IOSH Managing Safely Practice Test

An immediate cause of an incident refers to the direct actions or behaviors that lead to the occurrence of an accident or near miss. In this context, using the wrong personal protective equipment (PPE) is a clear and tangible example of an immediate cause because it reflects a specific, unsafe action that can lead to injury or harm. When an employee utilizes equipment that does not offer adequate protection for the task they are performing, the risk of an incident occurring significantly increases.

Immediate causes are often evident at the scene of the incident and can be directly linked to the event itself. In contrast, the other options, such as lack of training, poor management practices, and inadequate safety policies, are more systemic or contributory factors that may create an environment where immediate causes are more likely to occur but do not directly trigger the incident itself. These systemic issues can lead to incorrect behaviors, but they are not the direct cause of a specific incident as using inadequate PPE is.