Practical Work Sample Exercises for Environmental Health and Safety Manager Candidates

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Managers are the guardians of workplace safety, responsible for protecting both employees and the environment while ensuring organizational compliance with complex regulations. The right EHS Manager can dramatically reduce workplace incidents, foster a culture of safety, and save companies from costly regulatory violations and litigation.

However, identifying the best candidate for this critical role requires more than reviewing resumes and conducting standard interviews. Traditional hiring methods often fail to reveal how candidates will actually perform when faced with real-world safety challenges. This is where practical work samples become invaluable.

Work samples provide a window into a candidate's technical knowledge, problem-solving approach, communication style, and leadership capabilities in realistic scenarios. They reveal whether candidates can translate their theoretical knowledge into practical solutions and demonstrate how they think on their feet when confronted with safety challenges.

For EHS Manager candidates, well-designed work samples can assess their ability to identify hazards, develop effective safety programs, communicate complex regulations to various stakeholders, and lead investigations—all critical functions of the role. The following exercises will help you evaluate candidates' practical skills and determine who will best protect your workforce and organization.

Activity #1: Facility Risk Assessment and Hazard Identification

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to identify workplace hazards, assess risks, and recommend practical control measures—core competencies for any EHS Manager. It reveals their technical knowledge of safety standards, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize risks based on severity and likelihood.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare photos or a video walkthrough of a real or mock workplace area with deliberately placed safety hazards (e.g., improper chemical storage, missing machine guards, blocked emergency exits, ergonomic issues).
• Include a basic floor plan and brief description of operations conducted in the area.
• Allocate 45-60 minutes for this exercise.
• Provide the candidate with a standard risk assessment template that includes columns for hazard identification, risk rating, control measures, and implementation priority.
• Have a safety professional available to answer clarifying questions about the facility.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided materials to identify potential safety hazards and compliance issues in the workplace scenario.
• Complete the risk assessment form, documenting each hazard, assessing its risk level, and recommending appropriate control measures following the hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE).
• Prioritize your recommendations based on risk level and feasibility.
• Be prepared to present and discuss your findings with the interview team, explaining your rationale for risk ratings and control measures.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the candidate presents their findings, provide feedback on one hazard they identified well with appropriate controls and one hazard they either missed or for which they proposed inadequate controls.
• Ask the candidate to revise their approach for the area needing improvement, observing how they incorporate feedback and adjust their thinking.
• Evaluate their receptiveness to feedback and ability to quickly adapt their approach.

Activity #2: Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis

This exercise assesses a candidate's analytical abilities, investigative skills, and understanding of incident causation models—essential for preventing future incidents. It reveals how thoroughly they explore contributing factors beyond the obvious immediate causes.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a detailed workplace incident scenario relevant to your industry (e.g., chemical spill, equipment-related injury, near miss).
• Include witness statements with some contradictory information, photos of the incident scene, equipment maintenance records, and relevant training records.
• Provide an incident investigation form that includes sections for incident description, evidence collection, causal factor analysis, and corrective actions.
• Allow 60 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review all provided materials related to the incident.
• Complete the incident investigation form, identifying immediate and root causes using a structured analysis method (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram).
• Develop specific, actionable recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
• Prepare a brief (5-10 minute) presentation of your findings and recommendations as if you were presenting to senior management.
• Be prepared to explain how you would communicate with and involve affected employees in the prevention strategy.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide feedback on the thoroughness of their investigation and the quality of their root cause analysis.
• Highlight one area where their analysis could be deeper or their recommendations more effective.
• Ask the candidate to revisit this aspect of their investigation and develop more comprehensive recommendations.
• Observe how they incorporate the feedback and whether they can identify systemic issues beyond individual behaviors.

