Interviews
In addition to documentation, interviews can be very helpful in establishing the current status of safety management system design and performance.
There are two kinds of interviews, formal and informal.
- Formal interviews are conducted privately with randomly selected employees who are asked pre-selected questions.
- Informal interviews occur at employee work stations and generally follow a list of topics.
To assess how well the worksite safety and health policy is communicated and understood, and how well the disciplinary system is working, ask the employees to explain them.
Interviewing employees and supervisors. To gauge the effectiveness of safety and health training, interview hourly employees and first-line supervisors:
- Ask employees to describe what hazards they are exposed to, and how they are protected.
- Ask employees to explain what they are supposed to do in several different types of emergencies.
- Ask supervisors how they teach, how they reinforce the teaching, how they enforce safety and health rules and safe work practices, and what their responsibilities are during emergency situations.
Interviewing management. Interviews with management should focus on its involvement in and commitment to the safety and health program.
- Ask how the policy statement was created, and how that statement is communicated to all employees.
- Ask what information management receives about the safety and health activities, and what action management takes as a result of that information.
- Ask how management's commitment to safety and health is demonstrated to the workforce.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-2. Interviews with management should focus on its _____ in and _____ to the safety and health program.
You forgot to answer the question!