Purpose of the Task

This Knowledge Application Task is designed to place the learner into a realistic workplace challenge that requires careful analysis, professional judgement, and application of multiple safety management elements. The task strengthens the learner’s capability to:

• Interpret how global influences affect local safety culture.
• Integrate sustainability practices into operational decision-making.
• Apply measurement tools for safety performance and Safety Return on Investment (SROI).
• Manage psychological health impacts linked with workplace pressures.
• Demonstrate leadership in developing a whole-organisation safety approach.

The task focuses on applying UK legal requirements, including:

• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
• Environmental Protection Act 1990
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
• Equality Act 2010 (psychological health considerations)

Knowledge Application Task (KAT)

Scenario: Safety Failure Linked to Global Pressures, Sustainability Gaps, and Psychological Stress

A large UK-based construction company is working on a major data centre project. Due to global supply chain delays, management places pressure on site teams to accelerate internal works. Sustainability commitments are also under scrutiny following complaints about waste mismanagement and high diesel use by site generators.
During an evening shift, an electrician suffers a minor electric shock while working on a distribution board that was believed to be isolated. The injured worker was fatigued, working his ninth consecutive day due to labour shortages. The shock does not cause hospitalisation but triggers anxiety and difficulty sleeping.

An internal review finds:

• Lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) was not completed correctly.
• A subcontractor bypassed a permit-to-work step to save time.
• Waste segregation was ignored for three days due to lack of skip space.
• Safety observations had reduced by 40% over the last month.
• Supervisors reported increased stress among workers because of global market pressure and unrealistic programme demands.

Task Requirement for Learners

The learner must complete the following elements, using structured reasoning and evidence-based analysis. The response should integrate the learning outcomes of the unit.

1. Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis

Learner must:

• Identify all hazards present in the scenario (technical, organisational, environmental, psychological).
• Evaluate risk severity and likelihood.
• Explain how global issues (supply chain instability, labour shortages, rising material costs, sustainability expectations) influence these hazards.
• Link findings to UK legal requirements and recognised standards (HSE Guidance, ISO 45001, ISO 14001).

2. Documentation Review and Compliance Gaps

Learner must analyse which documents were breached or not used properly:

• Permit-to-work
• LOTO procedure
• Fatigue assessment forms
• Waste management plan
• Daily briefing records
• Mental health and wellbeing support policies

Learner must explain:

• Consequences of incorrect or missing documents.
• How the breaches violate UK laws and CDM duties.
• How these failures weaken safety culture and sustainability performance.

3. Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

Learner must conduct a full RCA using one of the following models:

• Five Whys
• Fishbone (Ishikawa)
• Swiss Cheese Model

The RCA should consider:

• Global operational pressures
• Poor organisational communication
• Insufficient supervision
• Psychological strain
• Fatigue
• Lack of sustainability leadership
• Equipment and procedural failures

The learner must state the primary root cause, secondary causes, and contributing factors.

4. Corrective and Preventive Measures

Learner must propose detailed corrective actions linked to:

a. Technical controls

• Reinforcing LOTO
• Strengthening permit systems
• Improving authority-to-work approvals

b. Organisational controls

• Updating site schedules
• Increasing supervision
• Improving sustainability reporting

c. Psychological health controls

• Fatigue management policy
• Stress risk assessments (as required by HSE)
• Support from trained Mental Health First Aiders

d. Sustainability improvements

• Reintroducing segregation procedures
• Monitoring generator use
• Promoting circular economy procurement

Learner must explain how each measure supports:

• Stronger safety culture
• Reduced ecological impact
• Better worker wellbeing
• Better compliance with UK legislation

5. Safety Performance Measurement and SROI Calculation

The scenario provides enough information for the learner to measure safety performance trends by analysing:

• 40% drop in safety observations
• Increased fatigue-related errors
• Non-compliance incidents
• Waste mismanagement

Learner must propose:

• Leading indicators
• Lagging indicators
• A simple SROI calculation (e.g., cost of incident avoidance vs cost of corrective action)

Example formula (learner will apply):

SROI = (Savings from Reduced Incidents – Cost of Safety Interventions) / Cost of Safety Interventions

6. Whole-Organisation Safety Leadership Strategy

Learner must propose a strategy for leadership to rebuild culture, including:

• Executive communication plan
• Workforce engagement approach
• Strengthening psychological health awareness
• Sustainability integration across all departments
• Training and competencies
• Clear CDM-aligned responsibilities
• Transparent reporting and performance dashboards

The strategy must demonstrate how the organisation can deliver a sustainable, psychologically safe, legally compliant workplace culture at every level.

Reflection Questions for Learners

1. How do global supply chain constraints influence day-to-day safety behaviour?
2. How can organisations balance productivity pressures with sustainability and worker wellbeing?
3. How does fatigue increase the likelihood of errors during technical tasks?
4. Which indicators best reflect safety performance changes over time?
5. How does leadership reduce psychological risk during challenging periods?

Guidance to Learners

• Use formal reasoning but keep explanations clear and practical.
• Refer only to UK legislation, approved codes of practice, and relevant ISO standards.
• Provide evidence-based answers rather than personal opinions.
• Demonstrate integrated thinking—your responses should connect safety culture, sustainability, psychological health, and organisational performance.
• Show leadership understanding by proposing solutions that influence behaviour at all levels of the organisation.
• Use diagrams or tables if helpful (optional).
• Apply root cause analysis carefully and justify conclusions.
• Make sure corrective actions relate directly to identified hazards and causes.