Occidental Petroleum Assessment Tests

Occidental Petroleum Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

   You work in a picture framing shop. A customer brought in a print for framing, promised for Saturday, for a birthday on Sunday. On Thursday you discover the moulding she chose is discontinued and none is left. A very similar moulding is in stock and could be ready for Saturday. She is contactable by phone. Your shop owner is in this afternoon. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Say nothing and carry on looking for the original moulding, and tell her on Saturday if none has turned up by then.
   2. Ring her today, explain the moulding is discontinued, describe the similar one that could still be ready for Saturday, and ask which she would prefer.
   3. Frame the print in the similar moulding so it is ready for Saturday, and explain the substitution when she comes in to collect it.
   4. Ring her to say there is a problem with the moulding she chose and that you will call back once you have looked into what else is available.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Ring her today, explain the moulding is discontinued, describe the similar one that could still be ready for Saturday, and ask which she would prefer.

   Least effective: A. Say nothing and carry on looking for the original moulding, and tell her on Saturday if none has turned up by then.

   A: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: she needs the frame for a birthday on Sunday, and being told on Saturday that it does not exist leaves her no time at all. Searching quietly is not a reason for silence.

   C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: she chose that moulding deliberately, and framing it in another and explaining at collection presents her with a decision already taken and a frame already cut.

   D: Delays the decision: you already know the moulding is discontinued and that a close alternative could meet Saturday, so calling without those facts leaves her unable to decide and shortens her time.

   The most effective response is to ring her today, explain the moulding is discontinued, describe the similar one that could still be ready for Saturday, and ask which she would prefer: she chose that moulding herself, the substitution changes what she ordered, and on Thursday she still has time to pick the alternative or take the print elsewhere. Giving her the facts and the option is what preserves the choice. It beats framing the print in the similar moulding and explaining the substitution at collection, because that takes the decision out of her hands. It beats ringing to say there is a problem and that you will call back once you know what else is available, because you already hold everything she needs to decide. The least effective response is carrying on looking for the original and telling her on Saturday if none turns up: it leaves her expecting a frame for a Sunday birthday and tells her only when nothing can be done. That is worse than the substitution, which at least delivers a frame, and worse than the holding call, which at least makes contact. The principle: when what someone ordered is no longer possible, tell them at once, tell them what is possible instead, and let them choose.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You work on the security desk of an office building. A contractor asks to be let into the server room, saying he is booked to replace a faulty switch and is running late. He has no work order and is not on today’s authorised list, but he knows the IT manager’s name and is wearing a company uniform. The IT manager is contactable by phone. Your security supervisor is on site. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Escort him to the server room and stay with him while he works, so that access is supervised even though he is not on the authorised list.
   2. Let him in, since he knows the IT manager by name, is in company uniform and is clearly expected, and note the visit in the log for the record.
   3. Turn him away and tell him to rebook through the proper channel, since he is not on the authorised list and has no work order.
   4. Ask him to wait in reception while you ring the IT manager to confirm the visit, and tell your security supervisor what you are doing.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Ask him to wait in reception while you ring the IT manager to confirm the visit, and tell your security supervisor what you are doing.

   Least effective: B. Let him in, since he knows the IT manager by name, is in company uniform and is clearly expected, and note the visit in the log for the record.

   A: Breaches confidentiality or process: supervision is not authorisation. An unverified visitor is in the server room either way, and standing beside him does not establish that he should be there.

   B: Acts on assumptions without checking: a name and a uniform are precisely what someone seeking unauthorised access would present, and the one person who could confirm it is a phone call away. Logging it afterwards records the failure rather than preventing it.

   C: Applies the rule without using it: the list is a control, not the only source of truth, and a genuine engineer is sent away with a failed switch unfixed when a two-minute call would have settled it.

