Examiners’ Report

Unit 2 exam conducted on 25th Apr 21

Introduction

For International Diploma in Safety Engineering (IDSE), the assessments are carefully designed to gauge
the skill and knowledge of the learners as per the syllabus requirements. We believe that assessments
should also provide an opportunity for learning by presenting the scenarios which require learners to
assume the scenario specific roles and provide a practical, feasible and realistic solutions to the workplace
health and safety problems/issues.

The examiner report has been developed for the learners who either passed or failed the specific unit, in
order for them to re-evaluate their submitted work. This will be a value addition in the process of learning
for all the learners. Similarly, this report will help the prospective learners to understand the structure
and requirement of IDSE assessments and they can decide if this qualification is right for them or not.

Remarks by the examiners for overall Unit 2 Assessment

Most of the learners who appeared in Unit 2 exam did the following mistakes

1- A structured response using a process approach was missing. Haphazard information was
provided.
2- Generic details were provided by the learners with no or little reference to the specific scenario
under consideration
3- Logical arguments were missing e.g. most of the learners mentioned the spark as potential cause
of fire initiation but did not provide how will they collect a suitable and factual evidence in order
to establish or rule out this cause.
4- Lack of understanding the “Specific Question Requirements” which resulted in lot of unnecessary
addition of information which had no relevance with the intended response.
5- Copying from internet sources or IDSE books which were somehow out of the context in given
scenario.

The following instructions were given to the learners as part of their specific Unit assessment;

“Support your answers with logical arguments and examples relevant to the given scenario.
Generic and Bookish answers will not be accepted by the examiners. The examples of generic
answers include, but not limited to, incompetent person, management commitment, lack of
maintenance, negative safety culture, regulatory requirements etc.”

The marks are awarded as per the following criteria;

- Response is mathematically correct

- Response is relevant to question’s requirements and the scenario?

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 - Response is practical, feasible and effective in the given scenario conditions?
- Response is complete and covers all aspects of question’s requirements?
- Response has logical progression using a process approach (No haphazard inclusion of
information)?
- Response is clear, concrete and concise?
- Response does not include conflicting ideas?

Section A
Carefully analyze the following scenario and answer to the 5 questions in context with given scenario
only. Any generic or irrelevant response will not be accepted by the examiner

Workplace Situation/ Scenario

“CBS Hospital” is one of the largest hospitals in the city scattered over an area of 500 K Square meters. It
has a main 8 storey building (total covered area is 1600 K square meters) which houses various clinics,
operation theatres, ICUs, wards, private patient rooms, labs, stores, canteen and administration offices.
Parking facility is provided outside the building at a specific designated area. The clinics and emergency
wards are mostly at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors whereas the labs and canteen are in the basement.

2 separate Lifts have been installed on the north side of the building and opposite to the lifts is 7 feet wide
stairs which goes from basement till the top floor. There is no ramp constructed inside the building and
patients are moved either on wheelchair or stature through the lifts. 1st floor is 5 feet above the ground
so there is a ramp constructed to give access to wheelchairs and statures in order for the patients to enter
the building.

The hospital is operating for the last 15 years and effectively coping the needs of nearby communities.
However, during the start of recent Coronavirus Pandemic, The hospital was over-crowded with the
patients and their relatives. This unforeseen situation put burden on the resources available with the
hospital which resulted in delayed response and services by the hospital. The situation created many
unpleasant instances when patients or their relatives confronted the front desk hospital staff in a manner
that hospital security has to intervene. The situation caused distress and demotivation by many healthcare
workers who are also concerned with their and their loved ones’ safety against the Coronavirus.

All 5 questions carry 10 marks each (Total 50 Marks)

Keeping in view the above mentioned scenario, please answer to the following questions;

Question 1- Why emergency evacuation in the above mentioned hospital can be very challenging job and
what as safety manager would you do to meet those challenges? 10 Marks

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 Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Included generic and out of the context information focusing on a single issue of Pandemic only
- An effective response to a specific situation/ problem was missing
- Systematic approach to the response was lacking

Summary

There were 4 issues which could be elicited from the scenario and should have been written along
with control measures.

What was intended response

4 issues
- Presence of Vulnerable People in huge number (Patients) who need assistance for evacuation
- Presence of people difficult to be trained due to their short term presence in the hospitals
(patients/ their relatives)
- Building structural limitations e.g. no ramp inside the building
- A situation of panic (being hospital and pandemic) which will worsen the evacuation process
during emergency

These 4 issues should have been addressed separately with response to each issue written in
details.

