JULY 2025-NEBOSH IGC -SCENARIO AND TASKS

 SCENARIO
AcCount is a small software organisation specialising in payroll. Its office building is in a city centre,
close to late-night venues whose patrons have a reputation for bad behaviour. The managing
director (MD) set up the organisation eight years ago. They have worked hard to develop the
organisation, expanding it from one worker to 15 workers, and now have an annual income of $3
million. Nine new workers were employed four years ago, and only one new worker has joined the
organisation since then. Clients expect fast completion of their projects with AcCount, and are
always looking for alternative organisations who can complete the work faster. Because of this, the
MD works long hours and expects their workers to do the same, resulting in workers frequently
working late into the night. Each worker has a key to the office, so that they can work early or late if
they wish to. AcCount workers try to continue working when they are unwell, so that their workload
does not have to be completed by their colleagues. Levels of stress-related illness and burnout are
high in the organisation.
Five years ago, a health and safety consultant was hired on a temporary basis. They set up a
simple, informal, health and safety management system for AcCount. The consultant tried to involve
AcCount’s workers in the creation of the system, the risk assessment process, and the health and
safety training. However, the MD had given their workers a strict deadline on a project that they had
to prioritise. Before finishing their contracted work, the consultant wrote a health and safety policy
and insisted the MD signed it, which they did between client meetings.
After the consultant finished their contract, health and safety responsibilities were given to the human
resources (HR) manager, who was a long-term AcCount worker. The HR manager had little
experience in health and safety, but did have an occupational health and safety book that they
purchased when they were informed of their new responsibilities. They looked at the consultant’s
completed work and were satisfied with it, although they did not understand all of it. They attached
the health and safety policy to the office noticeboard and did not make any further changes to the
policy. Other documents were regularly attached to the small noticeboard, quickly covering it. The
HR manager removed the policy with the intention of displaying it somewhere else, but after putting it
in their desk drawer they became distracted and forgot about it.
Risk assessments for manual handling, fire safety, and a general office building risk assessment, are
stored in a filing cabinet, along with the consultant’s report with recommendations on workstation
ergonomic improvements. The HR manager raised these recommendations with the MD so that they
could purchase new chairs and required equipment. The MD read the recommendations and
decided instead to send an email reminding workers to ‘not slouch at your desk’. They programmed
a copy of the email to be sent automatically twice a year, claiming it was the most efficient use of
time and would achieve the same results. The MD then reminded the HR manager that they “do not
have time to look at any health and safety” themselves, and that it was the HR manager’s
responsibility now.
As part of their new responsibilities, the HR manager also took over management of the weekly
inspections that the consultant had put in place. The HR manager delegated the task to a new
worker (Worker Z), who was eager to prove themselves useful to AcCount. Worker Z was given the
inspection checklist to complete as they walked around the office building, and was told to file the
checklists afterwards. After conducting the first inspection, Worker Z began tidying up trip hazards
around the office as they completed inspections, which pleased the MD as it seemed to double the
inspections’ uses. Worker Z filed the checklists immediately after each inspection in their desk
drawer, which they kept locked.
The accident and near miss book, and first-aid box, are on top of the filing cabinet covered in a thick
layer of dust. While eating lunch at their desks, the workers often shared stories of near misses, and
friendships were formed while talking about similar experiences. Some workers used their lunch
break to attend physiotherapy for their sore backs and painful wrists, once their discomfort became
too much to ignore. The HR manager often overheard the workers complaining about their pain, as
well as hearing workers regularly ask each other for painkillers to help with headaches. After reading
through their occupational health and safety book, the HR manager changed every worker’s
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computer display background to a poster reminding them to ‘sit correctly’ and regularly drink water.
The HR manager was happy that their health and safety responsibilities did not require more time
than this.
The acquisition
Recently, so that they could retire earlier than planned, the MD sold AcCount to a large, multinational
organisation called PaY. PaY plan to significantly expand AcCount’s workforce in the future. They
have a health and safety management system certified to ISO 45001 and want AcCount to achieve
certification too. They require AcCount to adopt their systems, which follow common procedures and
reporting rules, across the whole PaY organisation. They send their health and safety manager
(HSM) to AcCount to oversee implementation of the new system, and to mentor the HR manager,
who will remain responsible for health and safety.
The HSM begins this work by observing AcCount’s current health and safety practices and
comparing this to what would need to be done to achieve the desired certification (a gap analysis).
They talk with workers, team leaders, and managers individually to get an overview of the hazards
and risk management at AcCount. They then read through all of the available health and safety
documentation. Once completed, they present their findings of the gap analysis to the AcCount
management team. The workers are shocked by the amount of work required to achieve
certification, but can see the benefits and start discussing what needs to be done.
