How to Complete the NEBOSH Unit DNI Assignment

Unit DNI is a compulsory module of the NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Professionals consisting of an 8000 word Health and Safety report. It replaced the previously known Unit D in the 2015 NEBOSH Diploma syllabus update. Whether you’re a National or International learner, this post will help you complete your assignment.

To pass unit DNI, you are required to obtain 50% or more out of the 100 marks available. Learners are to apply knowledge and understanding gained from studying A/AI, B/BI and C/CI in a real working environment and to carry out a critical analysis and evaluation of the information gathered during the review. The level of work should be that expected of a competent Health and Safety Practitioner working within an organisation.

The latest NEBOSH Diploma submission dates and deadlines can be found here.

Report structure for Unit DNI

The focus of the report should be on the management of health and safety and the evaluation of improvements. For each of the sections or subsections, there are 3 level descriptors. Level 1 achieves the top marks and level 3 the lowest, which can include zero if the objective hasn’t been met.

Please note that element titled ‘The Role of The Health and Safety Practitioner' (element A11 for national students and element A9 for international students), is also assessed within the unit DNI brief, so you must consider this within the assignment.

If you’d like to know more information on the differences between Unit D and DNI, take a look at our ‘Smooth Transitions to Unit DNI' blog post.

Do's and Don'ts

Do include

• Your own work only
• Information that you have analysed from reviewing your health and safety management system
• Relevant diagrams, charts, statistics and the occasional photograph
• Organisational charts showing health and safety responsibilities for posts relevant to managing health and safety
• Information about your own role and professional ethics in context
• Page numbering and a contents page
• Proper references using either Harvard or Vancouver systems
• Logical argument and discussion based on the headings within the main body of the report
• Information which is thoroughly researched and evidenced based
• Financial justification for each improvement suggested and a cost-benefit analysis
• Proportionate and sensible recommendations

Don't

• Other people’s work, especially do not try to state this is your own work if it isn’t.
• Whole copies of the company’s health and safety policy
• Copious charts, photos and diagrams which are too small to read or do not add value
• Job descriptions or diagrams that cannot be seen as the text is too small
• Unnecessary blank proforma such as questionnaires within the Appendices
• Other people’s analysis of the company’s health and safety performance
• Poor references
• Information in the wrong sections of the report
• Information for the sake of it that’s not evidenced and cannot be justified
• Information that is not relevant to health and safety
• Recommendations that do not relate back to the main body
• Unrealistic recommendations

How to submit your NEBOSH Unit DNI assignment

The unit DNI practical assignment can only be submitted once you have sat unit A/B and C exams for national students, or for International students, AI/BI and CI exams. You don’t have to have passed these exams or have your results back to be eligible for submission.

There are 4 potential submission dates for the unit DNI throughout the year. These are deliberately out of phase with the exam cycle and are February, May, August and November.

Unlike the old unit D, there is no need for a student log of information exchange which was previously signed by your course provider. You do, however, have to register your intention to submit unit DNI with your course provider well in advance of the submission dates given by NEBOSH. If you are an Astutis learner, this is typically 8 weeks before the NEBOSH submission date. Once you have registered, you will then be able to submit your unit DNI directly to Nebosh. Nebosh will confirm registration and email you details of how to submit directly.

The Unit DNI must be typed and formatted as NEBOSH describe within the unit DNI guide.

NEBOSH produce a unit DNI guide for students, which you should download and digest prior to attempting your work. This is available to download free from the NEBOSH website here.