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NEBOSH National / InternationalDiploma in Occupational Health & SafetyUnit DNI Workbook

1 Version 1.2 February 2017 © Astutis Ltd

NEBOSH National / International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety

Unit DNI Workbook



Contents

Transition to the 2015 Specification Syllabus ......................................................................................... 5

Unit DNI Assignment – NEBOSH Guidance, Examiners Feedback and General Advice for Candidates .......................................................................................................................................................... 6

1. Assignment Brief ................................................................................................................................. 7

Layout and General Information ....................................................................................................... 8

2. Structure of the Report ..................................................................................................................... 9

3. Report Style ........................................................................................................................................ 10

4 Tutor Support ......................................................................................................................................... 12

5 Marking .................................................................................................................................................... 13

Marking Criteria .................................................................................................................................... 13

6 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. 14

7 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 15

8 Review and critical analysis of how Health and Safety is currently managed .................. 17

Leadership.............................................................................................................................................. 18

Risk Profile .............................................................................................................................................. 18

9 Evaluation of Improvements Required .......................................................................................... 19

Effective Communication of Improvements .............................................................................. 19

Financial Justification ......................................................................................................................... 20

10 Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................................... 21

11 Bibliography and References .......................................................................................................... 23

12 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... 24

13 Marking Scheme and Grade Indicators ....................................................................................... 25

14 Quality Standard Checklist .............................................................................................................. 32

15 Submission of the Report ................................................................................................................ 34

PowerPoint Presentation – Notes Pages ............................................................................................... 35

Planned Coursework / Homework .......................................................................................................... 47

Post Course Support .................................................................................................................................... 48

NEBOSH Website – How to Find the current Unit DNI Guides ....................................................... 49



Transition to the 2015 Specification Syllabus 2017 is a transitioning year during which the 2011 syllabus specification becomes fully superceded by the 2015 syllabus specification. The old style Unit D/ ID assignment is being replaced by a new Unit DNI assignment. The last date available for Unit D/ID submissions is Wednesday 29th November 2017 (this is the last of four quarterly submission dates available in 2017). Unit D/ID resubmissions will be permitted up to and including the August 2018 submission. The first available DNI submission date is XXX February 2017.


Unit DNI Assignment – NEBOSH Guidance, Examiners Feedback and General Advice for Candidates This advice is drawn primarily from the NEBOSH Guidance for Candidates and is supplemented with:

• information drawn from Examiners Feedback (which is presented in grey textboxes throughout); and

• Additional advice from Astutis tutors. Comprehensive guidance is provided regarding the presentation, structure, style and submission of the Unit DNI assignment report. Candidates should study this document carefully before submitting their assignment. NB the most current NEBOSH guidance can be downloaded for free from the NEBOSH students webpages at the address below. This guide is written for both national students and international students as the DNI is now a common unit. http://www.nebosh.org.uk/fileupload/upload/Unit%20DNI%20Candidate%20Guidance%20v3%20Nov16%20FINAL%20%28151116%20rew%29151120169119.pdf

The guidance should be read carefully in conjunction with the assignment mark scheme, which is attached at the end of this guidance document, to provide a clear guide to the requirements of the assignment report.

Information from NEBOSH Examiners Feedback

Advice from Astutis tutors

It is anticipated that candidates who will perform well in Unit DNI will follow the detailed guidance provided very closely.

It is clear that they understand and apply the requirements of the said guidance to structure their report, often using the guidance content to produce section headings in their work.

It is disappointing, though, that far too many candidates fail to follow the guidance provided by NEBOSH.

Note: The first DNI submission is February 2017 and it will be some time until examiners feedback is available. The advice for now is based on the DNI guide and

feedback on similar content in the previous Unit D / ID

http://www.nebosh.org.uk/fileupload/upload/Unit%20DNI%20Candidate%20Guidance%20v3%20Nov16%20FINAL%20%28151116%20rew%29151120169119.pdf

http://www.nebosh.org.uk/fileupload/upload/Unit%20DNI%20Candidate%20Guidance%20v3%20Nov16%20FINAL%20%28151116%20rew%29151120169119.pdf


1. Assignment Brief The candidate is required to carry out a detailed review of the arrangements for managing health and safety in a workplace or organisation and to produce justified proportionate recommendations to improve performance. The assignment will require the candidate to apply the knowledge and understanding gained from their studies of elements of Units A/IA B/IB and C/IC in a practical environment and to carry out critical analysis and evaluation of information gathered during the review. Element A11 of the Unit A and element IA9 of Unit IA will also be assessed during the DNI. The level of work should be that expected of a competent occupational health and safety practitioner working within an organisation. The assignment should include:

• An executive summary;

• An introduction that sets the scene by stating clear aims and objectives and a description of the methodology employed to carry out the assignment; and

• A description of the chosen workplace/organisation and the role of the health and safety practitioner, to set a context for the assignment.