Question 2- If the normal pushing force of 25 LBS is required to push a wheel chair on a level floor for
160 lbs patient, calculate the pushing force of the wheelchair carrying 160 LBS weight when the ramp
angle is 20 degrees. 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Majority of the learners did not mention the angle plane (Horizontal or Vertical) or draw a sketch
showing the given angle

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 - Majority of the learners did not take into account the friction forces. A simple sentence should
have served the purpose i.e. “The calculations do not include the friction or other forces” or “this
much force is required to hold the striture on ramp”

Summary

Lack of understanding was evident from majority of responses.

What was intended response

- Calculating the push force by identifying the plane of angle e.g. horizontal plane or vertical plane
or drawing a sketch with the given angle
- Included the pushing force required on flat ground in the final answer or mention of “Friction and
other factors have not been considered”

Question 3- What measures will you take to eliminate/ minimize the risk of violence with the hospital
staff. 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Haphazard control measures lacking a systematic approach to the responses.

Summary

Systematic approach from hierarchy of control perspective were missing

What was intended response

1- Identification of situations which may lead to violence or aggression

2- Focusing on high risk situations first.
3- Elimination should have been the best response
4- For situations where elimination may not be possible, engineering and administrative controls
should be developed.

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Note: Marks were deducted where learners just focused on control measures without a systematic
approach like the one given above

Question 4- What measures will you take to control the spread of Covid-19 within the hospital staff and
their families? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- A practical approach to the responses were missing somehow. The learners provided some
measures which may require extensive utilization of resources which seemed not feasible.
- Mostly bookish and generic responses were seen

Summary

Resources utilization cannot be separated from control measures. Organizations have resource
limitations and safety managers cognizant with this fact develop better and cost effective
solutions.

What was intended response

- An effective practical cost effective and feasible solution to the problem was required. The
learners were aware that a huge number of Medical staff became victim of Covid-19 in all parts
of the world because risk cannot be zero or organizations will cease to function. There is always a
tolerable risk level in order for the organizations to function in a cost effective way.

Question 5- What technological options can be used to streamline the hospital management in order to
provide better healthcare services during the pandemic. 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Majority of learners focused on tracking and tracing Covid-19 affected patients rather than
developing a technological solution which may help the hospital to continue providing healthcare
services during the pandemic.

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 - Some learners included a range of technology options lacking a concise and clear approach. Such
responses were very generic and seemed ineffective for the situation as no single option could be
used in its entirety.

Summary

Cost effective practical, realistic and feasible technological options should have been given in a
systematic way

What was intended response

- Use of technological options which could reduce the burden on hospital resources by either
effectively managing the existing resources or reducing the number of visitors by providing online
services. The solution should have following features
o Focused
o Concise
o Can be achieved through process approach
o Effective
o Logical
o Practical
o Realistic

Section B
Carefully analyze the following scenarios and answer to the question/s in context with given scenarios
only. Any generic or irrelevant responses will not be accepted by the examiner.

Actual Accident Case Study

A tanker containing what was believed to be Epichlorohydrin began off-loading at the Site in Bristol UK.
Soon after, a series of explosions destroyed both the storage tank and the road tanker and started a fire,
which persisted for an hour. It was later discovered that the road tanker in fact contained sodium chlorite,
which reacts explosively with epichlorohydrin. The fire generated a 100 m black plume of smoke
containing hydrogen chloride, which drifted across the Severn estuary closing local motorways and rail
services.

Three weeks before the delivery was due, the company received a quality certificate confirming the
number of the tank container in which the epichlorohydrin would be delivered. However due to a mix-up
by the transport company, a different numbered tank containing sodium chlorite was sent by mistake. No

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crosschecks were made against the original documentation, which would have highlighted that the wrong
chemical had been delivered. By the time the transport company notified the company of the mistake,
off-loading of the road tanker had commenced.

Question 6 - What preventive fool-proof measures you could have taken to avoid this accident? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Lack of focus on the traceability issue which resulted in the given accident
- Inclusion of unnecessary and irrelevant details in the response

Summary

An effective response to the traceability issue was missing

What was intended response

The intended response should have defined in a systematic way using a process approach by using
technological options e.g. QR code/ Barcode scanning at loading, exit from the premises and at offloading
site should have been developed. It must be a single fool-proof solution with minimum or no reliance on
human interventions.

