Table of contents

1.0 Question 1

1.1 Justification

a) Identification

b) Risk assessment

c) Risk control

d) Control review

2.0 Question 2

2.1 Interview questions

2.2 Comparison of the types of interview

2.3 Justification

Key terms

Appendices

References
Question 1

Ms Azimah is the newly assigned Health and Safety (H&S) manager for a

regional manufacturing production. During the first few weeks of her job, she

noticed that the factory operates 24 hours in a day in non-stop rotation of work

shifts. She also noticed there is substantial employee absenteeism, reportedly

due to fatigue and stress related incidents. If you were Ms. Azimah, what

would you do as the H&S manager to promote workplace fitness and health.

1.1 Justification

The justification is based on the following step by step process:

1) Identification of hazard

2) Risk assessment

3) Risk control

4) Control review

Identification

The main reason of hazard would be the shift of working whereby the

workers need to work extra time and it will affect their performance and

indirectly slow down the productivity of factory output. Many hazards and their

associated risks are well known and have well established and accepted

control measures. In these situations, the second step to formally assess the

risk is unnecessary. If, after identifying a hazard, I could simply implement the

controls.
 A safe and healthy workplace does not happen by chance or guesswork. I

have to think about what could go wrong at my workplace and what the

consequences could be. Then I must do whatever I can (in other words,

whatever is ‘reasonably practicable’) to eliminate or minimise health and

safety risks arising from my business or undertaking.

Risk management is a proactive process that helps respond to change

and facilitate continuous improvement in this factory. It should be planned,

systematic and cover all reasonably foreseeable hazards and associated

risks.The first step will include consultation with the workers. Consultation

involves sharing of information, giving workers a reasonable opportunity to

express views and taking those views into account before making decisions

on health and safety matters.

Consultation with workers and health and safety representatives is

required at each step of the risk management process. By drawing on the

experience, knowledge and ideas of the workers are more likely to identify all

hazards and choose effective control measures. By asking questions. I may

know a lot of problems and find the best measure to overcome the issue.

After that, consultation with other workers will also be executed. Consultation

with other business operators who are involved in the same activities or who

share the same workplace is also been done. Never assume that someone

else is taking care of a health and safety matter. I should find out who is doing

what and work together with other duty holders in a co-operative and co-

ordinated way so that all risks are eliminated or minimised as far as

reasonably practicable.
When entering into contracts I should communicate with the safety

requirements and policies, review the job to be undertaken, discuss any

safety issues that may arise and how they will be dealt with.

1) How to identify hazard

Identifying hazards in the workplace involves finding things and situations that

could potentially cause harm to people. Hazards generally arise from the

following aspects of work and their interaction:

i. ·         physical work environment

ii. ·         equipment, materials and substances used

iii. ·         work tasks and how they are performed

iv. ·         work design and management

Table 1 below lists some common types of workplace hazards. Some hazards

are part of the work process, such as mechanical hazards, noise or toxic

properties of substances. Other hazards result from equipment or machine

failures and misuse, chemical spills and structural failures.

A piece of plant, substance or a work process may have many different

hazards. Each of these hazards needs to be identified. For example, a

production line may have dangerous moving parts, noise, hazards associated

with manual tasks and psychological hazards due to the pace of work.
Table 1: Examples of common hazards

Hazard Potential harm

Manual tasks Overexertion or repetitive movement can cause

muscular strain
Gravity Falling objects, falls, slips and trips of people can

cause fractures, bruises, lacerations, dislocations,

concussion, permanent injuries or death

Electricity Potential ignition source.

Exposure to live electrical wires can cause shock,

burns or death from electrocution

Machinery and Being hit by moving vehicles, or being caught by

equipment moving parts of machinery can cause fractures,

bruises, lacerations, dislocations, permanent injuries or

death
Hazardous Chemicals (such as acids, hydrocarbons, heavy

chemicals metals) and dusts (such as asbestos and silica) can

cause respiratory illnesses, cancers or dermatitis

Extreme Heat can cause burns, heat stroke or fatigue

temperatures Cold can cause hypothermia or frost bite

Noise Exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing

damage

Hazard Potential harm

Radiation Ultra violet, welding arc flashes, micro waves and

lasers can cause burns, cancer or blindness

Biological Micro-organisms can cause hepatitis, legionnaires’

disease, Q fever, HIV/AIDS or allergies

Psychosocial Effects of work-related stress, bullying, violence and
 hazards work-related fatigue

Inspection

Regularly walking around the workplace and observing how things are done

can help me to predict what could or might go wrong. Look at how people

actually work, how equipment is used, what chemicals are around and what

they are used for, what safe or unsafe work practices exist as well as the

general state of housekeeping.