   The most effective response is to ask him to wait in reception while you ring the IT manager to confirm the visit, and tell your security supervisor what you are doing: the authorised list is the control and the IT manager can extend it, so a short wait and a phone call resolves the question either way. Telling your supervisor means the decision is not yours alone. It beats turning him away and telling him to rebook through the proper channel, because that applies the rule correctly and wastes a genuine visit when verification takes two minutes. It beats escorting him to the server room and staying with him, because that grants the access first and verifies nothing; being watched is not the same as being authorised. The least effective response is letting him in because he knows the IT manager by name and is in uniform: it grants server room access on the strength of the two things easiest for an unauthorised visitor to produce, and records it afterwards. That is worse than escorting him, which at least supervises, and worse than turning him away, which at least refuses. The principle: when someone falls outside a control, verify with the person who owns it before deciding either way.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You are a sales assistant in a furniture showroom. A customer ordered a sofa eight weeks ago with a promised delivery this week. The warehouse has just told you the fabric is delayed and it will now be a further four weeks. The customer is in the showroom this morning to arrange a delivery slot and does not yet know. Your showroom manager is on the floor. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Book the delivery slot she asks for and let the warehouse contact her about the delay, since they will have the accurate dates and the delay is their fault rather than the showroom's.
   2. Book a provisional delivery slot for four weeks' time and explain that the warehouse has had to move the date, so that she leaves with a new arrangement in place.
   3. Tell her straight away that the fabric is delayed and delivery is now four weeks out, apologise, and go through what she can do about it including speaking to the manager.
   4. Take her delivery preferences as she expects, then ring her this afternoon once you have found out from the warehouse exactly what has caused the delay and how firm the new date is.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Tell her straight away that the fabric is delayed and delivery is now four weeks out, apologise, and go through what she can do about it including speaking to the manager.

   Least effective: A. Book the delivery slot she asks for and let the warehouse contact her about the delay, since they will have the accurate dates and the delay is their fault rather than the showroom's.

   A: Hides the problem: it knowingly books a delivery that cannot happen and leaves someone else to break the news. Sending a customer away believing a false date is concealment, not a handover.

   B: Delays the decision: it hands her a new date before she has been given the choice of cancelling, waiting or taking something else, and after eight weeks that choice is hers to make.

   D: Delays the message: she is standing in front of you arranging a delivery that is not going to happen. Letting her make those plans and correcting them later wastes her morning and her trust.

   The most effective response is to tell her straight away that the fabric is delayed and delivery is now four weeks out, apologise, and go through her options including speaking to the manager: she is in the showroom to arrange something that is no longer possible, so she needs the fact immediately, and after eight weeks of waiting the decision about what happens next belongs to her. It beats booking a provisional slot for four weeks’ time, because that presents her with a decision already taken, when cancelling or changing the order may be what she wants. It beats taking her preferences now and ringing this afternoon once the warehouse has explained, because letting her plan a delivery you know will not happen wastes her time and makes the correction worse. The least effective response is booking the slot she asks for and letting the warehouse contact her: it books a date that cannot be met, so she leaves holding a false promise made knowingly. That is worse than the other two, which mishandle the timing but do not create a false commitment. The principle: when a promise has broken, tell the customer while they are in front of you and let them choose what happens next.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You are a supervisor at a coffee shop. Your two colleagues have both called in sick, you are running the shop alone through the morning rush, and the queue is out of the door. Your area manager rings to say she is coming in at midday to review the shop’s cleaning records with you, which will take an hour. You have not had a break. The records are up to date. It is 10am. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Say nothing about being short-staffed, serve through the rush, and get through the review at midday as arranged so that your area manager is not given the impression you cannot cope.
   2. Tell your area manager now that you are alone with both colleagues off, ask whether the review can move or whether she can send cover, and carry on serving while she decides.
   3. Close the shop for fifteen minutes to take your break and reset before the review, since you have been alone since opening and cannot keep serving without one.
   4. Ask your area manager to postpone the review, explaining that you are on your own, and leave it to her to find a new date when the shop is properly staffed.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Tell your area manager now that you are alone with both colleagues off, ask whether the review can move or whether she can send cover, and carry on serving while she decides.

   Least effective: C. Close the shop for fifteen minutes to take your break and reset before the review, since you have been alone since opening and cannot keep serving without one.

   A: Hides the strain until failure: it conceals the one fact that would change her plan, so she arrives to a shop with a queue and no cover, and the next rota is built as though today worked.