The HSM takes advantage of this enthusiasm; they arrange to lead a half-day workshop for all
AcCount workers on the importance of, and effective management of, health and safety. At the end
of the workshop, the HSM shares a reviewed health and safety policy that has been developed with
the help of, and signed by, AcCount’s new chief executive officer (CEO). Some workers are
interested to hear that there will be objectives and targets shared in the next weekly meeting. Other
workers only seem interested after it is revealed that the management team will be holding quarterly
meetings to review health and safety, as well as progress on the certification steps. When the
workshop has finished and the workers rush back to continue working, they notice that a desktop
shortcut to the health and safety policy has been added to everyone’s computers.
The workers
One worker volunteers to join the newly-created health and safety committee, and they attend an
occupational health and safety qualification course along with the HR manager and Worker Z. Once
the course is complete, they eagerly share their ideas on how to improve health and safety
performance at AcCount with their colleagues.
At the first health and safety committee meeting, everyone discusses a recent incident that occurred
when a worker stayed late to finish their workload. As the worker was leaving the office building, a
member of the public approached them, shouting aggressively. The worker did not know what to do
so retreated into the building and locked themselves inside until the person left the area. This type of
incident is a regular occurrence. The CEO, who is chairing the meeting, suggests allowing working-
from-home for anyone who needs to work outside of the main office hours. The committee agrees to
trial this for six months and then get feedback from the workers on its effectiveness.
The next day, the HSM sends everyone an online display screen equipment (DSE) training module
and a risk assessment form to complete. The HSM walks around the office helping workers who
have completed the training to fill out the form. They also make a record of desk legs that have
become uneven, and chairs that are unable to be adjusted for height. The HSM shows some
workers how to adjust their display screens, and watches those workers’ posture immediately
improve while they sit at their desks. Finally, the HSM asks all of the workers to also complete
another DSE risk assessment form for their home-computer workstations. They ask the workers to
email those back to them, along with the forms from today.
Based on the results of the DSE risk assessments, the HSM writes a list of what needs to be
purchased and then sends it to the CEO. The CEO allocates money for purchases, as well as for
worker eye tests, that they intend to provide yearly. The HSM also emails all workers the new
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‘Working from Home’ policy, along with some useful information on controlling risks at their home
workstations.
Over the next six months, AcCount employs more workers, and gradually the amount of work done
outside of office hours decreases. AcCount begins trialling working from home for some workers
during office hours. Team managers make sure to include those workers in their weekly team
meetings via video calls and also have individual calls with them. Team members enthusiastically
update each other on their work and general life during these meetings. The managers help ensure
that everyone is told about health and safety performance and progress during these meetings, and
check on worker wellbeing. The HSM is happy that ill-health absences have decreased over these
months, and that most workers are now looking forward to AcCount’s health and safety system being
certified. To celebrate these improvements and being close to attaining certification, the CEO
organises a meal at a restaurant for the AcCount workers.
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Task 1: Emergency procedures
1 Why is it important to practise emergency procedures? (6)
Task 2: Suitability of the approach to risk assessment
2 Comment on AcCount’s approach to assessing health and safety risks
(a) before being sold to PaY. (10)
Note: Your answer must be based on the scenario only.
(b) after being sold to PaY. (13)
Note: Your answer must be based on the scenario only.
Task 3: Health and safety management system improvements
3 Using the stages below, comment on how the health and safety management
system at AcCount improved after it was sold to PaY.
(a) Plan. (7)
(b) Do. (5)
(c) Check. (1)
(d) Act. (2)
Note: Your answers must be based on the scenario only.
Task 4: Workplace inspections
4 Discuss whether AcCount’s approach to workplace inspections before being
sold to PaY was adequate. (9)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 5: Developing a positive safety culture
5 What was done to develop a positive safety culture at AcCount? (15)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
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Task 6: Managing risks for those working from home
6 Comment on AcCount’s positive approach to managing risks to those working
from home. (10)
Note: Your answer must be based on the scenario only.
Task 7: Health and safety compliance
7 Employers have obligations under Recommendation 10 (a, b, c, d, f, and g) of
the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO’s) R164 – Occupational Safety and
Health Recommendation, 1981 (No. 164).
Comment on how these employer obligations may not have been followed at
AcCount before it was sold to PaY. (15)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant
information from the scenario.
Task 8: Assessing the incident management approach
8 What were the negative aspects of AcCount’s approach to incident
management before being sold to PaY? (7)
Note: Your answer must be based on the scenario only.
End of examination
Now follow the instructions on submitting your answers.
Disclaimer
This case study is entirely fictional. It has been crafted to simulate a realistic situation in order to
assess your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical problems. Some details in this case
study may reflect the author’s real-world insights or experiences. However, for the purpose of
assessment, factual details have been changed or fictionalised. No element of the content is
intended as a factual representation of any specific person, organisation, or event.