Safety Officer interview questions and answers
This Safety Officer interview profile brings together a snapshot of what to look for in candidates with a balanced sample of suitable interview questions.
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Safety Officer Interview Questions
Safety officers inspect facilities, processes and people to ensure they follow occupational safety guidelines (OSH). They can be found in corporations, public institutions or regulatory agencies wherever safety is a priority.
Safety officers may hold degrees in safety management or other fields. It’s best to pursue those candidates who possess official certification. Ask questions about legislation and your specific industry. For example, they need to know about EPA guidelines and gas cutting if they have to inspect a construction site.
Attention to detail is critical for this job. Their commitment to OSH rules should be evident when they talk about their past experiences. Confidence and communication skills will help them enforce the law in cases where others tend to disregard it.
Operational and Situational questions
- How would you go about conducting a workplace safety audit?
- What is job safety analysis (JSA)? Can you walk me through the process?
- What are some things you would do to implement a Hazard Communication Program?
- If you saw that some employees weren’t using protective equipment, what would you do?
- You want to make improvements in workplace safety conditions, but one of the managers opposes it saying it’s expensive and unnecessary. How would you approach the subject?
Role-specific questions
- What is [e.g. gas cutting] and what dangers does it involve?
- What are some safety precautions for scaffolding?
- What do you know about EPA guidelines in [specific industry]?
- What will be your priorities during your first week?
- How do you compute noise exposure?
- What is your experience in writing reports?
- What is your experience in health and safety training?
- How do you keep abreast of current regulations?
Behavioral questions
- Have you ever had to deal with employees who repeatedly ignored your safety instructions? How did you resolve this?
- Tell me about a time you missed an incident of serious negligence. What happened?
- Describe the most dangerous violation you have ever encountered.
- Have you ever had to stop a process because of the danger of imminent accidents?