Things to look out for include the following:

a) Does the work environment enable workers to carry out work

without risks to health and safety (for example, space for
unobstructed movement, adequate ventilation, lighting)?
b) How suitable are the tools and equipment for the task and how
well are they maintained?
c) Have any changes occurred in the workplace which may affect
health and safety?

Hazards are not always obvious. Some hazards can affect health over a long

period of time or may result in stress (such as bullying) or fatigue (such as

shift work).

It may spot straightforward problems and action should be taken on these

immediately, for example cleaning up a spill. I will make a list of all the

hazards I can find, including the ones you I know is already being dealt with,

to ensure that nothing is missed. A checklist will be designed to suit my

workplace to help me find the best solution to it.

2) Risk assessment
In this case, I should understand the nature of the harm that could be caused

by the hazard, how serious the harm could be and the likelihood of it

happening. A risk assessment involves considering what could happen if

someone is exposed to a hazard and the likelihood of it happening. A risk

assessment can help to determine:

 ·         how severe a risk is

 ·         whether any existing control measures are effective

 ·         what action you should take to control the risk

 ·         how urgently the action needs to be taken.

A risk assessment can be undertaken with varying degrees of detail

depending on the type of hazards and the information, data and resources

that are available. It can be as simple as a discussion with my workers or

involve specific risk analysis tools and techniques recommended by safety

professionals. In this case, I would also discuss about SOP (Standard

Operational Procedure) to the manager and administration so that the work

shift could be lessen or altered to be flexible and suitable to the workers.

Work out the likelihood of harm occurring

The likelihood that someone will be harmed can be estimated by considering

the following:

·   How often is the task done? Does this make the harm more or
less likely?
 ·   How often are people near the hazard? How close do people
get to it?
·  Has it ever happened before, either in your workplace or
somewhere else? How often?

Table 2 below contains further questions that can help to estimate likelihood.

The criteria:

·         Certain to occur - expected to occur in most circumstances

·         Very likely - will probably occur in most circumstances

·         Possible – might occur occasionally

·         Unlikely – could happen at some time

·         Rare – may happen only in exceptional circumstances

The level of risk will increase as the likelihood of harm and its severity

increases.

Table 2      Questions to help determine likelihood

Questions to ask in Explanation and examples

determining
likelihood
How often are A hazard may exist all of the time or it may only
people exposed to exist occasionally. The more often a hazard is
the hazard? present, the greater the likelihood it will result in
harm.
For example:
 Meshing gears in an enclosed gearbox can
cause crushing only if the gearbox is open
during maintenance, and therefore the
potential for harm will not occur very often.
 Continuously lifting heavy boxes has the
potential to cause harm whenever the work
is done.
How long might The longer that someone is exposed to a hazard,
people be exposed the greater the likelihood that harm may result.
to the hazard? For example:
The longer a person is exposed to noisy work, the
more likely it is that they will suffer hearing loss.
How effective are In most cases the risks being assessed will already
current controls in be subject to some control measures. The
reducing risk? likelihood of harm resulting from the risk will
depend upon how adequate and effective the
current measures are.
For example:
Traffic management controls have been
implemented in a warehouse to separate moving
forklifts from pedestrians by using signs and
painted lines on the floor. These controls may need
to be upgraded to include physical barriers.
Could any changes The demand for goods or services in many
in your organisations varies throughout the year. Changes
organisation in demand may be seasonal, depend on
increase the environmental conditions or be affected by market
likelihood? fluctuations that are driven by a range of events.
Meeting increased demand may cause unusual
loads on people, plant and equipment and systems
of work. Failures may be more likely.
 For example:
Inner city restaurants and bistros are very busy in
the period prior to Christmas, placing extra
demands on kitchen and serving staff. The
increase in volume of food to be prepared and
serving a larger number of patrons increases the
potential for human error and the likelihood of
harm.
 

