Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

Occupational Health And Safety Specialist

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), led by the Executive Director of EHS, reports to the Associate Vice President for the Safety and Security division. Safety and Security includes the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), Emergency Management Operations, Transportation and Parking Services, Environmental Health and Safety, and Security Systems. The Occupational Health and Safety Specialist reports to the Senior Occupational Health and Safety Specialist for Environmental Health and Safety. This position requires frequent reporting directly to the Assistant Vice President of Facilities Operations.

The Facilities Services Occupational Health and Safety Specialist is responsible for developing, managing, improving, and serving as the occupational health and safety subject matter expert and solely dedicated to Facilities Services Operations to ensure compliance with occupational health and safety programs while coordinating regulatory compliance efforts. This role ensures a safe and compliant working environment within Facilities Services Operations by providing technical guidance, training, and inspective/risk analysis of occupational health and safety hazards and related operational issues that may arise.

Responsibilities include developing, implementing, and supporting occupational health and safety policies and procedures within Facilities Services Operations; providing expert opinions to interpret internal or external University issues and recommending best practices to address occupational health and safety concerns; independently managing schedule to complete work requests and operational work; leading a cross-functional team in the development of a risk matrix applicable throughout all units within the Facilities Services division; applying specialized depth and/or breadth of expertise in conducting risk assessments, delivering safety training, recommending effective safety measures, evaluating turnover of construction and renovation projects to create innovative solutions to improve safety and reduce injuries; utilizing expertise to collaborate with Environmental Health and Safety team members in designing, developing, and deploying complex EHS initiatives and projects to ensure they align with Facilities Services Operations fiscal year goals and improve processes and services; managing ongoing review, audit, and reporting process of safety programs where they are deemed the subject matter expert; soliciting improvement ideas from Environmental Health and Safety leadership and staff and other University stakeholders; developing project charters, prioritizing and creating implementation plans, and seeking approval from Senior Occupational Health and Safety Specialist and department leadership; working with stakeholders and other technical teams to collect business and technical requirements and design/deliver solutions; creating and updating technical documentation of standard operating procedures as needed; addressing sensitive issues by anticipating potential objections using tact and diplomacy to influence others to adopt a different point of view; establishing priorities for safety training by leveraging in-depth knowledge of each group within Facilities Services Operations; understanding the operational workload, impact of non-standard shifts, demands from campus stakeholders, and awareness of seasonal demands while deploying safety initiatives and scheduling training or risk assessments to maintain positive morale and open dialogue to encourage a stronger safety culture; generating quarterly safety key performance indicators across the multiple units within Facilities Services Operations and collaborating with managers, directors, and senior directors to identify and resolve moderately complex problems; providing subject matter guidance to employees, colleagues, and/or customers as it pertains to occupational health and safety; integrating industry best practices by staying current through continuous study of professional journals and organizations, collaborating with colleagues from various institutions, and applying this knowledge in conducting risk assessments, injury investigations, and providing insights for construction project reviews or issue resolution on campus; participating in the cross divisional Worker's Compensation Claims Review committee where expertise in Facilities Services safety culture, policies, and injury trends to address workers' compensation claims and develop strategies to more efficiently close claims and prevent similar claims in the future; identifying equipment and supplies required for the occupational health and safety program within Facilities Services Operations; coordinating safety onboarding for newly hired personnel at levels within Facilities Services Operations and actively managing their safety training job profiles in the safety learning management system (EHSA) as roles and responsibilities change; providing training compliance metrics to shop managers, directors, and senior directors to ensure safety training compliance objective of 98% within Facilities Services Operations; assisting in the creation and achievement of annual objectives established for occupational health and safety as they pertain to the multiple units with Facilities Services Operations; assisting in accurate completion and filing of reports and documentation required by regulatory agencies for occupational health and safety as they pertain to Facilities Services Operations; developing presentation materials used in briefings, toolbox talks, and training for Facilities Services Operations; reviewing requests for proposal and defining occupational health and safety technical scope of work for services and within Facilities Services Operations; identifying benchmarking metrics for occupational health and safety and using the University's safety management system to generate reports relevant to Facilities Services Operations; chairing the Facilities Services Safety Committee and coordinating any associated sub-committees for Facilities Services managers, directors, and senior directors; coordinating monthly safety meetings with each shop within Facilities Services Operations to cover relevant safety topics and follow-up on employees with chronically non-compliant training requirements; serving in 24/7 on-call rotation responding to emergencies including fires, injuries, significant flooding, property damage, disrupting operations, chemical spills, and chemical release in laboratories triggering environmental reporting; participating in emergency response teams serving in the appropriate response role based on training and expertise including cleaning up chemical spills or bloodborne pathogens; developing recommendations to improve overall occupational health and safety management systems including program audits and accident/incident investigations; maintaining knowledge/expertise on existing/proposed changes in all regulations; interpreting and applying relevant laws, regulations, codes, and standards including making recommendations for work environment changes based on interpretations and principles of professional practices of occupational health and safety; assisting staff in assessing personal protective equipment (PPE) needs for designated operations within Facilities Services Operations; researching appropriate hazard control and mitigation strategies, including engineering controls, and supporting staff in the implementation of these control strategies within Facilities Services Operations; handling confidential information in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); performing risk analysis on the University's environmental and occupational health and safety programs and implementing alternatives or improvements to current programs; planning and executing surveys, audits, and inspections of instruments, laboratories, and other facilities to ensure compliance with government and University policies and procedures. Analyzing data and initiatives immediate corrective action plans and follow-up to ensure implementation; performing other related work as needed.

Minimum qualifications include a college or university degree in a related field and knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline. Preferred qualifications include a bachelor's degree in occupational safety, industrial hygiene, engineering, environmental science, or a related field; background in a higher education setting or similar large-scale, complex organization in the area of safety compliance; relevant certifications, such as 40-hour OSHA Hazardous Materials Incident Commander, certified safety professional, certified hazardous materials manager, or certified industrial hygienist; proficiency with MS Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint; and knowledge of and familiarity with local, state and federal guidelines and regulations pertaining to safety compliance involving occupational, environmental, and fire and life safety.