Safety Specialist

job purpose:

The Safety Specialist will administer the Environmental, Health & Safety program activities for the production facility. The specialist provides a comprehensive range of Environmental, Health & Safety support and service to management and staff, develops, and implements Environmental, Health & Safety programs for the production facility. The primary objective of the role is to protect and enhance the safety of our employees and our site operations environmental footprint through prevention, fostering a culture where safety, health and environment are ingrained as a core value, achieving best in class performance in support of a highly efficient, low cost operations via an EHS Journey to Zero approach. In the absence of the Sr. Environmental, Health & Safety Manager, the Safety Specialist will assume manager duties and responsibilities.

responsibilities:

• Site SHE Culture - under the direction of the Site Sr. Environmental, Health & Safety Manager, Specialist leads/fosters/develops a culture where safety, health and environment are ingrained as a core value with all employees, everyone believes zero is achievable, everyone is actively engaged in performing their work in a safe manner, everyone actively interacts with co-workers to prevent at-risk behaviors. Actively participates on the Site EHS Team and other assigned teams. Effectively coaches and develops operations line supervision to be effective EHS leaders/coaches in their respective positions. Participate in and support the cross-functional facilitation of the Safety Committee meetings
• EHS Strategies, Programs and Plans - Implements health & safety programs, services, strategies, and initiatives that are responsive to the needs of the company's facilities and guarantees close integration with overall company policy; monitors program efficiency, develops reporting procedures and other methods to measure success, and revises processes and procedures as necessary to improve program effectiveness. Track and report safety KPI's and safety performance for their site
• Compliance and technical expertise support - Provides day-to-day guidance, technical expertise/ coaching and support to management regarding health & safety practices, interpretation of company health and safety policies, problem resolution, and compliance with federal and state law; develops and maintains written departmental procedures to guide management in the application of established health and safety processes and documentation. Also, partners with other key functions on initiatives including Engineering, Operations, Quality, etc. to deliver on goals and plans. Supports Sr. Site EHS Manager in meeting the site safety compliance reporting requirements
• Safety & Environmental Management Systems (SMS/ EMS) Verification - Performs monthly Safety Inspections to ensure the SMS and EMS requirements are being met in the daily operations of the site so the team is always audit ready
• Incident Investigation and Analysis - Performs formal incident reviews for all incidents that result in a First-Aid, recordable injury or illness/ reportable environmental event (i.e.; Workers Compensation claim, Lost Time incident, spill or release), project damage or serious Near Miss/ Serious Injury Fatality potential (SIFp) while working closely with the Human Resources Department. Uses various investigative tools (Fishbone, 5 Whys, ABC Analysis, etc.) to drive to root cause and identify actions to prevent recurrence. Ensures all actions to prevent recurrence are effectively implemented. Ensures effective injury case management process is fully implemented, well understood and functioning as desired
• Risk Assessment and Elimination - Administers the response to, and investigation of reports of hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions; reviews recommendations and/or takes appropriate action to mitigate potential risks. Facilitates the effective implementation and utilization of risk assessment and risk prediction processes in the facility to ensure these are effective at identifying and mitigating hazards and effectively communicated/ understood by all affected employees
• EHS Capability Building/ Training - Performs training needs analyses, as appropriate, and initiates, develops, and/or coordinates the implementation of specific training and development/ continuous improvement programs for management, staff, and operators. Conducts new employee orientation and associated activities for Health & Safety systems. Assists in the development of EHS capabilities of all employees and contractors through effective content development, delivery and comprehension of all applicable Site EHS training. Develops and maintains effective EHS communications processes to promote EHS awareness regarding performance trends and key concepts/initiatives
• Manages inventory of Safety supplies including First Aid Cabinets
• All other job-related duties as assigned.

skills/qualifications required:

• Associate's degree in EHS or 2 years in the field (Bachelor's degree in EHS preferred)
• 1-2 years' experience performing site safety duties/ Minimum OSHA 30 certification
• Demonstrated leadership, motivational skills, organizing resources and establishing priorities
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community

• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures and ability to make administrative and procedural decisions and judgments on sensitive, confidential issues

• Ability to analyze and assess training and development needs, supervise and train staff, including organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments
• Knowledge and understanding of federal and state laws, regulations, procedures, and standards related to safety compliance. Additionally, good technical understanding of EHS issues and their relationship to Operations/ Engineering and other job functions as it relates to building in prevention
• Proficiency in English: Comfortable with both written and verbal communication, including reading and writing. Demonstrated ability to influence across a diverse range of people from Corporate / Division leadership to a factory floor associate
  
  

working conditions and physical requirements:

• 12 hours sitting/standing/walking supporting the site teams shift schedule
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Reaching/bending requirements (if any) - less than 2 hours/day
• Exposure to hazards (machinery, confined spaces, etc.) - must utilize proper PPE in these environments

food safety requirements:

• Notify supervision of any repairs or adjustments that are required that may affect product quality or food safety.

• Understand, observe, and comply with the handling and usage of the color-coded container policy while in the Production Areas.
• Perform all duties necessary to meet Company, Customer and/or Government requirements/standards as prioritized by the Company.
• Ability to initiate action to prevent the occurrence of nonconformities relating to Food Safety and the Quality of the product, processes, quality system, or safety system.
• Identify and record any problems relating to Food Safety and the Quality of the ingredients, processes, quality system, or safety system.
• Control further processing or delivery of nonconforming product in terms of Food Safety and Quality issues until the deficiency or unsatisfactory condition has been corrected.
• In the event of absence, another employee with the same skill level will assume the duties and responsibilities as required.

position location: Dexter, NM

reports to: Senior Site EHS Manager, Goodyear, AZ

exempt/nonexempt: exempt