   C: Abandons own committed work: shutting a trading shop mid-rush with a queue outside is a unilateral decision affecting customers and takings, taken without telling the area manager who is on the phone at that moment.

   D: Passes responsibility to others: it raises the problem, which is right, then narrows it to one solution. Cover for the shop would suit her visit and you better than a cancelled review, and it is never offered.

   The most effective response is to tell your area manager now that you are alone with both colleagues off, and ask whether the review can move or whether she can send cover: she set the midday review without knowing, that is the fact that would change her plan, and she is on the phone now. Offering her the choice keeps both options open while you keep serving. It beats asking her to postpone the review and leaving her to find a new date, because that raises the same problem but presents only one solution, when cover would suit the shop and her visit better than a cancellation. It beats serving through the rush in silence so she is not given the impression you cannot cope, because that leaves her arriving to a queue and no cover, and confirms to the business that a single-staffed rush is workable. The least effective response is closing the shop for fifteen minutes to take your break: it shuts a trading shop mid-rush on your own authority, with a queue outside and your area manager on the phone, without telling her. That is worse than the other two, which mishandle the conversation but keep the shop open. The principle: when circumstances have changed under someone else’s plan, give them the fact and the options while they can still act, and keep working meanwhile.

5. Question 5 of 10

   You are a mechanic in the workshop of a bicycle shop. A customer’s bike is booked in for a gear repair, agreed for collection on Saturday morning. She phones to confirm, mentioning she is riding a charity event on Sunday. Your supplier has just confirmed the replacement part cannot be delivered before the middle of next week, and no other stockist holds it. The shop keeps a small fleet of loan bikes for situations like this. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Explain that repairs depend on parts suppliers and there is nothing anyone can do, and point out that bikes for weekend events really need booking in earlier.
   2. Tell her the part cannot arrive before her event, apologise, and offer a loan bike set up for Sunday, with the repair finished next week.
   3. Promise the repair will be ready for Saturday as agreed, phone the supplier every day to push for an earlier delivery, and keep her updated on progress.
   4. Give her the supplier's phone number so she can chase the part herself, since the supplier can tell her first-hand whether an earlier delivery is possible.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Tell her the part cannot arrive before her event, apologise, and offer a loan bike set up for Sunday, with the repair finished next week.

   Least effective: A. Explain that repairs depend on parts suppliers and there is nothing anyone can do, and point out that bikes for weekend events really need booking in earlier.

   A: Blames the customer and dismisses her need: the delay is the supplier's, not hers, and telling her nothing can be done while a loan fleet sits available sends her away without a bike for Sunday, a service failure of attitude rather than just of stock.

   C: Over-promises: the supplier has already confirmed the part cannot arrive before the middle of next week, so promising Saturday commits to an outcome you cannot control and risks her discovering too late that she has no bike for Sunday.

   D: Passes responsibility to others: sending the customer to chase your supplier hands her the shop's problem, and since delivery before next week has already been ruled out, the calls would change nothing about her real need, which is a bike to ride on Sunday.

   The most effective response is to tell her the part cannot arrive before her event, apologise, and offer a loan bike set up for Sunday: the supplier has ruled out an earlier delivery, so the honest answer plus the one thing the shop can actually do meets her real need, riding the charity event, while the repair follows next week. It beats promising the repair for Saturday and chasing the supplier daily, because that promises a completion the supplier has already said is impossible, raising her hopes on an outcome you cannot control and risking her finding out too late to arrange anything else. It beats giving her the supplier’s number to chase the part herself, because the delivery date is already settled and that does nothing about Sunday. The least effective response is explaining that nothing can be done and that she should have booked earlier: unlike the Saturday promise, which at least tries to serve her and keeps her informed, and unlike handing her the supplier’s number, which at least engages with the part problem, it blames her for a delay that is not her fault and turns her away with nothing while a loan fleet sits available. The principle: when you cannot deliver what was agreed, say so honestly and meet the customer’s underlying need with what you can deliver.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You are an administrator in a college admissions office. It is results week, your colleague who shares the enquiry inbox is off sick, and incoming enquiries have roughly doubled since Monday. You have also promised the finance office an enrolment reconciliation they need before they can start invoicing tuition fees. This morning the queue of unanswered enquiries is growing visibly, and your team leader asks how you plan to manage the day. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Assure your team leader you will cover the doubled enquiries and still deliver the reconciliation today, so nobody needs to worry about the absence.
   2. Set the reconciliation aside for the week and put all your time into the enquiry queue, assuming the finance office can start invoicing a little later.
   3. Take a few minutes to assess the workload, tell your team leader realistically what you can cover today and where support is needed, then work through the enquiries steadily.
   4. Tell your team leader, in front of the rest of the team, that the situation is unmanageable and management should have arranged cover, and continue only with your normal workload.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Take a few minutes to assess the workload, tell your team leader realistically what you can cover today and where support is needed, then work through the enquiries steadily.