Question 7 - How will you ensure the competency of transport company before awarding/ shortlisting the
contract of chemicals transportation? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Lack of focus on the traceability issue which resulted in the given accident
- Generic responses e.g. Safety policy of the company and other similar details without having the
cognizance how these details will be helpful in shortlisting/ selecting the transportation
contractors.

Summary

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 Scenario specific problem was not taken into account in most of the responses rather a generic
list of criteria was provided that too without referencing how it will be used

What was intended response

Intended response should have focused on single criteria i.e. how the transportation company ensures
traceability of chemicals as per the requirement of the company e.g.

- How Information and Technology could be used for ensuring traceability and online tracking of
vehicles with software in-built features to;
o Allocate a vehicle for loading against a specific request by the company and
communicating the same number to loading/offloading site in-charges
o Monitoring the path of vehicle for its intended destination and arrangements in place to
alarm the driver, other stakeholders if route is changed.
o Monitoring; if the vehicle carrying chemical container reached at its intended location. A
system generated message should be sent to the off-loading site in-charge about the
contents of the chemical.
o The competency of the transportation company with integrated traceability system e.g.
QR or Barcode system

Note: The above is just one way of ensuring the competency of transportation company for the risk of
accidents due to the lack of traceability as given in the scenario. The organization can ensure any system
which suits their requirements in given budget.

Workplace Fire Incident

A large warehouse containing rubber raw materials in huge quantities caught fire at night resulting the
destruction of complete warehouse and nearby offices. The warehouse had concealed electricity wiring
and all electrical panels were installed outside the warehouse to avoid the risk of spark. There were 100
fluorescent light fitting inside the hangar to provide a clear visibility during storage and retrieval of raw
materials. The warehouse supervisor and staff were not supposed to be present as warehouse is operated
only in the day shifts on weekdays only. All the associated records were burnt during the fire. Fortunately
there have been no serious health or safety issues but the incident caused huge financial loss for the
business. As a regulatory requirement, the organization is required to conduct an incident investigation.
You have been advised to lead the technical investigation. As most of the records have been burnt, the
documents available are as follows;

1- Warehouse map including doors, windows and electrical lighting and circuits
2- The quantity of each rubber raw material which was there in the warehouse

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Question 8 - Establish the scope of the investigation for the perusal of Safety Director and the
management? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Some learners did not understand what “Scope” means in an investigation perspective so their
responses were mostly irrelevant.

Summary

The lack of understanding about the “Scope of investigation” by some of the learners

What was intended response

Intended response should have been

1- Documenting initial findings

2- Identification of the root cause/s of the fire initiation
a. Human error
b. Technological failures
c. Administrative failures
d. Lack of controls
e. Lack of equipment etc.
3- Recommendations and Corrective/Preventive actions
4- Estimation of loss (financial and other losses)
5- Compliance status with legal requirements
6- Report preparation and communication

Question 9 - Based on the scope of the investigation, establish a checklist as per the following format;

Sr# Potential Cause of the Fire Evidences you wish to collect to “Establish” or 10 Marks
initiation “Rule Out” the potential cause

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

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 - Some learners included “Fire Spread Control measures” in the responses which was not asked in
the question.
- Many learners gave generic causes of fire initiation (Which can be a good starting point) but they
lack how they’ll be able to ascertain the potential cause as they did not either provide the details
of evidences or they seemed very ineffective and irrational.
- Many learners just explained potential cause of the fire initiation in the 2nd column i.e. Evidences

Summary

The lack of understanding what an objective or factual evidence is; and how it can be collected

What was intended response

It is upto the investigators that they may include any potential cause of fire initiation but they must have
required skills how they’ll be able to conclude by establishing factual evidences.

An example of irrelevant response

Unsafe storage of flammable materials Poor storage of flammable materials lead to

spread the fire from one place to other and
which accelerate spreading of fire to the
nearby facilities.

The learner focused on control of spread rather identifying the potential cause for the fire initiation

Another example of Poor response

work politics There is presence of the peer group and they are creating negative
culture in the organization ,and favoring their own interest .Neglecting
the ignition source .Serious inquiry should be proceed to them for this
unsafe act

The Learner just explained the potential cause of accident instead of providing the details of factual
evidence which can be collected in order to reach to the conclusion if Work politics has any role in the fire
initiation

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An example of Good response

Smoking near or inside the warehouse -Were there any previous occurrences of smoking? NC and
Observation records

- Any likelihood that an external source of ignition could

enter the warehouse. Warehouse Map and interview from
supervisor.