The candidate will need to produce a review and critical analysis of how health and safety is currently managed by the organisation in which the candidate review the:

• Leadership;

• Management;

• Worker involvement;

• Competence, compliance;

• Risk profile;

• An evaluation to identify the top three priorities where improvements should be made;

• Conclusions that summarise the main issues identified in the candidate’s work together with justified, proportionate recommendations for improvement based on the outcome of the review; and

• Bibliography and appendices. The focus of the Unit DNI assignment should be the application of the knowledge and understanding developed in Units A/AI B/BI and C/CI to a real workplace situation. It provides opportunities for the candidate to carry out research and demonstrate the ability to carry out a range of activities that would be expected of a health and safety practitioner.

Develop the report objectives from these specified areas of required content. An objective should be expressed as something that the report is trying to achieve and deliver so that the reader can check whether or not the objective has been fulfilled.


Note: NEBOSH will be using anti plagiarism software for all candidates submissions to ensure that work submitted for the Unit DNI is the candidate’s own work. It is essential that the work that you submit is your work and no one else’s.

Layout and General Information The assignments should be approximately 8000 words in total, excluding the list of contents, bibliography and appendices. Appendices should only be included if they support the content of the assignment and kept to a minimum. Referencing should be either in “Harvard style” or “Vancouver style”. Font size should be a minimum of 11 to facilitate reading. The aim of the assignment is to produce a review of the health and safety management arrangements of an organisation and evaluate improvements required. The candidate must determine the top three improvements that would make the most impact. It is important that a suitable workplace upon which the assignment research will be based is chosen. The workplace should be large enough to provide both an opportunity for the review of the health and safety management system arrangements. Candidates who have difficulty identifying a suitable workplace should ask their tutor for advice. If the organisation is very large, in order that the assignment is manageable the candidate should limit the area considered. In such circumstances it might be more appropriate to consider a department or division of the organisation rather than the organisation as a whole, although obviously, the health and safety management system will probably be that adopted by the whole organisation. Candidates should ensure that they understand fully the requirements of the brief and are recommended to prepare an outline plan of their approach that can be discussed with a tutor. While it would not be appropriate for tutors to read and amend drafts of the report, their role is to ensure that the candidate is ‘heading in the right direction’– for example, they may comment on whether the candidate has chosen a suitable workplace or situation that satisfies the brief and will give sufficient scope to achieve the necessary breadth and depth of content required at Diploma level. Tutors must not provide a ‘pre-mark’.

Consider this and the first paragraph of the assignment brief above to help articulate the aim of the assignment


2. Structure of the Report A good assignment is planned well from the outset. Candidates should read the brief and the detailed guidance carefully and highlight the key words to make sure it is understood what is required. An outline plan which includes the main headings for the report and the topics required in each part should be produced. This can be used as a checklist to make sure that everything has been included when the report is proof read at the end. The report should be organised in sections which match those set out in the assignment mark scheme and contain a contents page. To help the reader, each section should be headed with the appropriate title. The sections are:

• Executive Summary;

• Introduction;

• Aims and objectives;

• Methodology;

• Description of the organisation;

• Review and critical analysis of how Health and Safety is currently being managed;

• Leadership;

• Management;


• Competence;

• Compliance;

• Risk Profile;

• Evaluation to determine top three improvements required;

• Conclusions and Recommendations;

• Bibliography; and

• Appendices. The report should be approximately 8,000 words in total, excluding the References/ Bibliography and Appendices. No penalty will be applied to reports which exceed 8,000 words but candidates should aim to keep their word count under 12,000 to avoid the main requirements of the assignment brief becoming lost and the report losing clarity. Candidates should also note that irrelevant material included in their reports will not attract marks. Appendices are pieces of work which support the content of the report. The candidate should include only material which is an essential aid to an understanding of the content of the report. Each item in the appendices should be referred to in the report so that the reader can turn directly to it to find the background to the factor concerned. Appendices should be kept to the minimum. The reader is not going to spend time reading through a collection of items which may not be relevant.


