Posted By Robert K Lewis
I would report any accident I had on the relevant report form:-)

On a more serious note however this, like many other questions and "pre-interview" tests of H&S knowledge, can be totally insulting to many qualified members and I include both Technician and chartered in this. What on earth do these employers actually think they are doing? If I have been adjudged by my own professional institution as sufficiently knowledgeable to be awarded a particular status who are the persons who believe they are better qualified to test that knowledge. Would an IPD member really expect to be tested with respect to the skills - I think not. Perhaps however the reality is that many of these jobs are covertly for employees only, qualified or not, and the advert is a smokescreen.

Can we campaign against such questions - I wish we could!

Bob

Posted By Decimomal
This is very much an open question and could be approached from all sorts of angles. As the question is aimed at the role of safety advisor I would take it as a given that others would probably have been involved in the immediate first aid and recording of the accident. We don't know the scenario of course, and whether the accident has just occurred or whether this is sometime later.

You could ask the interviewer to elaborate but I would hazard a guess that the question might be about the next stage; this would look at the accident investigation and would include interviewing witnesses, establishing immediate and root causes etc, and proposing/implementing control measures to prevent a recurrence. It might also include such things as RIDDOR and the reporting requirements, reviewing risk assessments and work instructions and even proposing disciplinary action if applicable.

I have been called to accidents shortly after they occurred; in this scenario one of the first priorities, after immediate first aid, is to contain the scene, take photographs and measurements, make diagrams and so on.

As I said, depends on the angle the interviewer is after and it would be best to clarify that before answering.