Machine Safety Engineer - Chicago |C2C or W2

Job Description

Job Description

About the Role

Cullerton Group is seeking a Machine Safety Engineer – Machine Guarding to support a large industrial manufacturing facility in Chicago.

The engagement will begin with a six-week machine safety assessment project focused on identifying, documenting, and prioritizing machine guarding and safety deficiencies across approximately 50 pieces of production equipment.

Following the assessment, the project is expected to move into a second phase focused on implementing the recommended improvements, including the design, modification, and installation of machine guarding and other safety solutions.

This engagement has the potential to develop into a long-term, multi-year onsite assignment supporting ongoing machine safety improvements.

Phase 1 – Machine Safety Assessment

The initial six-week scope will focus on assessing and prioritizing machine safety risks.

Responsibilities include:

• Perform onsite safety and guarding assessments of approximately 50 priority production machines
• Evaluate existing machine guarding, barriers, openings, access points, pinch points, and other hazards
• Assess equipment against applicable OSHA requirements and ANSI machine safety standards
• Take measurements of guards, openings, clearances, and safety distances
• Document findings by machine/asset number
• Identify specific deficiencies and recommended corrective actions
• Prioritize findings based on risk, severity, and urgency
• Develop clear assessment reports and remediation recommendations
• Coordinate assessments around production schedules and equipment lockouts
• Work with EHS, engineering, maintenance, and production personnel throughout the assessment

Equipment may include lathes, shears, punch presses, drill presses, milling machines, saws, grinders, and other industrial manufacturing equipment.

Phase 2 – Machine Guarding Implementation

Following completion of the assessment, the project is expected to transition into implementation of the identified corrective actions.

The engineer may support:

• Develop detailed solutions for machine guarding deficiencies identified during Phase 1
• Design or specify new guards, barriers, enclosures, and other safeguarding solutions
• Modify or improve existing machine guarding
• Develop requirements, drawings, sketches, or specifications for guarding modifications
• Coordinate fabrication and installation of guarding solutions
• Work with internal maintenance, engineering, and outside equipment/fabrication vendors
• Verify completed modifications address the original safety findings
• Perform follow-up inspections and document completed corrective actions
• Support additional machine assessments and remediation as the program expands

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in machine safety, machine guarding, manufacturing safety, safety engineering, or a closely related field
• Hands-on experience conducting machine safety or machine guarding assessments
• Strong knowledge of OSHA machine guarding requirements
• Working knowledge of applicable ANSI machine safety standards, particularly ANSI B11
• Experience assessing common manufacturing equipment such as lathes, mills, presses, saws, grinders, and drills
• Ability to identify machine hazards and recommend specific, practical corrective actions
• Experience with the design or implementation of machine guarding solutions strongly preferred
• Ability to create or interpret technical drawings, sketches, or guarding specifications
• Comfortable working independently in an active manufacturing environment
• Strong technical documentation and communication skills

Preferred Background

• Machine Safety Engineer
• Machinery Safety Engineer
• Machine Guarding Engineer/Specialist
• Safety Engineer with significant machine safety experience
• Manufacturing or Mechanical Engineer specializing in machine safety
• EHS Engineer with hands-on machine guarding experience

The ideal candidate has experience with both sides of the process: walking a manufacturing floor and identifying machine safety deficiencies, then helping engineer and implement the physical solution required to correct them.