3. Report Style There are many detailed general guides to writing reports available on the internet, often as part of study guides produced by university departments. A search under ‘writing reports’ will produce links to such sites. It is strongly recommended that candidates study such material in order to understand how to write a report to the required standard for the assignment. The report should use a formal style as would be expected for a report to management. The report should convey the information as clearly and concisely as possible. However, sets of bullet points are unlikely to give sufficient indication that the writer has a firm understanding of the subject matter. Some aspects of the report, for example the review and analysis of the existing Health and Safety Management arrangements, might benefit from a tabular presentation but this is not the only effective way of presenting such material. The report should be easy to read. The organisation of the report helps this. A good style is also essential and candidates should structure their report into paragraphs and avoid large blocks of text. Candidates should try to avoid jargon which is specific to one sort of organisation such as the armed forces or health service. Sentences should be kept relatively short and to the point. A good rule is ‘one subject one sentence’. Candidates should check grammar and spelling and should not use abbreviations without writing them first in full. Checking the accuracy of references to legislation/international standards, Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs) etc. is important as there is no excuse for inaccurate citation in an assignment at this level.

• Consider advice on how to write University or business reports but do not deviate from the prescribed Unit DNI structure

• Report writing advice that makes reference to BS 4811:1972 “Specification for the presentation of research and development reports” should generally be fine

• Write in the past tense and be impersonal (e.g. this was done, rather than I did this)

• Be careful of changing tense mid report. Many candidates begin in future tense and finish in past

• Use plain English and avoid jargon

• Write for an intelligent lay person

Planning and presentation • Run a spelling check on their reports and

ask an independent ‘lay person’ to read the report before submission.

• Avoid:

• Unnecessary tables or images; and

• Scanned copies of handwritten work or flip charts should be avoided.

• Ensure the report is properly formatted, with pagination, headers and footers, and section headings being included.

• Ensure the report is clear, concise, well-structured and appropriate for an audience of senior managers.


• Assuming that the report is going to be written in around 10 000 words use the available word count in proportion to the marking scheme

• Introduction (approx. 500 words - 5%)

Review and critical analysis of the Existing H&S management arrangements (approx. 4000 words - 40%)

• Evaluation of the top three priorities (1000 words for each 3 x 10% = 30 %)

• Conclusions and Recommendations (approx. 1000 words – 10%)

• A further 5% is available for the focus and presentation style

• The Executive summary has to be done in a single side (probably around 400 words rather than the 1 000 that the 10% would suggest)

8 900 Words Leaving a spare 1 100 words for allocation

Ensure that the report remains balanced and proportionately weighted


4. Tutor Support Candidates should ensure that they understand fully the requirements of the brief and are recommended to prepare an outline plan of their approach that can be discussed with a tutor. While it would not be appropriate for tutors to read and amend drafts of the assignment, their role is to ensure that the candidate is ‘heading in the right direction’– for example, they may comment on whether the candidate has chosen a suitable workplace or situation that satisfies the brief and will give sufficient scope to achieve the necessary breadth and depth of content required at Diploma level. Tutors must not provide a ‘pre- mark’.

Tutors cannot:

• Get into an iterative process of commenting on a learners work allowing it to be refined along the way;

• Over coach learners so that the work is partially the tutors;

• Read or pre-mark completed drafts; or

• Give any indication of pass or fail.

Tutors can:

• Review an initial 2 page outline plan to ensure the learner understands the requirements and is setting off in the right direction; and

• Answer specific questions to help keep the learner on track.


5. Marking In each section of the assignment marks are awarded both for the range of factors considered and the quality of treatment and so candidates need to achieve a balance between range and depth. Given the level of the Diploma, a large range of factors treated superficially would not be sufficient to gain a high mark for a particular section.

Marking Criteria The maximum marks available for each section of the assignment are as follows:

Focus and presentation 5

Executive Summary 10

Introduction 5

Review and critical analysis of the arrangements for managing health and safety (40 total allocated as follows)

• Leadership 5

• Management 5

• Worker involvement 5

• Competence 5

• Compliance 5

• Risk Profile 15

Evaluation of improvements required

(10 marks for each of the three improvements)

30

Conclusions and recommendations 10

Total 100

Level Descriptors For each of the following sections of the assignment NEBOSH markers will use level descriptors to judge your assignment against.

There are three potential levels for each section:

• Level 1 will attract the highest marks per section

• Level 2 mid-range

• Level 3 the lowest range.