Actual Accident CASE Study

Start-up of the Naphtha cracker commenced on the ethylene plant. At 06:00 hours compressed gas was
sent to the low temperature system. At 09:48 hours an escape of vapor occurred from the depropanizer
which ignited, resulting in a massive vapor cloud explosion. The explosion caused significant damage and
started numerous fires around the plant. 14 people were killed and a total of 107 people injured, three of
whom were outside of the site.

The investigation was hampered by the destruction of instrument records in the incident but evidence
suggested that the release was due to low temperature embrittlement at the depropanizer feed drum. It
was thought that the initial fracture had occurred on a 40 mm pipe connecting the feed drum to its relief
valve. The normal operating temperature of the drum was 65°C, however, due to a process upset in the
de-euthanizer column, the stream feeding into the depropaniser drum was a liquid at about 0°C (or lower)
with a high C2 content. This would flash within the drum resulting in a temperature which could be as low
as -10°C. The feed drum material could normally be used at temperatures as low as -20°C, however the
fracture occurred at a weld, which with ageing may fail at up to 0°C.

The raising of the alarm was also flawed. The first operator to enter the control room to report the gas
release was distressed and shocked. A second operator left the room to investigate, leaving orders for the
fire alarm to be sounded. This did not occur. Some witnesses stated that the alarm system failed, but the
investigation found that the system was in good working order before the explosion, and that none of the
button switches had been operated.

Question 10 - What corrective actions will you suggest to avoid recurrence of same or similar accidents
in future? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Generic control measures lacking the scenario specific conditions

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 - Some learners believed Fire Alarm is an engineering control which is not true. Alarm systems are
part of administrative control measures.

Summary

The lack of scenario specific relevant details

What was intended response

The incident control measures can be divided in 2 parts

1- Process failure

The situation under discussion was a process failure which resulted in the failure of the equipment so
the corrective actions should be focused on

o Improving the Process safety by engineering control for speedy shutdown before it goes
beyond the control
o Improving the designs/ materials of the process line so if process fails again and shutdown
is delayed, the process line is able to bear the changed conditions (This is indeed a very
costly project)

2- Alarm system and evacuation

- The alarm system need to be redesigned with less or no human reliance

- Evacuation rehearsals should be conducted on routine basis through a systematic procedure so
in case of actual emergency, there are no surprises.

Question 11 – Why engineering controls are not 100% fail-safe? What could be done to increase the
effectiveness of engineering controls in the situation under discussion? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Mostly learners focused on 2nd part of the question i.e. What could be done to increase the
effectiveness of engineering controls in the situation under discussion
- Some learners only mentioned why engineering controls fail rather than emphasizing what could
be done to increase their effectiveness.

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Summary

The lack of scenario specific relevant details

What was intended response

1- Why engineering controls are not 100% fool-safe because there are number of factors
a. Human intervention in the development process e.g. Poor design (Wrong material
selection, lack of consideration of conditions in which the Engineering Controls may fail
e.g. high temperatures, humidity, vibration etc.). Humans can make mistakes or the actual
conditions in which engineering controls are used can develop problems.
b. Human intervention during routine maintenance of engineering controls. Maintenance
people may not follow the manufacturer or designers interactions.
2- What could be done to improve the effectiveness of engineering controls
a. Selection of suitable engineering controls with better features and safety factors as per
the conditions in which they’ll be used. For example temperature variations, vibration etc.
The result will be rugged and tamper proof engineering controls
b. Maintenance and testing as per the manufacturers’ and designers’ instructions.
c. Application of redundant engineering controls for high risk processes so if one fails, the
other engineering control may take over
d. Discouraging improvisations e.g. unauthorized modifications or adjustments in the
engineering controls.

Applications of Physical Properties

Inertia is a physical property of matters in which they tend to resist the change in its state of rest or
motion. The principle of inertia is widely used in various industrial applications for ensuring the safety.
This includes the seat belt mechanism which operates when the vehicle collides and the seat belt is
restrained from further extension resulting safety of the seat-belt wearers. Various other applications are
also available and can further be designed for the safety of workers at the workplaces.

Question 12 - What other applications could be made using physical principles to reduce/eliminate the
risk of safety at workplaces. Give 2 examples and mention how the principle will be used? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Some learners lacked the understanding how inertia or other physical forces are/ can be used in
safety devices.

