Safety Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Safety Manager is responsible for the design, implementation, and execution of safety programs across all Packaging Exchange locations nationwide. This role leads and supports company-wide efforts to maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, and local safety regulations and company safety policies including compliance with federal OSHA standards, Cal/OSHA requirements at California operations, and applicable state-specific safety regulations. The Safety Manager manages and coordinates PEx's workers' compensation and general liability claims process from first report of injury through final closure in partnership with insurance carriers, third-party administrators, medical providers, and company leadership. The Safety Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring safety initiatives designed to reduce workplace incidents and injuries and improve overall safety performance

This is a hands-on, cross-functional role requiring regular travel to distribution locations across the network.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Safety Program Development & Compliance

• Develop, implement, and maintain written safety programs and policies applicable to all PEx locations, ensuring compliance with 29 CFR 1910 (OSHA General Industry), Cal/OSHA (Title 8 CCR), and applicable state and local safety regulations.

• Maintain the Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) required under Cal/OSHA (8 CCR §3203) for California locations, and equivalent written injury/illness prevention programs for all other states.

• Develop, implement, maintain, and oversee facility-specific safety programs related to powered industrial trucks (electric and propane forklifts), electric and manual pallet jacks, racking systems, and manual and electric dock levelers/dock plates.

• Administer the powered industrial truck operator certification and recertification program under 29 CFR 1910.178, including the electric forklift fleets at the Stockton, Los Angeles, Boston locations and other cities.

• Maintain lockout/tagout, hazard communication, confined space, working-at-heights programs, and maintain and develop related SOPs.

• Establish and oversee safe work procedures

• Maintain California-specific compliance programs, including Heat Illness Prevention, and monitor other state-specific requirements (e.g., indoor heat, workplace violence prevention)

• Support DOT/FMCSA compliance for company drivers operating the leased fleet of straight trucks and tractor-trailers, in coordination with fleet/operations leadership.

• Maintain a limited glass-handling safety protocol for the locations that stock glass packaging.

Program Execution & Site Support

• Partner with location managers and supervisors to ensure consistent execution of safety programs and daily safe work practices across all sites.

• Conduct a regular cadence of on-site safety audits and inspections across the location network, prioritizing sites by incident trends and risk.

• Lead incident investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective action tracking through to closure.

• Chair or support facility safety committees and drive continuous improvement initiatives that reduce incident frequency and severity.

• Develop site-level safety improvement objectives and partner with location leadership to reduce incident frequency and severity of injuries.

• Manage site-level targets and partner with location leadership on corrective action to achieve sustained year-over-year improvement in TRIR and injury frequency.

• Develop and deliver safety training — new-hire orientation, recurring/refresher training, and toolbox talks — in English and Spanish where needed.

Claims Management

• Manage workers' compensation and auto claims from first report of injury through final closure.

• Serve as the primary point of contact with the insurance adjuster(s), third-party administrator(s), and broker on claim status, reserves, and settlement.

• Ensure timely and accurate incident reporting by location managers, and partner with them on investigation and documentation required for claims.

• Coordinate modified-duty and return-to-work programs to support employee recovery and control claim costs and duration.

• Track claim status, costs, and trends, and provide regular claims reporting to leadership, including Strategic Operations and Insurance.

Regulatory Relations & Recordkeeping

• Serve as PEx's primary point of contact for OSHA and Cal/OSHA inspections, investigations, citations, and corrective action plans in coordination with company leadership and HR, as appropriate.

• Maintain OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 recordkeeping for all locations, and ensure required postings and electronic submissions are completed accurately and on time.

• Monitor changes in federal, California, and other state safety regulations and update PEx programs and SOPs accordingly.

Reporting & Analytics

• Track and report leading and lagging safety metrics, including TRIR, incident rates, and claim costs, partnering with Strategic Operations on the existing safety dashboard and Pareto analyses.

• Prepare and present safety performance updates to leadership, including trends by incident type, nature of injury, location, and cost.

Packaging Exchange is a company with multiple locations throughout the United States. We pride ourselves on customer service and company culture.

Company Description

Packaging Exchange is a company with multiple locations throughout the United States. We pride ourselves on customer service and company culture.