These are shown in section11 of this guide – Marking

Scheme and Grade Indicators


6. Executive Summary The executive summary should be written after the candidate has completed the rest of the report but it should be inserted at the beginning of the report. An executive summary is written for a person who is not necessarily an expert in the field. The purpose of the executive summary is to provide a concise overview of the important points arising from the work and summarise the main conclusions and recommendations arising from it that can be read in a short time to accommodate the schedule of a busy reader. It should:

• Highlight the important facts and outcomes;

• State the implications for the organisation (including any costs involved); and

• Inform the reader of the proposed course of action and the benefits. An executive summary should provide sufficient information to enable a busy senior manager to make a decision as to whether or not to read the full report and to provide a persuasive case for implementation of recommendations made. There should be a description of the measurable impact on performance to capture the reader’s attention. Solutions to the problems raised should be proportionate and sensible and prompt a response that is positive. The executive summary is the only part of the report which is length limited. This must be no longer than one side of A4 using single-spaced Arial font (size 11) and 2cm print margins (left, right, top and bottom).

• Write the executive summary in a style and format which will allow it to be read quickly and easily by the intended audience – senior managers and executives.

• Stick to the allowed one side of A4 paper, using a single-spaced Arial 11 font size (or similar) and 2cm print margins.

• Write in a concise and persuasive manner.

• ‘Grab the attention’ of the reader and provide them with a clear sense of what is happening in terms of health and safety management, what more needs to be done and why it is so important to take action.


7. Introduction The introduction provides a foundation for the report and enables the reader to place the following information and judgements in context. A well written report will have clear, stated aims and objectives. What does the report writer intend to achieve through undertaking the assignment? These should be clearly identified so that the reader is clear as to what they are. They provide a signpost to the direction of the candidate’s work, both to help keep on track and to orientate the reader. Referring the conclusions back to these aims and objectives will help the reader to decide how well the assignment has achieved them.

Candidates need to refer to the aims and objectives that relate to the organisation and not a reiteration of the assignment brief. The report should also give a description of the methodology employed in order to carry out the work for the assignment. This should include what methods of research or information gathering will be used and what particular methods of presentation and analysis of findings will be used. This provides the reader with evidence that the work has been undertaken in a rigorous manner and that the findings are therefore to be relied upon.

Properly written aims, objectives and methodology sections are the key to producing a good assignment.

Valuable marks can easily be obtained by properly outlining what is intended to be done and how it is going to be done.

Meaningful objectives can be used throughout the writing / preparation of the report to ‘sense check’ progress; and checked on completion of writing the report to ensure that the candidate has done what they intended to do at the outset.

• Accommodate and personalise the information given in the assignment brief to

develop the assignment objective

• Accommodate and personalise the information given in the contents list within the assignment brief to develop specific objectives

• The methodology employed should describe methods used to research and develop the assignment. Candidates should describe methodologies such as literary reviews, existing research data, case studies, surveys, questionnaires, and interviews and developments of the assignment through subsequent analysis and presentation of data such as comparative tables, graphical illustrations, Excel spreadsheets etc.

• The role of the candidate as a health and safety practitioner in setting and achieving the objectives of the organisation should be explained. Any potential ethical, or other, conflicts that this role brings in terms of protecting employers, employees and third parties should also be identified.


A description of the chosen workplace/organisation is needed to set the context for the assignment report. The reader will be unfamiliar with the situation and will need some background to provide a context for the main body. This should include the size of the organisation, the nature of work undertaken, and what processes are undertaken, the employment profile, the work patterns and production schedules employed and if a department or site has been chosen in a very large organisation, its relationship to the work of the organisation. Any special situations that are likely to have an impact on health and safety should also be included. The description should also include the current arrangements for competent health and safety advice.

Candidates who explain and justify the basic principles of their chosen methods tend to achieve good marks in this area. Clear statements of what research has been carried out, which models have been chosen and why, are most useful and are usually evident in better reports.


8. Review and critical analysis of how Health and Safety is currently managed This is start of the main body of the report which is where the research and analysis that is undertaken is reported. It is where candidates demonstrate their understanding of health and safety and their ability to apply it to the situation in the brief. An overview of the current health and safety management arrangements in the workplace/organisation should be given. This should be compared to a recognised health and safety model e.g. HSG65 3rd edition. Candidates should note that a detailed description of the recognised model used is not required. The model should be used to critically review the organisation’s health and safety management system. Candidates should then provide a clear systematic description of gaps and where no gaps exist, for all areas of the management system, identify priorities for improvement.

For each element the current arrangements should be identified, evidenced and critically analysed against best practice to identify gaps in the current arrangements. Examples of areas to be included in each element are provided below. The examples provided are not a definitive list and some may not be relevant to all organisations.

The critical analysis needs to establish “Where are you now?” and requires a review based on rigorous enquiry of the current arrangements for health and safety under the core elements of:

• Leadership;

• Management;


• Competence;

• Compliance; and

• Risk Profile (which should focus on significant risks and critical control measures).


Leadership • Is there health and safety leadership from the top of the organisation? Is it visible?

• Is there a health and safety champion/focus at board level?

