Health & Safety Manager Interview Questions

1.1Health and safety law - the Health and Safety at Work Act and the regulations that flow from it

1.2The HSE - the regulator, enforcement powers, and how inspections and investigations work

1.3Health and safety management systems - ISO 45001, OHSAS 18001, and building a structured approach

1.4The H&S manager role - adviser, systems owner, trainer, and the internal enforcement culture

2.1Risk assessment methodology - hazard identification, risk evaluation, and control selection

2.2Control hierarchy - elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE

2.3Generic vs specific risk assessments - when to use each and how to ensure they reflect reality

2.4COSHH, manual handling, DSE, noise, and other specific risk assessment regimes

3.1Incident reporting culture - how to build a culture where people report rather than hide near misses

3.2Incident investigation methodology - root cause analysis, contributory factors, and systemic causes

3.3RIDDOR reporting - the employer obligations under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

3.4Learning from incidents - implementing recommendations and preventing recurrence

4.1H&S legal framework - primary legislation, approved codes of practice, and guidance

4.2Compliance monitoring - how the H&S manager audits compliance across the business

4.3Enforcement action - improvement notices, prohibition notices, and prosecution and how to respond

4.4Director and manager liability - personal accountability for health and safety failures at senior level

5.1Construction safety - the unique hazards and the legal framework that governs construction sites

5.2CDM 2015 - the Construction Design and Management Regulations and the dutyholder responsibilities

5.3Principal contractor and principal designer - the key roles and the H&S manager relationship with each

5.4Work at height, excavation, lifting operations, and other high-risk construction activities

6.1Occupational health strategy - the H&S manager role in preventing work-related illness

6.2Stress and mental health at work - risk assessment, prevention, and the employer obligations

6.3Occupational disease - noise-induced hearing loss, vibration white finger, skin conditions, and respiratory disease

6.4Pre-employment and fitness for work assessment - when OH assessment is required and how it works

7.1Fire risk assessment - the Regulatory Reform Order, the assessment process, and the required outcomes

7.2Fire safety management - procedures, equipment, training, testing, and record-keeping

7.3Fire emergency planning - evacuation procedures, assembly points, and managing a building evacuation

7.4Working with the fire brigade - inspections, enforcement, and maintaining a cooperative relationship

8.1Contractor safety management - the employer obligation to manage contractor safety on their premises

8.2Pre-qualification - how to assess contractor safety competence before appointing them

8.3Permit to work systems - hot work, confined space, electrical isolation, and the permits that control high-risk activities

8.4Monitoring contractor performance - how to ensure contractors maintain safety standards on your site

9.1Safety culture - what it is, how to measure it, and how to shift it in a positive direction

9.2Behavioural safety programmes - the evidence base and the techniques that change safety behaviour

9.3Leadership visible commitment - the critical role of senior leaders in determining safety culture

9.4Safety communication - how to make safety messages stick rather than becoming background noise

10.1Technical questions - legislation, risk assessment, incident investigation, fire safety, and contractor management

10.2Scenario questions - responding to a serious incident, a prohibition notice, or a cultural problem

10.3Behavioural questions - influencing without authority, managing resistance, and demonstrating safety leadership

10.4Salary negotiation, evaluating a health and safety function, and questions that reveal the safety culture and board-level commitment in the organisation