 Key Exam Takeaways:

• Know roles of employers, workers, contractors.
• Understand types of human failure and how to reduce them.
• Master the 5 steps of risk assessment.
• Be able to describe a safe system of work and permit-to-work.
• Understand how to manage change safely.
• Know what an emergency plan must include.