• Is there health and safety leadership at all levels within the organisation? Is it visible?

• What examples do leaders set?

• Do they talk about health and safety? When was this last done?

• Is the leadership aware of the organisation’s significant risks and how well they are being controlled?

• Are the health and safety implications of business decisions recognised and addressed?

• Is there evidence that the board or leader of the organisation is responsive to the health and safety information that is reported?

There are other example questions for the other elements within NEBOSH’s DNI guide.

Risk Profile It is important that this section of the assignment includes a critical analysis of the current health and safety arrangements not just a description. This means comparing the current arrangements with identified criteria or standards and making a judgement on whether or not the current arrangements are acceptable or note. Where arrangements meet or exceed the relevant criteria then this should be stated.

• When using HSG65 3rd edition (PDCA model) the guidance will need to be thoroughly read and a checklist developed to facilitate the benchmarking exercise.


9. Evaluation of Improvements Required On completion of the review and critical analysis the information about the current arrangements should be evaluated to determine the top three improvements that would make the most impact on improving health and safety performance at the organisation. The improvements can be selected from any of the elements and candidates can select all three improvements from one element e.g. risk profile, from two elements e.g. leadership and risk profile or from three separate elements e.g. leadership, worker involvement and risk profile.

The role of the Health and Safety practitioner should include an explanation on the distinction between leadership and management and the use of different management styles to help achieve the improvement selected.

Effective Communication of Improvements This section should explain the use of different methods of communication media to promote the improvements. The need for any conflict/change management should also be included and how roles and responsibilities will be clearly communicated to workers to ensure that they are understood and implemented.

Candidates need to justify their choice on the basis of the critical analysis but the key issue is that these are deemed to be the issues that if addressed will have the largest impact. These recommendations should be evaluated as being both proportionate and sensible.

For each improvement candidates need to go on to explain how the improvement will actually be achieved. Consideration should be given to the following factors:

• Who will be responsible for implementing the improvements?

• What resources are required?

• Is any training required?

• What are the timescales for improvements?

• How will the effectiveness of the improvements be measured, monitored and reported?

• How will lessons be learnt?

• How will any ethical or other considerations be addressed?


Financial Justification The financial justification for each selected improvement should be outlined by identifying who is responsible for the required budget and carrying out a cost-benefit analysis using relevant internal and external sources of information. Candidates should determine how the budget holder can be influenced to make appropriate health and safety decisions. The cost benefit analysis should include an estimate of the total implementation cost for each improvement and the ongoing costs. Benefits should be given and quantified and costed where possible. Gains should be outlined and payback periods identified. This should result in a comparison of the costs against the stated benefits. The financial justification must link to the judgement of whether recommendations are both proportionate and sensible.


10. Conclusions and Recommendations This section should provide a concise summary of the findings identified in the main body of the candidate’s assignment. The conclusions should not introduce new issues or additional relevant factors.

The conclusions should start by referring back to the aims and objectives through a brief discussion of how well they were achieved. The remainder of the conclusions should follow on logically from the findings in the main body. Candidates should identify the main findings, possibly by highlighting them on a draft of the main body to make sure that each of them is referred to in the conclusions. The recommendations should follow logically from the conclusions and be based on the three selected improvements in the evaluation section of the main body. For each recommendation the candidate should provide justification for its inclusion and ensure its proportionate and sensible in order to encourage management to take the required action.

Recommendations should be based upon the points set out in the conclusions and make reference to the candidate’s analysis of the health and safety management arrangements.

The conclusions should:

• Refer to things identified in the main body;

• Refer back to aims and objectives critically assessing whether or not the aims and objectives have been met;

• Include a summary of key findings; and

• Not include recommendations and other suggestions for improvements.

• The key findings should be outlined in chronological and/or priority order.

• Do not introduce new issues or factors.

• Refer back to the aims and objectives to determine whether or not these were achieved.

• Justified, proportionate recommendations are made based on the three selected improvements.


The recommendations should lead on from the conclusions and not come as a complete surprise to the reader. Recommendations should:

• Be justified – Give a reason why each one of them is included;

• Be complete – Make sure that each of the main findings is covered;

• Be practical – The reader should see that they are a realistic proposal in terms of the resources required; and

• Include a cost benefit analysis – In other words what will the organisation gain by implementing the recommendations set against the costs involved.

Recommendations should be prioritised. The most pressing issues, those which present the highest risk levels and those that can be done immediately at little or no cost, should be addressed first. Candidates should explain the system of prioritisation used.

• The recommendations section should follow on from the main conclusions in a logical manner, and need to provide any indication of prioritisation, justification and ‘Cost Benefit Analysis’ in relation to the recommendations.

