NEBOSH National General Certificate - Open Course

• 1.1 Morals and money
• 1.2 The force of law – punishment and compensation
• 1.3 The most important legal duties for employers and workers
• 1.4 Managing contractors effectively

• 2.1 What they are and the benefits they bring
• 2.2 What good health and safety management systems look like

• 3.1 Health and safety culture
• 3.2 Improving health and safety culture
• 3.3 How human factors influence behaviour positively or negatively
• 3.4 Assessing risk
• 3.5 Management of change
• 3.6 Safe systems of work for general work activities
• 3.7 Permit-to-work systems
• 3.8 Emergency procedures

• 4.1 Active and reactive monitoring
• 4.2 Investigating incidents
• 4.3 Health and safety auditing
• 4.4 Review of health and safety performance

• 5.1 Noise
• 5.2 Vibration
• 5.3 Radiation
• 5.4 Mental health
• 5.5 Violence at work
• 5.6 Substance abuse at work

• 6.1 Work-related upper limb disorder
• 6.2 Manual handling
• 6.3 Load-handling equipment

• 7.1 Hazardous substances
• 7.2 Assessment of health risks
• 7.3 Occupational exposure limits
• 7.4 Control measures
• 7.5 Specific agents

• 8.1 Health, welfare and work environment
• 8.2 Working at height
• 8.3 Safe working in confined spaces
• 8.4 Lone working
• 8.5 Slips and trips
• 8.6 Safe movement of people and vehicles in the workplace
• 8.7 Work-related driving

• 9.1 General requirements
• 9.2 Hand-held tools
• 9.3 Machinery hazards
• 9.4 Control measures for machinery

• 10.1 Fire principles
• 10.2 Preventing fire and fire spread
• 10.3 Fire alarms and fire-fighting
• 10.4 Fire evacuation

• 11.1 Hazards and risks
• 11.2 Control measures

In 2020 NEBOSH introduced open book examinations (where you can take a NEBOSH reference book into the exam with you) as a permanent replacement for the invigilated, paper-based examinations. Along with the NG2 project, this allows the NEBOSH National General Certificate qualification to now be completed remotely, without attending a classroom or exam venue.

The open book examination is designed to test your knowledge and ability as it would be used in a real-world scenario. Rather than testing your memory, using a open book exam style will test your application of health and safety knowledge.

You’ll have 24 hours to complete your open book exam and you can structure your time as you see fit. NEBOSH suggest you should allow 4-5 hours in total for the exam.

Download the Open Book Examination Learner Guide from NEBOSH’s website. It has helpful tips and information on the digital assessment.

The second part of the assessment process is your practical assessment. The aim of the practical assessment is to show you now have the skills to complete a risk assessment of your workplace. Perfect to show off your new skills and apply them right away in a real-world situation.

To help complete your assessment you’ll be provided with a thorough guidance document, a checklist you can use to make sure you include everything in your submission and an example submission. Before starting your risk assessment you should complete the NEBOSH syllabus, elements 1 to 11.

During your course, your tutor will spend time discussing the project with the group using homework and activities to get you thinking in practical terms.

So how long should the risk assessment take? NEBOSH advise it should take around 3 hours to complete, but this can vary. Keep in mind the practical is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork, much like in the real world it’s about identifying realistic and sensible measures to control risks in the workplace.

Closing interviews must be attended by every NEBOSH Candidate with their Learning Partner Project Skills Solutions via Zoom, within 2-3 weeks of completing your exam.
The interviews are not assessed but if you do not attend your scheduled closing interview NEBOSH will not publish your results.
NEBOSH use the Closing Interview as a key part of their malpractice procedures and have set up multiple steps (see below).

During the interview you will be required to:

– Show your identification to check you are who you say you are. This is the same as an invigilated examination
– Show the room you are in to make sure you are alone
– Answer questions about your examination

NEBOSH provide Project Skills Solutions with a list of interview questions that are bespoke to the examination paper and designed to check you have the underpinning knowledge and understanding behind your answers.
Project Skills Solutions will ask the questions in a random sequence so not every learner will be asked the same combination of questions.
Project Skills Solutions will complete a Closing Interview Record Sheet for every learner.