   Least effective: D. Tell your team leader, in front of the rest of the team, that the situation is unmanageable and management should have arranged cover, and continue only with your normal workload.

   A: Over-promises: committing to absorb a doubled enquiry load and still deliver the reconciliation today gambles on a pace one person is unlikely to sustain, and sets up a late failure that is harder to manage than an honest assessment now.

   B: Abandons own committed work: dropping the reconciliation on an assumption leaves the finance office unable to start invoicing, without checking what they actually need, a promise quietly shelved rather than pressure honestly managed.

   D: Blames others publicly: announcing in front of the team that the situation is unmanageable, while refusing to adapt, turns pressure into complaint; it does nothing to reduce the queue and undermines the team leader and colleagues who still have to cope.

   The most effective response is to assess the workload, tell your team leader realistically what you can cover and where support is needed, then work the queue steadily: it meets the spike calmly and gives an honest picture of what one person can and cannot do, which keeps output up without pretending the pressure away. It beats assuring your team leader you will cover everything, because that promises a pace one person is unlikely to sustain, and the resulting failure would surface late in the day when it is hardest to fix. It beats setting the reconciliation aside for the week, because that quietly shelves a commitment the finance office is relying on, based on an assumption about their timetable rather than a conversation. The least effective response is declaring the situation unmanageable in front of the rest of the team and doing only your normal workload: unlike over-promising, which at least throws effort at the problem, and unlike shelving the reconciliation, which at least keeps the enquiry queue moving, it converts pressure into public blame and refusal, helping nobody and souring the team on a difficult day. The principle: under a workload spike, stay composed. Assess honestly, tell people what is realistic, and keep working, rather than over-promising, quietly dropping commitments, or blaming.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You are an assistant at a photography studio. A couple booked a portrait session for their parents’ anniversary and the prints were promised for Friday. On Wednesday the printer jams and damages the whole set; a reprint takes until Monday. The anniversary is on Saturday. The couple can be reached by phone. Your studio manager is away until Friday. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Reprint the set for Monday and say nothing until Friday, since the studio manager is back then and may be able to find a faster option than you can.
   2. Email the couple to say there has been a production problem with the prints and that you will update them as soon as you know more about the new timescale.
   3. Ring the couple and promise that the studio will find a way to have the prints ready by Friday, then look into express printing options once you have reassured them.
   4. Ring the couple today, explain the prints are damaged and cannot be ready before Monday, and go through what could still be done in time for Saturday.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Ring the couple today, explain the prints are damaged and cannot be ready before Monday, and go through what could still be done in time for Saturday.

   Least effective: A. Reprint the set for Monday and say nothing until Friday, since the studio manager is back then and may be able to find a faster option than you can.

   A: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: the couple expect prints on Friday for an anniversary on Saturday and are told nothing until the day itself. Waiting for the manager removes every alternative they might have arranged.

   B: Delays the message: it reaches them in time and withholds the fact they need, that the prints will not exist before the anniversary, so they cannot arrange anything else.

   C: Over-promises: it commits to a Friday delivery before checking that any express option exists, which risks breaking the same promise a second time on the day of the anniversary.