• Recommendations should be expressed as ‘SMART’ objectives.


11. Bibliography and References Candidates are required to show evidence of having carried out research in order to complete the assignment. This is shown through the detailed referencing and the bibliography and how you refer to the sources within the body of your report. It is no use putting in a lot of references if you haven’t read them. There are established conventions for referencing. The two most common methods used in reports are the Harvard system and the Vancouver system. An explanation of these referencing systems can be found at: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/library/using/harvard_system.html http://www.libweb.anglia.ac.uk/guides/new_harvard.php http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/authors/reference_text.asp?site=1 The bibliography provides a list of general references to books and other documents which were used in the preparation of the report.

• Any work that is not the report writers own should be accredited to the appropriate author and properly referenced;

• Make sure that references given are current;

• Sources that have been useful in preparing the work but not directly referenced in the assignment should be listed in a separate bibliography section;

• The Harvard system gives the author and year of publication as a reference within the text, e.g. the current safety management system will be benchmarked against the requirements of the 3rd edition of HSG65 (HSE, 2013) and then in the reference section lists the references by author in alphabetical order;

• The Vancouver system allocates a numerical reference in the text, e.g. the current safety management system will be benchmarked against the requirements of the 3rd edition of HSG65 (1) and then in the reference section lists the references in numerical order;

• Pick a University guide to follow (Most University library’s publish referencing guides – often called “cite’m rite”. Follow the advice diligently; and

• List the referencing guide followed in the bibliography.

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/library/using/harvard_system.html

http://www.libweb.anglia.ac.uk/guides/new_harvard.php

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/authors/reference_text.asp?site=1


12. Appendices Appendices are pieces of work which support the content of the report. The candidate should include only material which is an essential aid to an understanding of the content of the report. Each item in the appendices should be referred to in the report so that the reader can turn directly to it to find the background to the factor concerned. Appendices should be kept to the minimum. The reader is not going to spend time reading through a collection of items which may not be relevant.

• NB material presented in the appendices cannot attract marks;

• Appendices should be kept to a minimum (avoided if possible) and only used where cross referencing to it from the main report adds value and aids the reader – e.g. if a detailed checklist was developed to facilitate the SMS review; and

• Appendices containing HSE publications in whole or in part is unnecessary and should be avoided.


13. Marking Scheme and Grade Indicators

Max marks Level 1 (4-5) Level 2 (2-3) Level 3 (0-1)

Focus and Presentation (5)

The assignment has a clear and ethically acceptable focus that satisfied the assignment brief.

The assignment follows a logical structure and conveys the information concisely using clear language and structure and an appropriate range of presentational devices, e.g. tables, figure and appendices.

References are cited correctly using a recognised system.

The assignment is generally clear and ethically focused but does not satisfy all aspects of the brief and guidance.

The assignment is generally logical and concise and the language and presentational devices e.g. tables, figures and appendices are mostly clear but there is a lack of structure in some areas.

References are generally cited correctly.

The assignment is unclear and unfocused and does not satisfy the assignment brief. The assignment is not logically structured or concise and the language is unclear and unstructured.

There is no/inappropriate use and range of presentational devices, e.g. tables, figures and appendices.

References are limited or cited incorrectly.



Executive Summary (10)

The conclusions and recommendations are summarised.

There is reference to problems that need resolving with a convincing case for resolving problems that is morally, legally and financially persuasive.

There is a description of a measureable impact on the performance that captures the reader’s attention.

Solutions to the identified problems are proportionate and sensible.

The conclusions and recommendations referenced but not adequately summarised.

Problems that need resolving are not adequately established and the case for resolving problems does not cover the moral, legal and financial aspects.

The measureable impact on performance to capture the reader’s attention is not fully described.

Solutions to the identified problems are partially proportionate and sensible.

The conclusions and recommendations are not summarised.

There is no/limited reference to the problems that need resolving. The measurable impact on performance is limited/not included.

The recommended solutions to the identified problems are not proportionate and sensible.

The case for resolving the problem is not convincing or morally, legally and financially persuasive.



Introduction (5) Aims and objectives are clearly stated and there is a description of the methodology used to carry out the assignment.

There is a description of the chosen workplace and the role of the health and safety practitioner in achieving the objectives of the organisation is included.

The meaning and application of ethical principles is addressed.

The aims and objectives are included but could be clearer and there is a reasonable description of the methodology used to carry out the assignment.

There is a reasonable description of the chosen workplace but the role of the health and safety practitioner in achieving the objectives of the organisation could be clearer.

