Free Download: 100 Basic Safety Interview Questions and Answers
Here’s a comprehensive list of 100 basic safety interview questions with answers that you can use to prepare for safety-related job interviews. This list covers general workplace safety, OSHA standards, hazard identification, and safety management principles.
General Safety Questions (1-20)
What is workplace safety?
Answer: Workplace safety refers to the prevention of accidents, injuries, and illnesses in the workplace through proper procedures, training, and hazard control.
Why is safety important in the workplace?
Answer: Safety protects employees from harm, reduces costs associated with accidents, improves productivity, and ensures legal compliance.
What are the basic safety rights of workers?
Answer: The right to know about hazards, the right to participate in safety programs, and the right to refuse unsafe work.
What is a near miss?
Answer: An unplanned event that didn’t result in injury or damage but had the potential to do so.
What is PPE?
Answer: Personal Protective Equipment – gear worn to minimize exposure to hazards.
Name 5 common types of PPE.
Answer: Hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, steel-toe boots, earplugs.
What is the purpose of a safety sign?
Answer: To warn of hazards, provide mandatory instructions, or give safety information.
What does OSHA stand for?
Answer: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
What is a hazard?
Answer: Any source of potential damage, harm, or adverse health effects.
What is risk?
Answer: The chance or probability that a person will be harmed by a hazard.
What is a safety audit?
Answer: A systematic examination of workplace conditions to identify hazards.
What is the hierarchy of hazard control?
Answer: Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE.
What is ergonomics?
Answer: The science of designing the workplace to fit the worker to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
What is lockout/tagout?
Answer: Procedures to ensure machines are shut off and can’t be started during maintenance.
What is MSDS/SDS?
Answer: Material Safety Data Sheet/Safety Data Sheet – provides information about hazardous chemicals.
What is confined space?
Answer: A space with limited entry/exit that’s not designed for continuous occupancy.
What is fall protection?
Answer: Systems (harnesses, guardrails) to prevent or arrest falls from heights.
What is fire prevention?
Answer: Measures taken to prevent the outbreak of fire or reduce its impact.
What are the three elements of fire?
Answer: Heat, fuel, and oxygen (fire triangle).
What is first aid?
Answer: Immediate care given to a person who has been injured or suddenly taken ill.
Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (21-40)
How would you identify workplace hazards?
Answer: Through inspections, job hazard analysis, employee reports, incident investigations.
What is JSA?
Answer: Job Safety Analysis – breaking down a job into steps to identify hazards.
What are physical hazards?
Answer: Noise, radiation, temperature extremes, vibration, etc.
What are chemical hazards?
Answer: Gases, vapors, liquids, dusts that can harm health or safety.
What are biological hazards?
Answer: Bacteria, viruses, insects, plants, animals, etc.
What are ergonomic hazards?
Answer: Poor workstation design, repetitive motions, improper lifting.
What is a risk assessment?
Answer: Process of evaluating risks associated with identified hazards.
How do you prioritize hazards?
Answer: Based on severity of potential harm and likelihood of occurrence.
What is the difference between acute and chronic hazards?
Answer: Acute – immediate effects; chronic – effects develop over time.
What is toxicology?
Answer: Study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms.
What is the threshold limit value (TLV)?
Answer: Maximum concentration of a substance most workers can be exposed to.
What is the purpose of safety inspections?
Answer: To identify and correct hazards before they cause accidents.
What should you do if you identify a hazard?
Answer: Report it immediately, warn others, and help implement controls.
What is housekeeping in safety terms?
Answer: Maintaining a clean, orderly workplace to prevent accidents.
Why is proper lighting important for safety?
Answer: Prevents eye strain, improves visibility of hazards, reduces accidents.
What are the dangers of poor ventilation?
Answer: Can lead to buildup of toxic gases, dusts, or insufficient oxygen.
What is a safety committee?
Answer: Group of employees and management that addresses safety issues.
What are unsafe acts?
Answer: Employee behaviors that could lead to accidents (bypassing guards, etc.).
What are unsafe conditions?
Answer: Physical workplace conditions that could cause accidents.
What is safety culture?
Answer: Shared values and beliefs about safety in an organization.
Emergency Preparedness (41-60)
What should an emergency action plan include?
Answer: Evacuation procedures, emergency contacts, roles and responsibilities.
What are the types of workplace emergencies?
Answer: Fires, chemical spills, medical emergencies, natural disasters.
What is an evacuation plan?
Answer: Procedures for safe and orderly building evacuation in emergencies.
Where should emergency exits be located?
Answer: Clearly marked, unobstructed, and accessible from all work areas.
What is a fire extinguisher’s PASS method?
Answer: Pull pin, Aim at base, Squeeze handle, Sweep side to side.
What are the fire extinguisher classes?
Answer: A (ordinary combustibles), B (flammable liquids), C (electrical), D (metals).
What is first aid training?
