Environmental & Safety Specialist
Pittsburg, KS, US, 66762
Environmental Health and Safety Specialist
Overview
The Environmental Health and Safety Specialist is a full-time position responsible for supporting and advancing Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) efforts across the site/facility. This role helps maintain compliance with EHS regulatory requirements and corporate EHS policies, while helping create a culture that identifies, eliminates, and controls hazardous conditions that may lead to injury and/or property damage. The specialist serves as a key administrative and coordination hub for EHS activities, working closely with site leadership, employees, Safety Committee members, and Corporate EHS.
Responsibilities
- Develop effective working relationships with the Safety Committee, department managers, plant/site leadership, employees, and Corporate EHS personnel.
- Communicate and coordinate EHS activities with other regions or facilities to share best practices and strengthen consistency.
- Establish frequent communication with Corporate EHS to report, discuss, and support compliance at the facility and across the region, where applicable.
- Act as a co-leader Site Emergency Coordinator, including training, evacuation planning, and emergency response in conjunction with operations or facility leadership.
- Champion the Safety Committee and serve as a resource to subcommittees and site teams.
- Oversee the site Safety Data Sheet (SDS) system and support day-to-day safety activities and communications.
- Provide support to team members with respect to safety awareness, prevention, training, and incident reduction.
- Assist Corporate EHS and site leadership in developing, implementing, and maintaining health and safety programs and procedures.
- Maintain and disseminate safety information and training topics, including coordination of safety training based on Corporate EHS inputs.
- Conduct new employee safety and first-day training, and coordinate recurring plant-wide or facility safety meetings.
- Ensure OSHA, EPA, local, governmental, and company Environmental, Health & Safety compliance requirements are upheld.
- Maintain required EHS documentation, including accident reports, inspection reports, training logs, environmental permit records, and other compliance files.
- Maintain systems to track key EHS performance indicators, safety metrics, dashboards, and incident data.
- Provide regular updates to site leadership on safety performance, compliance status, and corrective action progress.
- Coordinate and/or conduct EHS audits, safety inspections, program assessments, and self-inspections to identify hazards and ensure compliance.
- Review and implement recommendations or corrective actions from audits, inspections, and incidents; track delegated actions through completion.
- Identify potential hazards and compliance issues, suggest work safety standards, and enforce safe work procedures.
- Conduct accident and incident investigations collaboratively with area owners, identify root causes, and support corrective action implementation.
- Complete, submit, and maintain recordable injury reports and other required incident documentation.
- Coordinate and assist with early return-to-work efforts for lost-time injuries.
- Support communication with employees and vendors, data compilation, preparation of reports, and meeting documentation.
- Adhere to Property Conservation guidelines and support injury reduction and workers’ compensation cost reduction efforts.
- Play a key role in the leadership and assistance of EHS integration for newly acquired facilities, where applicable.
- Visit facilities in the region based on guidelines developed by the Corporate Safety Manager, where applicable.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
- Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels of the business.
- Ability to influence across all business levels and build collaborative working relationships.
- Ability to identify potential safety issues and solutions proactively.
- Strong knowledge of EHS regulatory requirements, including OSHA, EPA, and local compliance expectations.
- Strong organizational, time management, documentation, and follow-up skills.
- Ability to analyze incidents, identify root causes, and support practical corrective actions.
- Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to quickly identify and address potential hazards or compliance issues.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Safety Engineering, Occupational Safety/Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Health, Engineering, EHS Management, or a similar combination of education, training, and experience. Associate’s degree with relevant experience may be considered.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.
- Experience implementing EHS programs in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience implementing and coordinating OSHA compliance programs.
- Knowledge of Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and applicable local requirements.
- Experience with Lean and Continuous Improvement preferred.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation preferred.
- OSHA 40-hour training preferred.
Nearest Major Market: Kansas City
Nearest Secondary Market: Wichita