The meaning and application of ethical principles are included but could be clearer.

The aims and objectives are unclear. There is limited/no description of the methodology used to carry out the assignment.

There is limited/no description of the chosen workplace or the role of the health and safety practitioner in achieving the objectives of the organisation.

There is limited/no meaning and application of ethical principles.



Review and critical analysis of arrangements for managing health and safety:

• Leadership (5)

• Management (5)

• Worker involvement (5)

• Competence (5)

• Compliance (5)

The account demonstrates a detailed and accurate understanding of the principal concepts involved.

The information presented is relevant and is substantiated by evidence and provides comprehensive coverage of the situation.

The relationship between the information and the evidence is clearly expressed.

The review is based on rigorous enquiry.

The current arrangements are critically analysed against best practice demonstrating research and analytical skills.

There is reference to good practice.

The account demonstrates an understanding of some of the principal concepts involved.

Information presented may not always have fill relevance and the justifying information may be weak.

A few important elements may be absent.

The review is based on enquiry.

Some of the current arrangements are critically analysed against best practice with some demonstration of research and analytical skills.

There is some reference to good practice.

The account demonstrates an awareness of some of the principal concepts involved.

Information presented is supported by limited or no evidence and the relationship to the evidence may not be made clear by the account.

Significant areas may be absent.

The review is based on limited enquiry and there is limited critical analysis against best practice.

There is limited reference to good practice.



Review and critical analysis of arrangements for managing health and safety

Risk Profile (15)

The account demonstrates a detailed and accurate understanding of the principal concepts involved.

The information presented is relevant and is substantiated by evidence and provides comprehensible coverage of the situation.

The relationship between the information and the evidence is clearly expressed.

The review is based on rigorous enquiry.

The current arrangements are critically analysed against best practice demonstrating research and analytical skills.

There is reference to good practice.

The account demonstrates an understanding of some of the principal concepts involved.

Information presented may not always have full relevance and the justifying information may be weak.

A few important elements may be absent.

The review is based on enquiry.

Some of the current arrangements are critically analysed against best practice with some demonstration of research and analytical skills.

There is some reference to good practice.

The account demonstrates an awareness of some of the principal concepts involved.

Information presented is supported by limited or no evidence and the relationship to the evidence may not be made clear by the account.

Significant areas may be absent. The review is based on limited enquiry and there is limited critical analysis against best practice.

There is limited reference to best practice.



Evaluation of improvements required

• Improvement 1 (10)



The improvement selected is appropriate and justified.

There is an explanation of how the improvement will be achieved and the role of the health and safety practitioner in implementation.

The communications required are explained and there is an outline of the financial justification for the improvement.

There is evaluation of the recommendations to ensure that they are both proportionate and sensible.

The improvement selected is reasonably and partially justified.

There is some explanation of how the improvement will be achieved and some explanation of the role of the health and safety practitioner in implementation.

There is some explanation of communications required and a partial outline of the financial justification for the improvement.

There is some evaluation of the recommendations to ensure they are both proportionate and sensible.

The improvement selected has limited/no justification.

There is limited/no explanation of how the improvement will be achieved or of the role of the health and safety practitioner in implementation.

There is limited/no explanation of the communications required.

There is limited/no outline of the financial justification for the improvement.

There is limited/no evaluation of the recommendations to ensure they are both proportionate and sensible.



Conclusions and recommendations (10)

There is a concise summary of the main findings and no introduction of any new issues or factors.

There is reference to the aim and objectives and if they were achieved.

Justified, proportionate recommendations are made based on the three selected improvements.

There is a reasonable summary of the main findings with limited introduction of new issues and factors.

There is some reference to aims and objectives and if they were achieved.

Recommendations are based on the three selected improvements.

The main findings are not summarised and there are new issues and factors introduced.

There is limited/no reference to the aim and objectives and if they were achieved.

There is limited/no reference to justified, proportionate recommendations made based on the three selected improvements.


14. Quality Standard Checklist Check

The report begins with an Executive Summary

The Executive Summary does not exceed one page of Arial 11 font

The report has an introduction (starting on a new page)

The aims of the assignment are clearly stated. (sub-headed)

The objectives of the assignment are clearly stated. (sub-headed)

The study methodology is clearly described. (sub-headed)

The introduction provides a description of the organisation. (sub-headed)

The role of the health and safety practitioner in achieving organisational objectives is included.

The meaning and application of ethical principles is addressed.

The assignment has a main body (starting on a new page) (headed findings)

The findings include a review of the existing Health and Safety Management arrangements

The review of arrangements is sufficiently broken down into the elements of leadership, management, worker involvement, competence, compliance and risk profile.

