21 Safety Officer Interview
Questions & Answers

The Skills and Qualities Needed to be a Safety Officer

Before you attend your Safety Officer interview, it is essential that you learn the skills and qualities needed to perform the role to a consistently high standard. Any Safety Officer job description will list the more prominent skills and qualities needed to maintain competence in the role, and these will form the basis of the interview assessment criteria. The following skills and qualities are commonly found within the Safety Officer job descriptions and person specifications.

A THOROUGH UNDERSTAND OF SAFETY AND APPLICABLE LAWS

First and foremost, Safety Officer needs a thorough understanding of safety, how it is managed in the workplace, and the relevant laws and regulations that encompass it. An employer will expect their Safety Officer to be able to advise them in respect of law and policies, and in the United Kingdom, the applicable law is predominant the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS
A Safety Officer will use the five-step risk assessment process almost every day of their working life. Therefore, it is vital they are able to conduct workplace risk assessments and also teach other members of staff how to use them, too.

COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

A Safety Officer must have strong communication, influencing, and interpersonal skills, and be able to explain the benefits of safety in a concise and clear manner to the workforce.

ANALYTICAL AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

Safety Officers need strong analytical and problem-solving skills and be capable of responding quickly to issues, hazards, risks, and problems as and when they occur.

INTERPERSONAL AND RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING QUALITIES

A Safety Officer must be able to work with people at all levels from within the organization, as well as being commercially-aware. The Safety Officer will have to work with the Senior Management Team and managers/team leaders from across the company to build a culture that insists safety must always come first.

IT LITERATE AND WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF MICROSOFT APPLICATIONS

Safety Officers must be IT literate because the vast majority of the work they carry out will be recorded, shared, and disseminated online. A competent Safety Officer will be able to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applicable applications and risk assessment recording tools.

Other essential skills and qualities needed by Safety Officers include having a good eye for detail, confidence in their abilities, taking responsibility for their continuous professional development, and making sure they keep updated with developments and laws from within the health and safety sector.