Safety Specialist

Summary: The main goal of the safety specialist is to maintain the health and safety of employees through the prevention of incidents, accidents, illnesses, and injuries, and protection of the environment. Included in the functional areas are environmental, safety, employee health, industrial hygiene, fire, and security. The safety specialist will be responsible for a variety of environmental programs, risk assessments and audits, regulatory and Abbott reporting, assisting with project management/training, and monitoring.

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Develops, implements, and manages plant environmental programs.
• Conduct Safety Committee Team Meetings.
• Assist management in preparing a variety of EHS presentations. Regularly communicate health and safety matters to the Management Team and Company.
• Keep informed on current environmental, health, and safety regulations and legislation and recommend policy changes.
• Analyze accidents and near misses; search for patterns to establish corrective actions and reduce the potential for future accidents.
• Develops and conducts/coordinates EHS training.
• Completes/maintains required record keeping including MIOSHA, OSHA, DEQ, and others.
• Maintain site environmental reports and permits.
• Conduct site regulatory inspections.
• Assist with accident/incident investigations.
• Conduct frequent EHS tours/audits of all plant areas and make recommendations for corrective actions for all environmental, safety, and health problems noted.
• Review the installation and modification of all equipment/processes for EHS issues.
• Responsible for a variety of timely environmental projects.

Assist with the improvement of the plant’s recycling efforts.

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Customer Focus

Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.

Integrity and Trust

Is widely trusted; is seen as a direct, truthful individual, can present the unvarnished truth in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidence; admits mistakes; doesn’t misrepresent himself/herself for personal gain.

Comfort Around Higher Management

Can deal comfortably with more senior managers; can present to more senior managers without undue tension and nervousness; understands how senior managers think and work; can determine the best way to get things done with them by talking their language and responding to their needs; can craft approaches likely to be seen as appropriate and positive.

Informing

Provides the information people need to know to do their jobs and feel good about being a member of the team, unit, and/or the organization; provides individuals information so that they can make accurate decisions; is timely with information.

Education and/or Experience

A four-year degree is required – Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental, Industrial Hygiene or related field. Experience may be substituted for a degree. A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Occupational Health & Safety preferred.

Language Skills/Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract and count in simple units of measurement (whole numbers). Ability to read basic English. Interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to read and write simple lists.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. You must notify the company if such an accommodation is needed. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand;

walk for most of the 8-hour shift. Must have the ability to use hands to handle, grab, lift, pull or feel; reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, and crouch. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 35 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to moving forklifts and pallets. The employee is occasionally exposed to outside seasonal weather conditions when loading trucks. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Hearing protection is encouraged. The employee must be able to work in the confined space of a semi-trailer on a regular basis.

We also require steel-toed shoes and protective eyewear at all times in the plant.