The risk profile is evidenced against best practice demonstrating research and analytical skills?

The assignment includes an evaluation of the three main improvements required.

Each improvement is justified and the role of the health and safety practitioner in achieving the improvement is discussed.

Communication of improvements is considered.

Improvements stated are financially justified.

Improvements stated are proportionate and sensible.

The report contains clear conclusions and recommendations

The conclusions refer back to the aims and objective (how well were they achieved?)

The conclusions refer back to the main findings

The conclusions do not introduce any new concepts (not discussed in main body)

The report contains clear recommendations relating to each of the conclusions

The recommendations are justified (give reason)

The recommendations are practical

Cost benefit analysis of recommendations is given

References are included using a recognised system

Bibliography shows research material appropriately referenced

Appendices are attached


Concluding Checklist from Examiners Feedback • Write the reports in a clear and concise manner;

• Use the mark scheme to help structure reports;

• In the introduction state what is to be done and how;

• Include cost benefit justifications for recommendations;

• Support main recommendations with a persuasive argument for implementation; and

• Check accuracy and clarity of references.


15. Submission of the Report Assignment reports should be submitted before the set submission dates which are published by NEBOSH annually and available on the NEBOSH website at https://www.nebosh.org.uk/students/default.asp?cref=206&ct=2

Late submissions will not be accepted and candidates should plan for the completion and submission of the assignment in sufficient time to meet the submission deadline date. Candidates intending to submit an assignment must register through their accredited course provider using the appropriate form and paying the appropriate fee. No refund of fees will be made in cases where candidates register but fail to submit. Following registration candidates will receive a pre-submission email which confirms their registration and includes instructions for electronic submission of their assignment. Assignments must be submitted electronically directly to NEBOSH. Candidates should ensure that their accredited course provider’s name/number is not shown anywhere in the assignment. Candidates should include their NEBOSH student number on each page of their assignment. Candidates are strongly advised to keep a copy of their assignment. Assignments must be the candidate’s original work. Assignments will be submitted by NEBOSH to the Turnitin UK text-matching service and added to the Turnitin database.

Cases of plagiarism or collusion will be dealt with severely and are liable to result in the assignment being disqualified and the candidate being banned from future registrations. Any candidate who provides an opportunity for another candidate to use his/her assignment inappropriately shall be liable to the same sanction. After the completion of the marking process candidates will be informed of the total mark for their submission and the marks for each section. Candidates must achieve a pass standard of 50% in the assignment in order to satisfy the assessment criteria for the award of National Diploma or International Diploma. If a candidate is referred they can register to resubmit at a later date so long as this is within their enrolment period.

• Submission dates are now quarterly in February, May, August and November of each year

General information on how Turnitin works can be found at -http://turnitin.com/en_us/what-we-offer/feedback-studio

https://www.nebosh.org.uk/students/default.asp?cref=206&ct=2


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Planned Coursework / Homework Time has been allocated for Unit DNI briefings at the end of Unit B (week 4 of the course) and at the end of Unit C (week of the course). It is recommended that:

1. You obtain the current NEBOSH guide and examiners feedback (when available) to familiarise yourself with the requirements of the DNI assessment well before the briefing at the end of week 4.

2. You prepare an outline plan between weeks 4 and 5 of the course and look to find some time for a discussion with your tutor during week 5 or 6 to ensure you are on track.


Post Course Support Should you require further support on Unit DNI after completing the six weeks of study you are still able to contact your tutors for advice.

If, because of teaching commitments etc, a particular tutor is unavailable an email to [email protected] will enable the administration team to find an alternative tutor, or line up an appointment for a discussion.

NB tutors are able to answer queries and provide general advice and support. Tutors are not permitted to over coach, provide examples of successful assignments, or pre-mark assignments ahead of submission.

mailto:[email protected]


NEBOSH Website – How to Find the current Unit DNI Guides The latest vesrsions of guidance and feedback can be found at:

https://www.nebosh.org.uk/Students/default.asp?cref=1646 Alternatively you can navigate your way from the NEBOSH homepage as follows

Click on “Students”

Click on “Currently studying”

https://www.nebosh.org.uk/Students/default.asp?cref=1646


Scroll down to find NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health or International Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health

Click on “Assignment brief Unit DNI”

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quick-witted, ready, resourceful, shrewd,strategical, tactical, wise …

tutis (latin): protected, safe, secure …

astute + tutis = astutis

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Documents

NEBOSH National / International Diploma in …downloads.astutis-resources.com/diploma_dni/Astutis_DNI_Workbook_V...NEBOSH National / International Diploma in Occupational Health and