Health & Safety Specialist - Radius Recycling (Job)
Description:
The Health & Safety Specialist will support multiple operational sites with hands-on safety oversight. Reporting directly to the Senior Health & Safety Manager, this role focuses on field-based activities including regular safety inspections, employee training, and day-to-day compliance with health and safety regulations. The Health & Safety Specialist works closely with site operations teams to ensure a safe work environment and to maintain compliance with all local, state/provincial, and federal safety standards.
This position is based at the Tacoma Metals Recycling facility and is primarily field-facing. The role requires on-site presence at the Tacoma facility at least three days per week, with regular travel to four Autos locations and one additional Metals site within the greater Seattle, WA area. Responsibilities include collaborating with Operations Management to implement and sustain safety programs and policies, with frequent field engagement to ensure compliance with safety requirements and conformance to established programs and standards.
Essential Functions:
- Safety Inspections & Assessments: Conduct routine safety inspections and field assessments at multiple Radius Recycling sites to identify hazards or unsafe conditions. Ensure each facility complies with company safety policies as well as local, state/provincial, and federal health and safety regulations. Prepare written reports of findings and follow up on corrective actions as needed.
- Employee Training: Deliver and coordinate health and safety training programs for employees and contractors, including new-hire safety orientations, refresher training, toolbox talks, and specialized training (e.g., equipment operation, emergency response). Ensure training content is up to date with regulatory requirements and that attendance and certifications are properly documented.
- Incident Learning and Reviews: Assist with learnings and reviews of workplace incidents, accidents, and near-miss events. Gather information and evidence, interview affected personnel and witnesses and participate in root cause analysis. Help develop and implement corrective action plans in consultation with the Senior H&S Manager to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
- Compliance & Documentation: Ensure all required health and safety documentation is current and accurately maintained. This includes maintaining OSHA logs or other regulatory records, safety data sheets (SDS), inspection checklists, training records, and incident report files for each site. Identify any gaps in compliance documentation and address them promptly.
- Assessment Support: Assist with internal and external health and safety assessments and regulatory inspections. Prepare necessary compliance documents and reports in advance, conduct pre-audit site walkthroughs, and accompany auditors or inspectors during onsite visits. Assist in responding to audit findings by coordinating site-level corrective measures and providing documentation to demonstrate compliance.
- Safety Enforcement: Monitor the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and safe work practices during site visits. Provide coaching or corrective feedback to employees and contractors who are not following safety procedures. Promote a positive safety culture by recognizing good safety practices and encouraging reporting of hazards and near misses.
- Safety Program Implementation: Work closely with site managers and supervisors to implement company safety programs and initiatives at the facility level. Act as a resource for health and safety best practices, helping site leadership and employees understand and adhere to safety policies and protocols. Share observations from the field with the Senior H&S Manager to inform continuous improvement of safety programs.
- Communication & Collaboration: Participate in regular site safety meetings and committees, offering expertise and feedback on health and safety performance. Communicate emerging safety issues or trends to the Senior H&S Manager and collaborate on solutions. Foster open dialogue with employees to answer safety-related questions and solicit feedback for improvements.
- Regulatory Compliance Monitoring: Stay current with updates to occupational health and safety laws, regulations, and industry standards. Ensure that any changes (e.g. new OSHA rules or provincial regulations) are understood and communicated to the affected sites. Advise site teams on how to comply with new requirements and assist in updating procedures or training materials accordingly.
Skills/Eligibility:
Qualifications
- Education & Experience: An Associate’s Degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, or a related field and one year of professional experience in a health and safety role; or a minimum of 3 years of professional experience in a health and safety role; or a combination of education, certifications and relevant experience that is equal to the education and experience listed above .
- Certifications: Professional safety certifications such as CHST (Construction Health and Safety Technician) or other relevant credentials (e.g. OHST) preferred. First Aid/CPR certification is a plus.
- Computer Skills: Proficiency with standard office and reporting software (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite) for compiling reports, training presentations, and data tracking. Experience with EHS management systems or incident reporting databases is an asset.
- Other Requirements: Valid driver’s license (this role involves regular travel by vehicle).
Ideal Competencies
- Regulatory Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of occupational health and safety regulations and standards. Ability to interpret regulatory language and apply it to workplace situations to ensure compliance.
- Technical Skills: Demonstrated experience conducting safety inspections, hazard assessments, and incident investigations. Ability to identify workplace hazards and unsafe practices with keen attention to detail. Capable of using root cause analysis methods to investigate accidents and recommend effective corrective actions.
- Training & Communication: Excellent communication and presentation skills. Able to deliver engaging safety training to diverse groups of employees and convey safety instructions and standards. Strong interpersonal skills to coach front-line workers and to influence peers and supervisors in safe work practices.
- Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Able to quickly evaluate hazardous situations and propose practical solutions or controls. Proactive in identifying areas for safety improvement and willing to take initiative in implementing changes (under the guidance of the Sr. H&S Manager).
- Independence & Teamwork: Self-motivated and organized, with the ability to work independently across multiple sites with minimal daily supervision. Effective at managing one’s own schedule and priorities while meeting deadlines for inspections, trainings, and reports. Also, a collaborative team player who can work closely with site management, operations teams, and the corporate safety department.