   The most effective response is to ring the couple today, explain the prints are damaged and cannot be ready before Monday, and go through what could still be done for Saturday: the prints were for a specific event, they will not exist until Monday, and on Wednesday the couple still have two days to arrange something else. Telling them today with the options is what makes those two days usable. It beats emailing that there has been a production problem and you will update them, because that withholds the one fact that matters, that nothing will be ready before the anniversary. It beats promising the studio will find a way to have them ready by Friday, because committing to that before knowing whether express printing is possible risks a second broken promise at the worst moment. The least effective response is reprinting for Monday and saying nothing until Friday: it leaves them believing prints are coming for a Saturday anniversary and tells them only when nothing can be arranged. That is worse than the other two, which communicate imperfectly but in time. The principle: when a promise tied to a date is going to break, tell the people affected while the date is still far enough away to do something about it.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You work in a payroll bureau. You discover that forty employees of a client company were underpaid in yesterday’s run because a shift allowance was not applied. The client’s HR manager is your contact. The bank file has already gone, so a correction cannot reach staff before next Tuesday. Your team leader is on leave. The client’s staff will notice the shortfall when they check their accounts today. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Prepare the correction run for Tuesday and email the client's HR manager once it is ready, so that she receives the problem and the fix in a single message.
   2. Ring the client's HR manager now, explain what happened, tell her the correction lands Tuesday, and offer the list of affected staff so she can tell them today.
   3. Email the client's HR manager explaining the error, and ask her how she would like the bureau to communicate it to the forty affected employees.
   4. Process the correction quietly for Tuesday and say nothing, since the money will reach everyone within a week and raising it would damage the bureau's standing with the client.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Ring the client's HR manager now, explain what happened, tell her the correction lands Tuesday, and offer the list of affected staff so she can tell them today.

   Least effective: D. Process the correction quietly for Tuesday and say nothing, since the money will reach everyone within a week and raising it would damage the bureau's standing with the client.

   A: Delays the message: the staff see the shortfall in their accounts today. An HR manager who hears about it first from forty employees cannot do anything but apologise.

   C: Passes responsibility to others: it tells her in time, which is right, then hands her an open question when what she needs is the facts and a recommendation she can act on this morning.

   D: Hides the problem: forty people are short of pay today and the client is deliberately left unaware to protect the bureau's reputation. That is concealment for self-interest, not a communication choice.

   The most effective response is to ring the client’s HR manager now, tell her the correction lands Tuesday, and offer the list of affected staff: forty people will see short pay in their accounts today, so she needs the facts before they reach her, plus the two things she can act on. A phone call is the only channel fast enough. It beats preparing the correction run first and emailing her once it is ready, because waiting means she hears about it from her own staff first. It beats emailing to ask how she would like the bureau to communicate it, because that leaves her holding an open question when what she needs is a recommendation and a list. The least effective response is processing the correction quietly for Tuesday and saying nothing: it leaves forty people short of pay with nobody told, in order to protect the bureau’s standing with the client. That is worse than the other two, which communicate imperfectly but do communicate. The principle: when your error is about to be discovered by the people it affects, reach the person who has to answer for it first, with the facts and what you propose to do.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You are a technician in an engineering design office. You and a senior designer, Karl, disagree about a bracket on a drawing due to the client tomorrow. You believe the fixing centres are wrong and will not line up on site; he says he has done it this way for years and will not change it. He is more experienced than you. If you are right, the parts will be manufactured and will not fit. Your engineering manager is available today. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Set out the measurements to Karl once more, and if he still disagrees ask the engineering manager to check the fixing centres before the drawing is issued tomorrow.
   2. Defer to Karl's experience and issue the drawing as it stands, noting your concern in an email to him so that there is a record if the parts do not fit.
   3. Change the fixing centres to what you believe is correct and issue the drawing, since you are confident about the measurement and the deadline is tomorrow.
   4. Issue the drawing as Karl wants it and say nothing further, since he is senior, the deadline is tomorrow and it is not worth a disagreement with a colleague who outranks you.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Set out the measurements to Karl once more, and if he still disagrees ask the engineering manager to check the fixing centres before the drawing is issued tomorrow.

   Least effective: D. Issue the drawing as Karl wants it and say nothing further, since he is senior, the deadline is tomorrow and it is not worth a disagreement with a colleague who outranks you.