Questions to ask in Explanation and examples

determining
likelihood
Are hazards more Examples of situations where the risk of injury or
likely to cause harm illness may become more likely:
because of the  Environmental conditions change. For
working example, work performed in high
environment? temperatures in a confined space increases
the potential for mistakes because workers
become fatigued more quickly; wet
conditions make walkways and other things
slippery.
 People are required to work quickly. The
rate at which work is done (e.g. number of
repetitions) can over-stress a person’s body
or make it more likely that mistakes will be
made.
 There is insufficient light or poor ventilation.
Could the way The possibility that people may make mistakes,
people act and misuse items, become distracted or panic in
behave affect the particular situations needs to be taken into account.
likelihood of a The effects of fatigue or stress may make it more
hazard causing likely that harm will occur.
harm?
Do the differences People with disabilities may be more likely to suffer
between individuals harm if the workplace or process is not designed
in the workplace for their needs.
make it more likely New or young workers may be more likely to suffer
for harm to occur? harm because of inexperience.
People who do not normally work at the workplace
will have less knowledge than employees who
normally work there, and may be more likely to
suffer harm. These people include contractors,
visitors or members of the public.
 

3) Control task

The most important step in managing risks involves eliminating them so

far as is reasonably practicable, or if that is not possible, minimising the risks

so far as is reasonably practicable.

In deciding how to control risks I must consult to the workers and

representatives who will be directly affected by this decision. Their experience

will help me to choose appropriate control measures and their involvement will

increase the level of acceptance of any changes that may be needed to the

way they do their job.

There are many ways to control risks. Some control measures are more

effective than others.

I must consider various control options and choose the control that most

effectively eliminates the hazard or minimises the risk in the circumstances.

This may involve a single control measure or a combination of different

controls that together provide the highest level of protection that is reasonably
practicable such as the changes in working hours or executing morning

exercise before starting the work.

Some problems can be fixed easily and should be done straight away, while

others will need more effort and planning to resolve. Of those requiring more

effort, I should prioritise areas for action, focusing first on those hazards with

the highest level of risk.

Developing specific control measures

I need to develop specific control measures if the available information is not

relevant to the hazards and risks or circumstances at my workplace. This can

be done by referring to the chain of events that were recorded during the risk

assessment.

For each of the events in the sequence, ask: “What can be done to stop or

change the event occurring?” Working through the events in the sequence will

give me ideas about all possible ways to eliminate or minimise the risk. There

may be more than one solution for each of the events. The control option

should be:

 One that provides the highest level of protection for people and

is the most reliable

 Available – that is, it can be purchased, made to suit or be put in

place.

 Suitable for the circumstance in your workplace – that is, it will

work properly given the workplace conditions, work process and

workers.
Where the hazard or risk has the potential to cause death, serious injury or

illness, more emphasis should be given to those controls that eliminate or

reduce the level of harm, than those that reduce the likelihood of harm

occurring.

In this case,fatigue can also lead to fatal..

Cost of control measures

All risks can be controlled and it is always possible to do something, such as

stopping the activity or providing instructions to those exposed to the risk.

There will normally be a number of different options between these two

extremes. Cost (in terms of time and effort as well as money) is just one factor

to consider when determining the best control option.

The cost of controlling a risk may be taken into account in determining what is

reasonably practicable, but cannot be used as a reason for doing nothing.

The greater the likelihood of a hazard occurring and/or the greater the harm

that would result if the hazard or risk did occur; the less weight should be

given to the cost of controlling the hazard or risk.

If two control measures provide the same levels of protection and are equally

reliable, I can adopt the least expensive option.

Cost cannot be used as a reason for adopting controls that rely exclusively on

changing people’s behaviour or actions when there are more effective

controls available that can change the risk through substitution, engineering or

isolation.

Implementing controls
In these situations, it is usually necessary to support the control measures

with:

Work procedures

Develop a safe work procedure that describes the task, identifies the

hazards and documents how the task is to be performed to minimise

the risks.

Training, instruction and information

Train my workers in the work procedure to ensure that they are able

to perform the task safely. Training should require workers to

demonstrate that they are competent in performing the task

according to the procedure. It is insufficient to simply give a worker

the procedure and ask them to acknowledge that they understand

and are able to perform it. Training, instruction and information must

be provided in a form that can be understood by all workers.

Information and instruction may also need to be provided to others

who enter the workplace, such as customers or visitors.

Supervision

The level of supervision required will depend on the level of risk and

the experience of the workers involved. High levels of supervision

are necessary where inexperienced workers are expected to follow

new procedures or carry out difficult and critical tasks.

The effectiveness of measure control:

Accountability for health and safety

Accountability should be clearly allocated to ensure procedures are

followed and maintained. Managers and supervisors should be

provided with the authority and resources to implement and maintain

control measures effectively.

Maintenance of plant and equipment

This will involve regular inspection and testing, repair or replacement

of damaged or worn plant and equipment. It includes checking that

any control measures are suitable for the nature and duration of

work, are set up and used correctly.

