Tell me about a time when you witnessed unsafe behavior in the field. What did you do?
A few years ago, The RAD Group did a significant study related to workplace safety. They found that only 2 in 5 employees felt comfortable reporting unsafe behavior. The observation study also showed that the average employee performs three unsafe acts per week.
The interviewer would like to know that he/she can trust you to report unsafe work or unsavory behavior in the workplace. The oil and gas industry has incredibly stringent safety regulations and Exxon Mobil Corporation must make sure that they are hiring someone who honors their commitment to safety.
Talk to the interviewer about the steps you would take if you witnessed unsafe behavior in the field. If you have personally seen some dangerous behavior, discuss the specifics.
"In my previous role I often saw co-workers engaging in dangerous work without taking proper breaks and rests. This overexertion is common in the field because people focus on getting the job done as soon as possible. If I witnessed this unsafe behavior, I would ask my coworker to take a rest and would offer to jump in, or call someone new to the floor to take over."
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Anonymous Answer
Safety is key in everything we do in this field of work. I am very passionate when it comes to working safely. I was doing checks around our facility and saw contractors out working. Before I engaged I called to make sure nobody had talked to the contractors or filled out their work permit. Once I was informed nobody had signed any paperwork and that they were just working I went to the inspector and asked him to shut the job down for a safety stand down. I was informed that no one was in the office when they went to get permits signed and this job was time sensitive. I told the inspector that's not a good excuse. I called supervision to let them know what I had witnessed they were sent home for the day for not following proper protocol.
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! It sounds like you definitely took charge here to ensure that safety procedures were followed correctly, which is great. Can you talk more about why it's so important that contractors get permits signed before they start a job? Also, in the end, did the contractors get the proper permits and then finish the job? If so, you might want to mention this so the interviewer knows that the job was still completed in a timely manner - just safely as well. Good job!
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