Activity #3: Safety Training Development and Delivery

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to translate complex safety information into engaging, accessible training—a critical skill for building safety culture. It reveals their communication style, teaching approach, and ability to adapt content for different audiences.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a safety topic relevant to your workplace (e.g., lockout/tagout, hazard communication, fall protection).
• Provide basic information about your workforce demographics, including education levels, language considerations, and current safety knowledge.
• Allow candidates 24 hours before the interview to prepare a 10-15 minute training segment.
• During the interview, provide 30 minutes for final preparation and 15 minutes for delivery.
• Have 2-3 employees of varying roles participate as the "audience" for the training.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Develop a brief but effective training segment on the assigned safety topic.
• Create or select at least one visual aid and one interactive element to engage participants.
• Prepare to deliver the training to a small group during your interview.
• Consider how you will assess participant understanding and retention.
• Be prepared to explain how you would adapt this training for different audiences (e.g., new employees, supervisors, contractors).
• Include a brief handout or job aid that employees could reference after the training.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the training delivery, provide feedback on one effective teaching technique they used and one area where their communication or engagement approach could be improved.
• Ask the candidate to re-deliver a specific portion of the training incorporating the feedback.
• Evaluate their ability to adapt their communication style and respond to audience needs.
• Note how they balance technical accuracy with accessibility for different knowledge levels.

Activity #4: Regulatory Compliance Program Development

This exercise assesses a candidate's knowledge of safety regulations and ability to develop practical compliance programs—essential for protecting the organization from citations and liability. It reveals their strategic thinking and ability to translate complex requirements into workable systems.

Directions for the Company:

• Select a specific regulatory requirement relevant to your operations (e.g., confined space entry, process safety management, hazardous waste management).
• Provide a brief description of your operations, current compliance status, and any challenges faced in this area.
• Include any relevant company policies or procedures currently in place.
• Allow 60-90 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided information about the company's operations and compliance challenges.
• Develop a framework for a compliance program that addresses the specific regulatory requirement.
• Your program should include:
• Key regulatory requirements and how they apply to the organization
• Necessary written programs or procedures
• Training requirements and approach
• Inspection and audit protocols
• Documentation and recordkeeping systems
• Roles and responsibilities for implementation
• Create a high-level implementation timeline with key milestones.
• Prepare to present your program to the interview team, explaining your rationale and addressing potential implementation challenges.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide feedback on the comprehensiveness of their compliance approach and one area where their implementation strategy could be more practical or effective.
• Ask the candidate to revise their implementation approach for this specific aspect.
• Evaluate their regulatory knowledge, practical implementation skills, and ability to balance compliance requirements with operational needs.
• Note how they prioritize elements of the program and whether they consider both technical compliance and cultural adoption.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work sample exercises?

Each exercise requires 45-90 minutes to complete, plus time for feedback and discussion. We recommend scheduling them as separate interview sessions or selecting 1-2 exercises most relevant to your specific needs if time is limited. The incident investigation and compliance program exercises can also be assigned as take-home projects with a presentation component during the interview.

Should we use real company data for these exercises?

While using real scenarios makes the exercise more relevant, ensure you remove any sensitive or confidential information. For many companies, creating fictional but realistic scenarios based on common industry situations works well and avoids potential confidentiality concerns.

How do we evaluate candidates consistently across these exercises?

Develop a scoring rubric for each exercise that aligns with the key competencies in your job description. Have the same evaluators assess all candidates using this rubric. Consider having technical and non-technical evaluators to assess both subject matter expertise and communication skills.

What if a candidate has limited experience with our specific industry hazards?

Focus your evaluation on their approach to problem-solving, their ability to ask appropriate questions to gather information, and how they apply general safety principles to new situations. Strong candidates will demonstrate transferable skills even when facing unfamiliar hazards.

How should we adapt these exercises for remote interviews?

For remote interviews, provide materials electronically in advance and use video conferencing with screen sharing capabilities. For the facility assessment, provide more detailed photos or a narrated video walkthrough. Consider extending time limits slightly to account for technology challenges.

Can these exercises replace technical interviews entirely?

These exercises should complement, not replace, structured behavioral interviews. While work samples provide excellent insights into practical skills, behavioral interviews help assess cultural fit, leadership style, and past experiences that may not be evident in the exercises alone.

The hiring process for an Environmental Health and Safety Manager deserves careful attention and rigor. By incorporating these practical work samples into your interview process, you'll gain deeper insights into candidates' capabilities and make more informed hiring decisions. Remember that the best EHS professionals combine technical expertise with strong communication skills and a genuine commitment to protecting people and the environment.

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