Have you ever been asked to ignore safety concerns? How did you handle the situation?
The interviewer asks about your previous experiences to understand how you approach safety as a lineman. It's important to be honest about situations where safety concerns were asked to be overlooked or ignored, and to explain how you handled the situation. Emphasize your commitment to following safety protocols at all times.
If you have been asked to perform unsafe work in the past, draw on that experience and talk about it with the interviewer. Be sure to avoid naming any names or speaking poorly of another company or coworker. You want to show the interviewer that you have values in the workplace that do not waiver. As a lineman, safety should always be your number one priority. The interviewer wants to know that this is a priority of yours in any situation.
"I worked for a company earlier in my career that had little regard for the small details such as double-checking equipment for readiness. I would spend the extra few minutes before a job to ensure my equipment was properly prepared. I was teased for being 'scared' but would rather be teased than suffer an injury or death by not following safety procedures."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Yes, I have but in certain situations for example time pressure, emergency situation, or exhaustion. I avoided breaking a safety rule by explaining the possible outcome if we were to break a rule we could be seriously injured be terminated or possibly have a fatality. So I take the lead and proceed to follow the safety rules.
Stephanie's Feedback
This is a really tough scenario to face in the workplace, and it sounds like you do an excellent job of prioritizing safety above all else.
Anonymous Answer
In this line of work, there is no room for shortcuts. Errors or not fully complying with safety regulations can cost someone's life or your own.
Stephanie's Feedback
This is a great start, but I suggest further developing this response a bit to make sure you're answering the question. Have you ever been asked to ignore safety concerns? If so, how did you handle that? If this hasn't ever happened to you, you can share that, stating that if you were ever asked to ignore safety concerns you would still follow those safety protocols, prioritizing safety above all else on the job.
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