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Summary

The lack of understanding about the physical forces and principles and how they could be used in
a range of safety equipment

What was intended response

There are a range of safety devices which could be made or are available which utilize inertia, centrifugal
force, temperature etc. e.g. slam door stoppers, Governors used in electric generators and can also be
used to limit the maximum speed of any rotating pulley/ object or a thermostat which shuts-off a
system to avoid over-heating, or a self-retracting lifeline Etc etc.

Question 13 – What are inherent hazards of the equipment which utilize inertia principle? What and
how something may fail? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Some learners explained what is inertia without mentioning the inherent hazards with the safety
devices
- Some learners mentioned the scenario where a machine may have delayed stop due to inertia
without understanding that machine is not a safety device

Summary

Lack of understanding how safety devices (which use inertia principles) operate

What was intended response

The safety devices which utilize the principle of inertia may not operate due to the following hazards

- The specific part of safety device which is supposed to operate on the principle of inertia is stuck
within the assembly due to’
o Corrosion
o Entanglement with some broken or disoriented part within assembly
o Change in its size or structure (e.g. due to exposure with high temperature etc.) limiting
its freedom of movement
o Unauthorized maintenance e.g. a steel ball replaced with another steel ball of same
diameter but different weight

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 o FOD (Foreign Object Debris) which may restrict the movement of specific part and
entered the safety device during maintenance or through open spaces within casing etc.

Risk Assessment
“Green Stores” is a chain of grocery/convenience stores which has its store network in more than 20 big
cities. The total number of stores are 130 and 6000 employees work with the store as permanent
employees. Manual handling has been assessed as the key process within the store chain which can
significantly affect the health and safety performance of the organization. Although each store manager
has carried out manual handling risk assessment using locally developed criteria yet there have been
complaints by many workers about health issues due to manual handling. The workers are required to
fetch boxes from warehouse to store and put individual items in the shelves which are upto 7 feet high.
Similarly, the employees at checkout have to scan each item which require extensive manual handling.
The management has decided to hire you as a consultant to carry out the manual handling risk assessment
by developing a suitable criteria which should be applicable for all the stores.

Question 14 – Why do you think that a standard criteria should be used for manual handling risk
assessment instead of different criteria at each store? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Most of the learners focused on the similarities between different stores (e.g. same type of load
handling at different stores, 7 feet high shelves etc.)which was already given in the scenario. They
were supposed to provide their response how these similarities warrant a standard manual
handling risk assessment criteria e.g. benefits of standard risk assessment criteria.

Summary

Lack of understanding why a standard manual handling risk assessment criteria will be useful for
the organization.

What was intended response

The intended response could be;

A standard criteria for manual handling risk assessment will help the store chain in the following ways

- A standardized outcome in terms of control measures at all stores

- Problems identified at one store can be co-related at other stores in terms of
corrective/preventive actions

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 - Health records for the workers will be standardized which will help in trend analysis for further
control measures (if needed)
- Lessons learnt from 1 store can be shared with all store employees
- Better health and safety management e.g. complaints handling
- Better OHS culture will prevail at all stores as centralized management of health and safety will
be possible through standard approach to risk assessment and its outcomes. Employees are more
likely to comply with health and safety requirements when they are supposed to compete with
other stores’ H&S performance
- H&S performance can be centrally monitored by the head office with assurance
- Etc.

Question 15 – Design a suitable criteria for manual handling risk assessment as per the requirements
elaborated in the scenario ? 10 Marks

Examiners’ Remarks
Mistakes by the learners which resulted in deduction of marks

- Most of the learners used TILE (Task, Individual Capabilities, Load and Environment) factors in
their response and did not develop a criteria. They were supposed to develop a criteria
irrespective of what factors they were considering. The response to this question should have
been a criteria itself.

Note: 3-6 marks were given to the learners if they have provided suitable factors which could be
considered for development of risk assessment criteria.

Summary

Lack of understanding how a criteria is established

What was intended response

The intended response was a criteria either Quantitative (e.g. 1-5 marks against each criterion) or
Qualitative (e.g. very high risk, medium risk, low risk, no risk against each selected criterion). The
example of criteria is given at the following link from https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg383.htm

The specific file can be downloaded for understanding. The last page of the document is actually the
criteria

chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg383.pdf

End of the Examiners’ Report

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