Controlling Workplace Health Issues
DO – Controlling Workplace Health Issues (International)
SCENARIO
Established in 1998, Nutripex is a manufacturer of a wide range of vitamins and food supplements for supply to supermarkets. Most of the products, such as Vitamin C, are solid tablets; some products, such as Vito-iron, are in liquid form.
Nutripex operates in a modern industrial unit, consisting of a large production department, some office space, and a warehouse. There are 150 workers at the site, and the majority of these work in the production department. There is a break room and changing area with lockers that workers can use. The workers are allowed two 15-minute breaks and a 30 minute break for lunch during a normal 8-hour shift. There is an early and late shift operating five days a week.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to all workers in the form of earplugs, safety glasses, disposable dust masks and overalls. All workers wear the overalls provided, to protect their own clothes. The use of the rest of the PPE provided is sporadic. The dust masks are particularly unpopular with workers who have beards. (Excerpt). 
Task 1: Hazardous substance risk assessment
1 The occupational hygienist (OH) has made some initial measurements of dust levels and gathered other information relating to exposure of workers to vitamin C powder. All of this information is provided in supporting document 1.
(a) Explain what the OH should have considered when planning to measure workers’ personal dust exposure levels. (15)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario and the relevant supporting document.
(b) Looking at the information in section 1 of supporting document 1
(i) give reasons why the OH decided to take these fixed place (static) measurements of dust levels. (11)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario and the relevant supporting document.
(ii) comment on the limitations of this information when assessing the risks to workers exposed to vitamin C powder. (8)
(iii) comment on what the numerical information indicates. (14)
(c) Consider how the information in section 2 of supporting document 1 could be used when assessing the risks of workers’ exposure to vitamin C powder. (20)
(d) Based on all available information in the scenario and supporting documents, what are the considerations when carrying out a hazardous substance risk assessment for the handling of vitamin C powder by workers at Nutripex? (33)
Note: You do not need to consider again the specific detail regarding dust exposure information referred to in your answers to parts b (iii) and c.Task 2: Alcohol problems at work
2 (a) (i) Based on the scenario only, what behaviours of Worker X suggest that they may have an alcohol problem? (4)
(ii) Give SEVEN other behaviours, not referred to in the scenario, that could indicate a worker has an alcohol problem. (7)
(b) Discuss if alcohol testing might be appropriate for all workers at Nutripex. (4)
(c) The CEO wants to set up alcohol testing (see supporting document 2).
What is the HR manager likely to outline to the CEO in relation to
(i) worker contractual considerations? (8)
(ii) practical considerations? (16)
(d) Explain why the actions taken by the CEO in relation to Worker X after the incident on 26 April were NOT appropriate. (12)
Notes: You are not required to suggest what actions should have been taken instead.
You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario and supporting document 2.
(e) Other than any reference to alcohol testing, outline what else should be
included in an alcohol policy for Nutripex. (22)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.Task 3: LEV effectiveness
3 According to HSG 258 (A guide to local exhaust ventilation) a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) thorough examination and test (TExT) involves three stages. The first of these three stages is a ‘visual and structural examination’ of the LEV.
(a) (i) Based on the scenario only, what indicators suggest that there may be a problem with the LEV system? (8)
(ii) What else should those carrying out the TExT do during this first stage? (12)
The second stage of the LEV TExT is a review of the technical performance; this includes measuring. In the diagram in supporting document 3, three possible locations (marked X, Y and Z) for measuring duct velocity are shown.
(b) (i) What features make a suitable location for measuring duct velocity? (4)
(ii) Discuss the suitability of EACH of these test locations when
measuring duct velocity. (12)
Note: You must discuss locations X, Y and Z in your answer.
(c) Identify FOUR measurements, other than duct velocity, that could be made during the second stage of the LEV TExT. (4)
One of the recommendations made in the recent LEV TExT report is to change the current design of the LEV at the mixing vessel charging points. The current and recommended designs are shown in supporting document 4.
(d) Explain how the recommended new LEV design, shown in figure 2 of supporting document 4, will help to reduce the exposure of workers when working at the mixing vessel charging point. (18)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario and the relevant supporting document.Task 4: Noise and health surveillance
4 (a) Suggest reasons why audiometry testing has been recommended for workers in the tableting department at Nutripex. (9)
(b) (i) Discuss what the information in supporting document 5 shows. (9)
(ii) Using the HSE’s L108 appendix 4, explain how the information in supporting document 5 could be used to aid decision making with a hearing health surveillance programme at Nutripex. (10)
(iii) Use the numerical information in the shaded area of supporting document 5 and in appendix 4 of L108 to determine the outcome of the audiometry testing for Worker Y. (12)
Note: You should use simple calculations to support your answer.
(c) Based on the information in supporting document 5
(i) what effects on their hearing could Worker Y be experiencing? (4)
(ii) describe the likely physical changes in the inner ears of Worker Y. (6)
(d) Comment on why introducing audiometry testing for some workers might be problematic for Nutripex. (8)
(e) Audiometry testing may sometimes not produce an accurate representation of the effects of noise exposure on the hearing of Nutripex workers.
Give reasons why this may be the case with Worker Y. (10)
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.
End of examination
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