Sample safety manager job description and interview questions

Keeping your employees and customers safe should be one of your top priorities as a business owner. One way to keep your workplace safe is to hire a Safety Manager to conduct workplace safety trainings, manage safety programs, and identify different ways to prevent workplace accidents.

If you’re planning to hire a Safety Manager soon or just want to learn more about the role, take a look at this sample Safety Manager job description. We’ll cover the key job duties and required qualifications. You can also explore some useful questions to ask Safety Manager candidates during job interviews.

When using this template, you’ll want to add some information on the specific safety needs of your company, as each industry and facility has its own unique safety concerns.

What is a Safety Manager?

A Safety Manager is an employee that is in charge of maintaining a safe work environment for your team. They develop and oversee the company’s safety policies, safety procedures, and accident prevention measures. They also host safety meetings and trainings to educate other staff members about workplace safety practices.

Safety Managers can handle a large number of safety issues such as proper handling and disposal of hazard waste, training employees to safely use machinery, and keeping all work facilities free of safety hazards. They can also look for ways to prevent common office injuries like carpal tunnel or slipping on floors.

Safety Manager Job Description Template

Overview

The Safety Manager will be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing all phases of the company’s safety programs to ensure that all activities are carried out in a safe, accident-free work environment in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. The Safety Manager will investigate all accidents to determine the cause and complete all paperwork required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state regulations. They will also conduct safety training for managers and employees on a continuing basis.

Job Responsibilities

• Completes risk assessments and makes recommendations on the modification, improvement, or removal of any company equipment or machinery that could be hazardous to employee health and safety.

• Alerts managers and employees about the hazards of working with toxic fumes, dangerous chemicals, and any other hazardous materials in the workplace.

• Investigate accidents to determine the cause and complete all paperwork required by OSHA or state regulations.

• Act as the company’s liaison with the local fire department to ensure the elimination of fire hazards and the proper placement of fire extinguishers.

• Conducts safety meetings with the safety committee.

• Lead safety trainings for managers and employees on a continuing basis.

• Reviews and analyzes company accident reports and compiles data for Workers’ Compensation claims hearings.

• Ensure that all employees wear proper protective equipment when carrying out their assigned duties.

Qualifications

• Associate’s or a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management or a related field

• Five years of experience in a supervisory role is required

• First Aid certification preferred

• Excellent communication skills

• Must be thoroughly familiar with federal and state regulations covering all aspects of safety and health

• Strong knowledge of office administration, budgeting, equipment maintenance, and hazardous waste handling is required.

• Must be able to carry out periodic physical inspections of plant/office equipment and facilities, making certain that all machinery and procedures meet appropriate safety and sanitary standards and regulations.

Safety Manager interview questions

Here are some helpful questions to ask when interviewing candidates for a Safety Manager role.

How do you conduct safety training to keep attendees engaged?

One major challenge with conducting safety meetings is that employees are often uninterested and don’t actively participate in the meeting or training activities. Anyone that regularly leads meetings or trainings has likely dealt with this issue. However, it’s incredibly important that employees remain attentive and present during safety-related trainings so that they understand how to do their jobs without incurring any injuries or putting their coworkers at risk.

A good Safety Manager candidate will be able to offer ideas. They may encourage employees to get out of their seats and practice putting on PPE or practicing safe lifting with supervision, they may ask questions to encourage participation in the safety discussion, or they may create presentations with fun visual aids and funny videos that will help them hold employees’ attention.

Can you share an example of a major safety issue that you uncovered in a past role? What did you do to fix it?

This question can give you some helpful insights into the candidate’s past experience, problem-solving skills, and how they work. You want to hire a Safety Manager that is comfortable calling out any safety issues or mistakes that they discover and that can expertly take corrective actions to address the problem. Listen for how they identified the issue, how they addressed it, and what they learned from the process.

How do you stay up-to-date on regulatory changes related to workplace safety?

State laws as well as OSHA regulations can change somewhat frequently. If you hire a Safety Manager that does not diligently track updates to relevant safety laws, your company can end up in hot water. There are plenty of ways to stay up-to-date with safety regulations such as subscribing to industry newsletters (like OSHA’s Quicktakes newsletter), signing up for your state’s annual updates, participating in industry organizations or LinkedIn groups, and more.

Describe your approach to conducting an accident investigation.

Thoroughly investigating accidents is an integral part of a Safety Manager’s job. Have the candidate walk through their process for investigating an accident. It’s important to get a clear understanding of their thought process and the steps they would take, so feel free to ask clarifying questions throughout the conversation. You should listen for how they investigate the accident including how they document the process, who they interview, and whether they mention making procedural changes to reduce the risk of future accidents or injuries.

Safety can become routine at times. What do you do to prevent complacency from setting in?

When employees become complacent, accidents happen. Employees are working hard to get their work done on time and meet productivity targets, but you don’t want them cutting corners or disregarding important safety measures. An ideal Safety Manager candidate will have strategies in mind to combat this issue.

Some common answers to this question may include:

• Posting safety signs and reminders throughout all work areas and on or near machinery.

• Providing ongoing training and coaching on safety practices so that safety stays at the forefront of people’s minds.

• Immediately acknowledging and correcting any unsafe practices that they observe or receive reports on.

• Working with front-line management to make sure that employees are being given enough time to complete their work in a safe manner. Employees that feel excessively rushed to complete their tasks are more likely to disregard safety precautions.