Careers

Description:

Reporting to the Manager of Program Operations, OSH, the Occupational Health & Safety Specialist is responsible for supporting the implementation of environmental health and safety programs addressing workplace and occupational health and safety risks at the University of Washington. The Occupational Health & Safety Specialist will work with senior staff members and support the development, implementation and sustainment of industrial hygiene and physical safety programs.

The successful candidate will become familiar with the mission, vision, strategic objectives, policies and procedures affecting the EH&S department and Health Sciences Administration (HSA). EH&S interacts regularly with HSA and the University’s organizational units (academic, operational, administrative, clinical and research), as well as external regulatory entities (e.g., WA Department of Health, Department of Ecology, National Institutes of Health, WA Dept. of Labor and Industries, etc.). The ideal candidate must be organized and able to quickly learn the organizational structures, communication dynamics, and service requirements impacting our Department, partner entities and populations served.

This position provides support for the development and implementation of environmental health and safety programs addressing workplace and occupational health and safety risks at the University of Washington. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the on-going implementation and sustainment of the safety and health programs focused on protecting personnel from physical hazards and exposures to hazardous materials. This position ensures that EH&S initiatives are aligned with those articulated by Health Sciences Administration and the University of Washington Central Administration.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties & Responsibilities:

Occupational and Industrial hygiene program direction and support:

• Support industrial hygienists in identifying hazards, assessing risks, determining controls and measuring control effectiveness.
• Support the implementation of the respiratory protection program; prepare for, conduct fit-testing, and clean-up following fit-testing sessions for respirator wearers.
• Assist senior staff members in incident investigations and utilize incident database to retrieve data, analyze data and determine trends.
• Support senior staff in identifying initiatives and operational activities to ensure University compliance with changing standards of occupational health and safety regulations.
• Participate in departmental, University, and state advisory and/or technical committees and organizational health and safety committees, as assigned.
• Prepare IH equipment for periodic calibration off-site and and perform on-site calibration, data entry, and record keeping for field operations; support IH equipment lab operations, as needed.

General health and safety program direction and support:

• Support implementation and sustainment of general safety programs.
• Identify workplace hazards and understand control strategies to manage risks.
• Collaborate with other EH&S technical groups as part of the larger integrated EH&S program.
• Support subject matter experts in one or more areas of safety, e.g., confined space entry, electrical safety, hazardous energy control, shop safety and fall protection.
• Comply with regulations and University and departmental policies and procedures regarding health and safety.
• Must observe and support good health and safety practices.
• Provide background information and data for technical meetings; represent assigned area and/or specialty in meetings and interact with internal and external customers.
• Conduct health and safety inspections and provide necessary documentation to program lead.

Departmental Activities and Special Projects:

• Support the client-based model for delivery of occupational health and safety services.
• Incorporate strategic planning initiatives from the EH&S Strategic plan into the routine work plan.
• Support data gathering for metrics and performance monitoring of programs to ensure organizational efficiencies and desired outcomes are met and program goals are reached.
• Attend EH&S departmental and team meetings, work on special projects, other duties/projects as assigned.
• Contribute to an atmosphere of mutual support and back-up.

Requirements include:

• Bachelor’s degree in a directly applicable discipline plus at least three years of experience in the occupational safety and health field. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Experience in an academic institution highly desired

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Understanding of occupational safety and health principles and applications including but not limited to the following programs; confined space, electrical, fall protection, hazardous energy control safety programs, respiratory protection, personal protective equipment, chemical and physical agent exposure assessment, hearing conservation and ergonomics.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, consensus standards, and current technology concerning health and safety issues, and ability to interpret and apply them. Experience and/or demonstrated knowledge of use of industrial hygiene and safety equipment. Ability to research information on emerging EH&S related issues/trends

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired:

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to cultivate strong and collaborative relationships inside and outside the organization.
• Ability to initiate, develop, and maintain positive working relationships with the campus community. Willing to learn and expand knowledge in a number of different EH&S technical areas.
• Ability to present information clearly and succinctly verbally, in writing, and in presentations.
• Ability to work successfully both independently with minimal supervision and as a member of a team. Ability to manage multiple projects and to appropriately prioritize a heavy workload and client needs.
• Proficient in MS Office products, including MS Access
• Excellent organizational skills, as demonstrated by the ability to prioritize tasks efficiently and work well under pressure in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment.
• Ability to tolerate ambiguity with patience and goodwill.
• Strong self-motivation; proactive, high-energy, enthusiastic, “can do” work ethic
• Incorporate strategic planning initiatives from the EH&S strategic plan into the routine work plan.
• Support data gathering for metrics and performance monitoring of programs to ensure organizational efficiencies and desired outcomes are met and program goals are reached.

Physical Requirements:

• Frequently stand, sit, and perform desk-based-computer tasks.
• Occasionally use a telephone, write by hand.