Answer: Instruction in providing initial care for injuries/illnesses until medical help arrives.
What should a first aid kit contain?
Answer: Bandages, gauze, antiseptic, gloves, scissors, etc. (contents vary by workplace needs).
When should you call emergency services?
Answer: For serious injuries, chest pain, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, etc.
What is CPR?
Answer: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation – emergency procedure for cardiac arrest.
What is the Heimlich maneuver?
Answer: Abdominal thrusts to relieve choking.
What is bloodborne pathogen training?
Answer: Instruction on preventing exposure to diseases transmitted through blood.
What are universal precautions?
Answer: Treating all human blood and certain body fluids as infectious.
What is an eyewash station?
Answer: Equipment that delivers flushing fluid to rinse eyes after chemical exposure.
What is a safety shower?
Answer: Emergency device to drench the body after chemical exposure.
What is an emergency stop button?
Answer: A button that immediately shuts down equipment in emergencies.
What is a spill containment procedure?
Answer: Steps to control and clean up hazardous material spills.
What is an emergency communication system?
Answer: Method (alarms, PA) to alert employees about emergencies.
What is a muster point?
Answer: Designated safe area for employees to gather after evacuation.
Why conduct emergency drills?
Answer: To practice response procedures and identify weaknesses in plans.
Industry-Specific Safety (61-80)
What are construction’s “Fatal Four” hazards?
Answer: Falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, electrocution.
What is scaffolding safety?
Answer: Proper assembly, inspection, and use of temporary work platforms.
What is trenching safety?
Answer: Protective systems (sloping, shoring) to prevent cave-ins.
What is electrical safety?
Answer: Practices to prevent electric shock, burns, and arc flash/blast.
What is arc flash?
Answer: Dangerous release of energy from an electrical fault.
What is machine guarding?
Answer: Physical barriers that prevent contact with moving machine parts.
What is forklift safety?
Answer: Proper operation, load handling, and pedestrian awareness for forklifts.
What is crane safety?
Answer: Proper setup, load limits, signaling, and operation of cranes.
What is welding safety?
Answer: Protection from sparks, UV radiation, fumes, and electric shock.
What is chemical safety?
Answer: Proper handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous chemicals.
What is HAZCOM?
Answer: Hazard Communication Standard – requirements for chemical information.
What is asbestos safety?
Answer: Procedures for handling or working near this hazardous material.
What is lead safety?
Answer: Protection from lead exposure during work activities.
What is silica safety?
Answer: Protection from crystalline silica dust exposure.
What is noise exposure safety?
Answer: Hearing protection and controls for high noise areas.
What is hot work safety?
Answer: Precautions for welding, cutting, and other spark-producing work.
What is permit-required confined space?
Answer: Confined space with additional hazards requiring entry permits.
What is radiation safety?
Answer: Protection from ionizing or non-ionizing radiation sources.
What is laboratory safety?
Answer: Safe handling of chemicals, equipment, and biological agents in labs.
What is office safety?
Answer: Ergonomic setups, slip/trip prevention, and electrical safety in offices.
Safety Management (81-100)
What is a safety policy?
Answer: Company’s commitment to safety and health of employees.
What are safety responsibilities of employers?
Answer: Provide safe workplace, training, PPE, and comply with regulations.
What are safety responsibilities of employees?
Answer: Follow safety rules, report hazards, use PPE properly.
What is safety training?
Answer: Instruction on hazards, safe work practices, and emergency procedures.
Why document safety training?
Answer: To prove compliance, track employee competency, and identify needs.
What is incident investigation?
Answer: Process to determine root causes of accidents to prevent recurrence.
What is root cause analysis?
Answer: Method to identify underlying causes of incidents, not just symptoms.
What are leading safety indicators?
Answer: Proactive measures (training completed, inspections conducted).
What are lagging safety indicators?
Answer: Reactive measures (injury rates, days away from work).
What is workers’ compensation?
Answer: Insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits for work injuries.
What is return-to-work program?
Answer: Plan to help injured employees return to suitable work safely.
What is behavior-based safety?
Answer: Approach focusing on observing and improving safe behaviors.
What is safety leadership?
Answer: Management’s active role in promoting and supporting safety.
What is continuous safety improvement?
Answer: Ongoing process to enhance safety performance.
How do you motivate employees about safety?
Answer: Lead by example, recognize safe behavior, involve employees in safety programs.
How do you handle employees who ignore safety rules?
Answer: Retrain, document violations, apply progressive discipline if needed.
What is safety compliance vs. safety culture?
Answer: Compliance meets minimum standards; culture makes safety a core value.
How do you stay current with safety regulations?
Answer: OSHA updates, professional organizations, training, industry publications.
What safety certifications are valuable?
Answer: OSHA 30, CSP, ASP, CIH, CHST depending on role and industry.
Why pursue a career in safety?
Answer: To protect workers, make meaningful impact, and ensure regulatory compliance.
