How important is safety for you on the job site?
The interviewer wants to hear that safety is your number one priority on the job site. The safety of yourself and your crew should be your primary concern. If you do not value safety and someone is injured or killed, the company will be held liable. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has construction requirements for the construction industry to help employers prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. Construction Superintendents need to understand these requirements and adhere to the standards to remain compliant with OSHA.
Focus on answering how safety is your top priority on every job site. Explain to the interviewer how you and your crew comply with OSHA requirements, giving examples of how you do so. For example, you can mention how you enforce hard hats and steel toe boots to be worn by all staff on a construction site, using harnesses when working over six feet off the ground, and eye and ear protection when operating machinery.
Avoid saying that you do not feel that safety is essential on the job site. If you do not value the safety of yourself and your crew, the interviewer will deem you a liability and pass you over for another candidate.
"Safety is extremely important to me on any project. I want myself and my crew to go home to our families safely at the end of the day. When I have a new crew, I explain from the beginning how safety is our number one priority and outline my expectations from them. Everyone must wear a hard hat and steel toe boots on the job site, use safety harnesses when working over six feet off the ground, and wear hearing and eye protection when operating machinery. To date, no one has been injured on the job under my watch due to a safety violation."
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