SMN401S Exam Pack.
SMN401S Previously asked exam question after 2013 – Oct 2016 & (PEQ 2013) possible exam
questions from lector & DQ Discussion questions 49/51 completed. (LS) Lector Scope 2016
1. An organisation assessment is a measure of where your organisation is at a specific point in tim...
,SMN401S Previously asked exam question after 2013 – Oct 2016 & (PEQ 2013) possible exam
questions from lector & DQ Discussion questions 49/51 completed. (LS) Lector Scope 2016
1. An organisation assessment is a measure of where your organisation is at a specific point in time
compared with where it wants to be. Explain the foundational factors that the safety committee should
consider when preparing to conduct an assessment WHY WHEN HOW & WHOM
Why factor (5) Jan & Oct 2015 & (PEQ) & Scope 2016 Lectors answer
Ensure safety committee members understand the reason for conducting a safety-first assessment
Help members to explain the purpose of the assessment to other employees
Must be clear to all that the assessment is being conducted to determine the extent to which the organisation is
as a safety-first corporate culture
Ex: During the startup of the assessment project the safety committee as well as other influential employees
must discuss & ensure the reason for the safety culture assessment & WHY this assessment will be completed
When factor (10) Jan 2014, Jan & Oct 2015 & (PEQ) Lectors answer
Timing of a safety assessment is important; consider these rules:
Avoid times of year when employees usually take leave
Do not be rushed by circumstances & do a less than credible assessment
Make response time for completion of assessment instrument long enough
Conduct interview or focus groups before lunch
When completion of survey is required ensure enough time is given for respondent
Plan for assessments to take longer than expected & schedule accordingly
Ex: In ABC electrical the safety culture assessment will be questionnaires that will be sent to employees
electronically. These questionnaires can be done in sections as employees have more time available
Questionnaires will be send out during Feb just after most employees have returned from annual leave
How factor (10) Jan 2014, Jan & Oct 2015 & PEQ Lectors answer with benefits & weaknesses
The three most common assessment methods:
Interviews: Is time consuming
Participants can’t respond without anonymity & anonymity usually promotes more honest responses
Most safety professionals are experienced in using interviews to obtain the facts
Focus group: Allow for a broader base of participants than interviews
It require a skilled facilitator that is well experienced in group dynamics to ensure that the information gathered
from the group & not a dominant individual
Surveys: Require a lot of participation
They allow for the broadest participation & respondents can give inputs anonymously
Electronic surveys make the work of sending & compiling surveys easier
Ex: At ABC electrical a combination of focus groups & surveys will be used in the assessment of the level of
safety-culture for our organisation
What factor (PEQ)
To determine the extent to which the tacit assumptions, attitudes, behaviours, beliefs, expectations & values that
are widely shared & accepted in the organisation support the maintenance of a safe & healthy workplace
It is the determining the level of commitment of all employees within the organisation
Ex: The assessment will determine the commitment of the managers, supervisors & employees
Whom factor 6 Jan 2014 (PEQ) Three main components
For whom is the assessment being conducted? The commitment from senior management in the conducting of a
safety assessment is the most important
It is the management that grants the safety committee the opportunity to conduct the assessment, but also the
assessment if being done on their behalf
Who will participate in the assessment? All within the organisation should actually participate however; this is not
always possible in larger organisation
In these instances a representative sample of the organisation should be assessed
Who will conduct the assessment? Usually the safety committee, if unable any trained employee
Ex: In ABC Electrical the assessment is done on behalf of the CEO whom was granted the safety committee the
project to assess the level of safety culture within the organisation
It is planned that all employees of ABC will participate in the assessment
2. Describe what a policy is & how corporate safety values are met by policy (10) Jan &
Oct 2015, Jan & Oct 2016 (PEQ)Page 18 Lectors answer
Policy is a guide to the actions of all personnel as they relate to the organisational essentials
in the strategic plan
Page 1 of 30
, When safety has been included in the organisation strategic plan & a corresponding safety
policy has been developed the big picture requirements for establishing a safety first
corporate culture have been satisfied
The remaining requirements are more focused & more practical in nature
This will require you & the other members of the safety committee to work closely &
persistently with HR personnel, middle managers, supervisors & employees