Up-to-date training and competency

Control measures, particularly lower level controls, depend on all

workers and supervisors having the appropriate competencies to do

the job safely. Training should be provided to maintain competencies

and to ensure new workers are capable of working safely.

Up-to-date hazard information

Information about hazards, such as plant and substances, may be

updated by manufacturers and suppliers and should be checked to

make sure controls are still relevant. New technology may provide

more effective solutions than were previously available. Changes to

operating conditions or the way activities are carried out may also

mean that control measures need to be updated.

Regular review and consultation

Control measures are more effective where there is regular review of

work procedures and consultation with my workers and their

representatives.

4) Risk control

Risk control is also done by survey to all the workers. For example, I

have changed the working hours from 12 to 8 hour as I should get

the feedback from the workers and also the administration. This is

due to the effectiveness of the plan execution and also the relevance

of changes to maximise factory output. As a H&S manager, I should

be responsible to the changes made and ensure the flexibility is

accordance to the betterment for the country.

Question 2

a) Based on the listed criteria, generate 10 questions of interview:

1. What do you know about your work scope?

2. What do you expect from the company?

3. What is your specialty in ICT for this company?

4. Do you think ICT industry will expand in future?

5. If you are the project manager, what will you do to handle incompetent

workers particularly in ICT.

6. Do you want to travel for the sake of the company?

7. If the company offers this job to you but in different area, would you like to

proceed?

8. Do you mind to tell me on about your previous job experiences? Are you a

multitask person?

9. If you are needed to work over time, do you want to execute it?

10. Are you proficient in mandarin? If not, are able to speak Malay or English?

11. What do you know about ICT industry through out Asia?

b) Compare and contrast three types of interview:

Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2000) defines interview as “ a two-

person conversation initiated by the interviewer for the specific purpose of

obtaining relevant information, and focused by him on content specified by

research objectives of systematic description, prediction or explanation”.

According to Richie and Lewis (2003), interview is a managed verbal

exchange and as such its effectiveness heavily depends on the ways the

researcher managed the conversation to make the conversation flows

smoothly. These include the ability to clearly structure questions (Craig,

2009).

The interview was conducted to identify whether the interviewee could

able to express their ability in specified area. Chamblis and Schutt (2012),

stated that interview is a way to collect qualitative data that includes the

interaction between two persons to give information to each other. By carrying

out the interview, the panel would know about the advantages and

disadvantages of the selected interviewees.

Types of interviews:

Structured Interview

A structured interview is typically formal and organized and may include

several interviewers, commonly referred to as a panel interview. An

interviewer who has a more structured style will usually begin with what is
known as an “icebreaker” question. The icebreaker is used to relax you before

the more serious questions are asked. A discussion about the weather might

be used or perhaps a question about the traffic on your way to the office.

Next, the interviewer may talk for a few minutes about the company and the

position. During this time, the interviewer may describe the day-to-day work

responsibilities and the general company philosophy. He or she may then ask

you a series of questions regarding your past educational, co-curricular, and

work experiences.

Finally, the interviewer may ask if you have questions for him or her.  You

should always have several questions prepared. This type of interview is

structured and formal.

Unstructured Interview

The unstructured interview is what the name implies.  The only structure to

the interview is the one that you provide. Basically, the interviewer is

interested in hearing from you, so you may be asked a variety of different

open ended questions.

You will find an unstructured interview to be more conversational and less

formal in tone than a structured interview. You may be asked questions about

your hobbies, what you do on the weekends, or other casual questions

designed to put you at ease. Many students prefer this laid back style of

interviewing, but you must be cautious. Sometimes employers intentionally

adopt this casual demeanor so that you feel comfortable enough to let down

your guard and potentially reveal something that you normally would not. If

you find yourself in an unstructured interview, be friendly but maintain your

professionalism. Remember that you are there to showcase your best assets

and to convince the employer that you are the most qualified candidate for the

job. Casual conversation is acceptable, and it can set a positive tone for the

interview, but be sure to bring the conversation around to your skills and

qualifications.

Behavioral Interview

Behavioral interviewing is a widely used method of job interviewing. This

approach is based on the belief that past performance is the best predictor of

future behavior. Therefore, behavioral interview questions are designed to

probe your previous experiences in order to determine how you might behave
in similar situations in the future. In this type of interview, you will not be asked

hypothetical questions about how you would handle a situation if confronted

with it in the future. Instead you will be asked how you did handle a specific

situation when you encountered it in the past. Keep in mind that employers

are not interested in what you should have done, or what you will do next

time...they want to know what you actually did. Behavioral interview questions

generally start with any one of the following phrases:

 Tell me about a time when you...

