HSE Officer Interview Q& A

What do you know about us?

DXT is a construction company that builds commercial structures. DXT has a team of 150+
workers and separate departments for architecture, employee management, budgeting, HSE and
designing. You have a well defined HSE policy which is in compliance to the workplace safety
guidelines issued by OSHA.
What are the main duties of an HSE officer?
An HSE officer is responsible for scheduling and conducting regular audits, inspecting safety
measures, ensuring the HSE policies have been clearly communicated to employees and are
being implemented. An HSE officer is also responsible for conducting risk analysis to avoid
accidents and conduct post accident research to identify the cause of accident and take measures
to avoid its repetition.
Tell me about your experience?
I started my career as a junior safety officer 5 years back. I was responsible for implementing the
safety policies and explaining the proper use of PPE to employees. I was promoted to HSE
officer two years back and my added responsibilities include designing HSE policies, checking
for health safety or environmental hazards and taking corrective actions to fix any security leaks
proactively, before any accident occurs.
What qualifies you for this job?
I am a highly responsible person with excellent analytical and communication skills. I also
possess a diploma in HSE management and am good at communicating the risks involved in
various fields of work and how to deal with them which renders me well qualified for the role of
an HSE officer.
As an HSE officer, what is your prime safety concern on any given day?
There are many concerns that are on my mind each day. But since I value human life, I am
usually very anxious about any accidents that may occur and end up harming a worker.
What unsafe conditions do you think are usually taken for granted in an organization?
In my five years of work in safety, I have come across many situations that have transpired by
human negligence. Loose stair treads and wires that have not been earthed are two of the
common things that people take for granted and can prove to be fatal.
What are some of the areas that you would want to focus on in your HSE officer role?
I believe that fire safety, chemical safety, biohazard safety, radiation prevention and First Aid and
CPR training are the areas that need to be the prime focus in this role.

Tell us of a situation when mere observation helped you foil an accident or injury.
One of the things which I mentioned earlier as easily taken for granted are stair threads. Quite
recently, I was doing the rounds of the elevators and staircases in the building I was assigned to
and noticed that one of the stair treads had come apart. It was a routine inspection but my
observation abilities made it possible for me to pinpoint this and have it repaired before the
lunchtime bell gonged and the workers descended to the cafeteria.
Which areas of your profession do you think you are best at?
I believe myself to be an all rounder since if and when I feel I am week in a certain area, I
immediately make effort to improve in that area. I am an expert in risk analysis, incident
evaluation, safety auditing and HSE policy implementation.
What OHS and other HSE qualifications do you possess?
I possess NEBOSH certification, BCLS certification, Helicopter underwater escape certification
and fire fighting certification. I also hold a technical diploma in HSE, form the Professional
safety institute affiliated with the OSHA.
What is a safe work permit?
A safe work permit is basically a document and a permit that specifies the hazards involved in
the work to be done and precautions needed to avoid the same.
Name some precautions related to working at heights?
Proper PPE must be used, risks of falling must be carefully catered for and ladders must be
tightly fastened before a worker climbs on.
Name some common construction site PPE?
Helmets, fall arrest equipment, high visibility garments and eye protection are some of the PPE
used on construction sites.

As a safety officer, the essence of your work is ensuring other peoples and propertys safety so it
stands to reason that at an interview for this position, you will be tested along these lines
primarily. If you are comfortable in your safety officer role, it will show in an interview; your
knowledge of the work and how you execute it will be a great asset when you sit across the table
from an interviewer.
An interview for a safety officers position will focus mostly on your abilities of implementing
security policies and handling adverse situations. You should be confident in both these areas if
you want to excel in the interview. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first
impression so be prepared to give the interviewer what he wants!

While you will most probably be asked situation-based questions during an interview for a safety
officer position, you must prepare yourself for other types of questions as well. These may
include your knowledge of using safety equipment or understanding of safety procedures and
protocols.
Given below is a set of interview questions and answers that you could be asked when appearing
for an interview:
Safety Officer Interview Questions and Answers
Define the terms risk and safety?
Safety is defined as a condition that is free from hazards while risk is the realization of a
potential loss or injury.
Differentiate between risk assessment and incident investigation?
Risk assessment is conducted before an incident has occurred with the aim of avoiding any
incident in the first place while incident investigation is done after an accident has occurred to
determine its causes and avoid its repetition in the future.
How would you define safety and its relevance to real time situations?
Safety is a condition which provides you freedom from risk. While most people say safety and
think people, it is not just about people. It is also about buildings and assets. Real time
situations that may warrant safety include physical hazards such as fire, natural calamities,
intended harm and emergencies.
What is a safety audit? On what three bases does it operate?
A safety audit is a workplace screening process that indicates any unsafe working conditions and
recommends corrective measures. Is operates on measurements, analysis and testing.
What are the five essential Es of a safety program?
The five essentials of a safety program include: engineering, education, enforcement, enthusiasm
and example.
Explain a situation where your proactive thinking avoided a certain accident?
During an oil drilling project the drillers were using PPE but the audit revealed they were not
using proper eye gear. I designed and recommended sealed eye gear for them and insisted on its
use which paid off because the drillers came across a pungent gas during drilling which could
have damaged their eyes causing serious threats on site and long term health issues had they not
worn that equipment.