Once you have sufficient executive level to get safety included in the organisation strategic
plan & to deploy a corporate policy you have cleared the most important hurdles in the
process
3. List the various types of role modelling characteristics & explain briefly how each of
the relates to safety (25) Jan 2014 & (PEQ X4) Lectors answer
Acceptance of accountability/responsibility: If everyone has to buy into the idea of a safety-
first corporate culture they must be responsible for safety
Safety is all within the organisations responsibility
All especially leaders must take accountability for safety & role modelling this will show to
the rest of the organisation that they must also be held responsible
Critical thinking: A critical thinker collects facts & considers them objectively
Hazard identification & analysis requires critical thinking that forms part of the major aspects
of a safety program
Effective communication: Managers that listen & are role models of effective listening is
important to promote safety-first attitudes amongst employees & maintain a safety culture
Management must listen what employees say about safety & safety issues
Must keep employees well informed about job safety
Initiative: In highly competitive world organisations need their employees to take the initiative
in identifying ways to solve problems, eliminate hazards, continually improve performance &
enhance the quality of the work environment
Integrity: Displaying a lack of integrity on the part of management will show employees that
they are not serious about safety & employees will follow such behaviour
Integrity affects the attitudes of employees towards safety
Positive attitude: Are crucial for a safety culture. Consequently & consistent role modeling of
safety attitudes & practices by leaders of the organisation is a must
Other people will follow that they see management does, thus leaders with a positive
attitude towards safety will result in employees having a positive attitude towards safety
Positive change agency: Workplace safety is constantly changing, with regulations,
personnel, procedures etc. changing/updated
Continual improvement is required in a competitive environment
To maintain safety working environment people must be open to change
4. Mentors of new employees have an opportunity to shape the attitudes & work
practices – of those new employees – in a positive way. List the different mentoring
strategies that will help in having an influential relationship (5) & Discuss the
importance of each strategy (10) & tip or a suggestion on how to carry out each
strategy with a new employee (10) Jan & Oct 2015 (Lectors answer)
Be an active, patient listener
Importance:
Page 2 of 30
, Protégés might be frustrated & in need for an opportunity to vent or feel confused about
work related issues
A protégés problem might be evidence of an even larger problem within the organisation &
might reveal the need for some type of improvement
The protégés might experience a problem with another employee who is not properly
modeling the organisations safety-first corporate culture
Tip or Suggestion
o Maintain a positive, non-judge mental attitude, tone of voice & facial expression
o Maintain eye contact with the protégés throughout conversation
o Eliminate distractions & give the protégés your undivided attention
o Let protégés explain their problems & concerns without interruption
Be a consistent, positive role model
Importance:
The best way to gain credibility with new employees is to be consistent, positive role model
of the organization’s culture expectations, let people see the mentor living out the values
professed by the organisation
This credibility is necessary to be able to influence people
The impression made by a role model that personifies the organization’s values & culture
has a larger influence in new employees as they respond better to actions than words
Tip or Suggestion:
o Let new employees see their mentors see them living out the values professed by
the organisation
o Role models need to be exemplary role models of the organisation culture & safety
expectations
Be Empathetic
Importance:
It lets new employees know that their concerns are valid. They are not the only person to
have these concerns. The anxieties & concerns will eventually pass
Tip or Suggestion:
o Mentors should let new employees know that they as the mentors felt the same
anxieties when they just started at the new company
o Ensure the new employees know that the concerns will eventually pass as they did
for the mentor
o Mentors should try & remember how if felts to be rookies
Show sincere interest in Protégés
Importance: Mentors that are not sincere in their interest shown to new employees will not
be able to influence these employees
Those mentors that show a sincere interest will be able to have a positive influence on their
protégés even if they fall short in some other area of mentoring
Tip or Suggestion:
o The best mentors show truly pride in the success of their protégés & their protégés
knows this
Work to establish trust
Importance: People will not follow in, or be positive influenced by those they do not trust
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