Safety Coordinator

Safety Coordinator

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Safety Coordinator to lead and strengthen our safety program in a food manufacturing environment. This position will be responsible for developing, implementing, and continuously improving safety programs that protect employees, ensure regulatory compliance, reduce workplace injuries, and promote a strong safety culture.

The Safety Coordinator will work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Human Resources, Quality, and leadership to identify hazards, implement effective controls, investigate incidents, and ensure employees have the training and resources necessary to work safely.

The ideal candidate is a visible, hands-on safety leader who truly cares about the welfare of our work family, can balance regulatory requirements with practical solutions, and builds strong working relationships throughout the organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

These duties are not meant to be all-inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Safety Program Management

• Lead the company's overall Environmental, Health & Safety programs and initiatives.
• Develop, implement, and maintain safety policies, procedures, programs, and training.
• Conduct regular facility safety inspections, audits, and hazard assessments.
• Identify unsafe conditions and behaviors and work with department leaders to implement corrective actions.
• Monitor safety performance and develop strategies to reduce injuries and incidents.
• Establish and track safety KPIs, including recordable incidents, DART, near misses, corrective actions, and other leading indicators.
• Promote employee involvement in safety programs and continuous improvement initiatives.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with applicable OSHA, Wisconsin DWD, EPA, NFPA, and other federal, state, and local requirements.
• Maintain required safety records, documentation, inspections, and regulatory reporting.
• Support OSHA inspections, insurance audits, customer audits, and other regulatory or third-party inspections.
• Maintain and periodically review the Emergency Action Plan, Lockout/Tagout, Hazard Communication, Respiratory Protection, Hearing Conservation, Powered Industrial Truck, Machine Guarding, PPE, and other applicable programs.
• Assist with Process Safety Management (PSM) activities associated with the facility's ammonia refrigeration system.

Incident Management

• Lead investigations of workplace injuries, illnesses, near misses, property damage, and other incidents.
• Perform root-cause analysis and develop corrective and preventive actions.
• Track corrective actions through completion and verify effectiveness.
• Identify trends and communicate findings to management and employees.
• Coordinate appropriate workers' compensation and regulatory documentation.

Training & Employee Engagement

• Develop and deliver safety training for employees, supervisors, and managers.
• Maintain employee training records and ensure required refresher training is completed.
• Coordinate safety orientation for new employees.
• Support toolbox talks, safety meetings, safety campaigns, and employee engagement activities.
• Develop safety communications that are clear, practical, and relevant to employees.
• Serve as a resource for supervisors and employees regarding safety concerns and safe work practices.

Emergency Preparedness

• Maintain and improve emergency response programs and procedures.
• Coordinate fire, severe weather, ammonia, medical emergency, evacuation, and other emergency drills.
• Maintain emergency response equipment and coordinate required inspections and testing.
• Participate in emergency response activities and post-event evaluations.

Ergonomics & Hazard Reduction

• Conduct ergonomic assessments and recommend engineering and administrative controls.
• Work with Engineering and Maintenance to eliminate or reduce hazards through the hierarchy of controls.
• Evaluate new equipment, processes, chemicals, and facility modifications for safety considerations.
• Participate in Management of Change activities when applicable.
• Assist with machine guarding and other engineering-based risk reduction initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3+ years of progressive safety experience, preferably in manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations and workplace safety programs.
• Experience conducting incident investigations and root-cause analysis.
• Experience developing and delivering safety training.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels of an organization.
• Ability to spend significant time on the manufacturing floor and work directly with employees and supervisors.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in food manufacturing, meat processing, or other industrial manufacturing environments.
• OSHA 30-hour certification.
• ASP, CSP, or other professional safety certification.
• Experience with Process Safety Management (PSM) and ammonia refrigeration.
• Experience with NFPA standards and electrical safety/NFPA 70E.
• Experience with industrial hygiene, ergonomics, machine guarding, and hazard assessments.
• Experience using EHS management software for inspections, corrective actions, incident management, and training.
• Experience managing workers' compensation programs and OSHA recordkeeping.

Skills & Competencies

• Safety Leadership: Leads by example and maintains a visible presence throughout the facility.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Understands OSHA and applicable safety regulations and can translate requirements into practical workplace controls.
• Communication: Clearly communicates expectations and safety information to employees, supervisors, and leadership.
• Accountability: Follows through on corrective actions and holds appropriate parties accountable.
• Problem Solving: Identifies root causes and develops sustainable solutions rather than relying solely on administrative controls.
• Collaboration: Builds effective relationships across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, HR, Quality, and leadership.
• Continuous Improvement: Uses data, employee feedback, audits, and incident trends to continuously improve the safety program.

Nueske’s Culture Elements:

• Communicate Effectively
• Be Caring
• Be Engaged
• Be Quality Minded
• Be Responsible
• Share the Why

Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats provides equal opportunity in all our employment practices to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other category protected by federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, promotion, transfer, disciplinary action, layoff, return from layoff, training, and social, and recreational programs. All such employment decisions will be made based upon the merits of the employee/application and without unlawfully discriminating on any prohibited basis.

1st Shift