What is a near-miss? Share a near-miss experience and what you learnt from it?
Near miss is a situation where an accident could happen but did not. These indicate leaks in
security arrangements. Last year, during a renovation project someone placed heavy tiles on the
first floor just where the floor was not strong enough to carry their weight. The floor gave in and
a couple of tiles fell down, no one was hurt but I learnt to always place safety tags on weak parts
of structures being renovated.
What parameters determine work at height?
Any task that is required to be performed at a height of 2m or more above ground level is
considered as a work at height situation.
What is the biggest hazard in construction and what can be done to remove it?
Biggest hazard that applies to construction sites is that of collapse. This is avoided through
proper and secure scaffolding at sensitive structural points.
What is your biggest weakness?
I would say paying extra attention to details might be my weakness. I am highly cautious and do
not sit back until I have thoroughly understood and figured out strategies to carry out things
which sometimes over burdens me but in a way helps me perform better as a security officer.
What are your main strengths as a security officer?
I am a good manager, highly organized and possess very good communication skills.
In the event of a fire inside a building, what thought will be foremost in your mind?
Evacuation. I would want every living being inside the building to safely step out and run as far
away from the building as possible.
Have you ever been involved in a situation which has tested your mettle as a safety officer
on a personal level?
There was this situation in which the university that I was working for fell under a vandalism
attack. All security personnel looked for the perpetrator for three months but I was the one who
managed to pinpoint a student responsible for the vile acts. It was unfortunate that the student
was the son of my best friend. I had no option but to hand him in even though I knew I could
very well let him go with a warning and none would be the wiser! My ethics said otherwise.
Training or experience? What is more important in a safety officers role?
One without the other is not potent enough for many situations so I would consider both very
important. Training is a prerequisite and experience is comes with time. They cannot be
compared or used interchangeably.

You may be surprised to know that there are different types of interviews that you may be
subjected to when you have been shortlisted for a position. The standard two sides of the table
interview is not a choice in many instances now. While many employers still conform to standard
interview procedures, others analyze situations to determine what type of interviews need to be
conducted. Some popular interview types include:
One-on-one Panel Group Meal Working Telephone On-site
On-site or second round interviews are usually conducted once an employer is quite sure that he
will be hiring the candidate in question. Interviews conducted over meals are usually done for
jobs that are relaxed in nature such as freelance work.
Whichever type of interview that will be conducted for you, it is up to you to ace it. Preparedness
spells success. So if you are appearing for an interview for a construction safety officer
interview, you should prepare beforehand with the following questions:

Construction Safety Officer Interview Questions and Answers

What do you consider the most important quality of a construction safety officer?
Construction work is very dangerous. And in order to be able to enforce safety standards, you
have to know about safety standards yourself. Knowledge of dangerous situations such as heavy
equipment failure, building accidents and exposure to chemical agents is very important. It is
also important to maintain insight into all of this to be able to work successfully and ensure an
accident-free and safe environment for all.
What are the core work duties of a construction safety officer?
Apart from enforcing key safety standards, it is important to monitor manpower, conduct regular
site inspections, record all violations and conduct safety trainings.
What is your experience with handling safety documentation?
I have worked extensively with management teams to develop new safety policies, augment
existing ones and handle draft construction related specifications. I have written safety proposals
and conducted safety programs as well.
Tell us about a typical day at work. How does it start? What do you do?
At the beginning of each day, I inspect the work site to make sure that it is hazard-free. Once the
work site is secured, I verify that all tools and equipment are adequate in supply. As soon as the
work orders are delivered, I provide workers with security guidelines and carry out drills. During

the workday, it is my duty to monitor workers to ensure that they are working according to the
enforced safety policies and that any problems or accidents are quickly addressed.