   B: Prioritises the record over the outcome: an email that protects you while wrong parts are manufactured solves nothing for the client, and creating an audit trail is not the same as preventing the error.

   C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: it overrides a senior designer on his own drawing without resolving the disagreement, and if you are wrong the error is now yours and unreviewed.

   D: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: it lets parts be manufactured that you believe will not fit, and the reason is seniority and awkwardness rather than anything about the measurements. Staying silent about a known defect is a different order of wrong from acting on it badly.

   The most effective response is to set out the measurements to Karl once more, and if he still disagrees ask the engineering manager to check the fixing centres before the drawing is issued: this is a factual question about measurements, not a matter of opinion, and it can be settled by someone qualified before tomorrow. Going back to Karl first respects his ownership, and escalating only on continued disagreement keeps it proportionate. It beats changing the fixing centres to what you believe is correct and issuing the drawing, because that replaces his unchecked judgement with your unchecked judgement. It beats deferring to his experience and noting your concern in an email, because a record of your concern protects you and does nothing for the client whose parts will not fit. The least effective response is issuing the drawing as he wants it and saying nothing further: it allows parts you believe will not fit to be manufactured, and the reason offered is his seniority rather than the measurements. That is worse than the email, which at least records the concern, and worse than changing it yourself, which at least tries to prevent it. The principle: when a disagreement is about a checkable fact and the consequence is real, put it to someone who can check, before the work is committed.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You are a site administrator for a building contractor. A subcontractor’s labourer tells you quietly that the scaffold on the east elevation was altered yesterday to get a delivery through and has not been re-inspected. Six people are due to work off it this morning. The site manager is in a client meeting for the next hour. The scaffolding contractor’s inspector can attend within two hours. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Ring the scaffolding contractor and book the inspector to attend, then tell the site manager what you have arranged when he comes out of his client meeting.
    2. Stop anyone going onto the east elevation scaffold, interrupt the site manager's meeting to tell him, and have the scaffolding inspector called out.
    3. Go and look at the scaffold yourself, and if it appears sound and properly boarded, let the work go ahead and report the alteration to the site manager later.
    4. Wait until the site manager is out of his meeting in an hour and tell him then, since an altered scaffold may well be perfectly sound and he will not want the client meeting interrupted.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: B. Stop anyone going onto the east elevation scaffold, interrupt the site manager's meeting to tell him, and have the scaffolding inspector called out.

    Least effective: D. Wait until the site manager is out of his meeting in an hour and tell him then, since an altered scaffold may well be perfectly sound and he will not want the client meeting interrupted.

    A: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: booking the inspection is right and it is two hours away. Six people go up an uninspected scaffold in the meantime because nobody has been told to stop.

    C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: you are not a scaffold inspector, and a scaffold that looks sound is exactly what an inspection exists to test. Clearing it on your own eye is not a judgement you are qualified to make.

    D: Stays silent about a known safety risk: an hour of six people working off an unchecked scaffold is traded against the awkwardness of interrupting a meeting. Weighing a client's convenience above that is a different order of failure from the other options.

    The most effective response is to stop anyone going onto the east elevation scaffold, interrupt the site manager’s meeting, and have the scaffolding inspector called out: an altered scaffold that has not been re-inspected is unsafe until proven otherwise, six people are about to work off it, and both the stopping and the telling can happen in the next minute. A client meeting is not a reason to leave that hanging. It beats ringing the contractor to book the inspector and telling him afterwards, because arranging the inspection without stopping access leaves people on the scaffold for the two hours until the inspector arrives. It beats going to look at the scaffold yourself and letting work go ahead if it seems sound, because judging a scaffold by eye is precisely what you are not qualified to do, and the inspection exists because looking sound is not the same as being safe. The least effective response is waiting the hour until his meeting ends: it leaves six people working off an unchecked scaffold to avoid an interruption. That is worse than booking the inspector, which at least arranges it, and worse than looking yourself, which at least looks. The principle: make it safe first, then tell whoever needs to know, and interrupt whatever needs interrupting to do it.