 Describe a circumstance when you were faced with a problem related to...

 Tell me how you approached a situation where...

 Share with me an instance in which you demonstrated…

This type of question requires you to tell stories from your past.  These stories

will be evaluated for evidence of your intellectual competence, leadership,

teamwork, personal skills, adjustment and flexibility, motivation,

communication skills, administrative skills, and technical abilities.

To prepare for a behavioral interview, you must first identify the skills and

strengths that the employer is seeking.  Next, reflect on your past experiences

(educational, employment, extra-curricular, personal) in order to identify

situations in which you clearly demonstrated the identified skills.  During the

interview, you must be able to recount these circumstances articulately and in

a manner which showcases your strengths.  A thorough answer should

describe the Situation, the Tasks with which you were charged, the Action you

took, and the Result of your action.  We refer to this as the STAR Method of

responding to behavioral interview questions.

Compare and contrast

Aspects/forms Structured Unstructured Behavioural

of interview
Definition Formal and Informal Questions asked

organised questions based from the

 questions past
Style Structured Unstructured Record
Duration Within 45 minutes Within 30 minutes 15 minutes
Topic About the About any free About the past

organisation or topic experiences in

work scope previous

company
Ways of Two ways of interaction

interaction
Objective To measure the ability of the participants
Aim To select the best and competent candidate

Table 3

Common questions asked for job interview:

Justification of selected interview approach:
 I have chosen behavioural approach as the best approach because it will

reflect an individual’s performance from the past and it will also describing

their ability in handling their previous work. In fact, it will also inform the

interviewer on how they handle with the questions posed. In my opinion, it is

the best approach compared to the other two because it will compliment the

four aspects. The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a

behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task,

action, and result of the situation that the panels want to describe. Situation:

Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to

accomplish. The candidate must describe a specific event or situation, not a

generalized description of what they have done in the past. This situation can

be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Task: What goal were you working toward? Action: Describe the actions that

took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of detail and keep

the focus. Result: The candidate should describe the outcome of their actions

The preparation of the questions constructed is also in line with the best

approach as it will define the candidates’ attitude based on their past

experiences. For example, the employee should recall the recent situation

regarding their past company and the panel could simply ask based on the

company view. It will surely show their favorable area such as marketing or

ICT.

Next, this type of approach would also test their honesty as the candidate
should be able to answer the questions thouroughly and they could not

remember the scripted version. For example, the panel could create an event

as they need to answer based on the situation and they will surely give their

honest answers. It will also show their interpersonal skill and how they deal

with their emotion. This type of approach would also show their enthusiasm

and their interest towards the job.

Besides that, this approach would also imply on candidates’ IQ level

because the panel could also make a story for them to make a decision. For

example, the question would be like, “What would you do if you are the CEO

of this company and you are ordered to be transferred to other country?”. In

directly, it will test their thinking level and also their skills in making the right

decision. Plus, the ability to speak will also be portrayed as how they portray

their confidence in making the right decision.

Examples of questions:
1) Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that

demonstrated your coping skills.

2) Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and

logic in solving a problem.

3) Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet

or achieve it.

4) Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to

influence someone's opinion.

5) Give me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy

with which you did not agree.

6) Please discuss an important written document you were required to

complete.

7) Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty

in order to get a job done.

8) Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were

required to prioritize your tasks.

9) Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split second

decision.

10) What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.

11) Tell me about a time you were able to successfully deal with another

person even when that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice

versa).

12) Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year.

13) Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish

and failed.

14) Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.

15) Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very

upset customer or coworker.

16) Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.

17) Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.

18) Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to

solve a problem.

19) Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.

20) Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed

preventive measures.

21) Tell me about a time when you were forced to make an unpopular

decision.

22) Please tell me about a time you had to fire a friend.

23) Describe a time when you set your sights too high (or too low)

Definitions:
Hazard means a situation or thing that has the potential to harm a person.

Hazards at work may include: noisy machinery, a moving forklift, chemicals,

electricity, working at heights, a repetitive job, bullying and violence at the

workplace.

Risk is the possibility that harm (death, injury or illness) might occur when

exposed to a hazard.

Risk control means taking action to eliminate health and safety risks so far

as is reasonably practicable, and if that is not possible, minimising the risks so

far as is reasonably practicable. Eliminating a hazard will also eliminate any

risks associated with that hazard.

List of references

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Cambridge University Press.
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https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/health-and-safety-adviser

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