Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

About the Department

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), led by the Executive Director of EHS, reports to the Associate Vice President for the Safety and Security division. Safety and Security includes the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), Emergency Management Operations, Transportation and Parking Services, Environmental Health and Safety, and Security Systems. EHS provides a safety framework, subject matter expertise, emergency response, and management of safety support activities for the University in its entirety, including numerous off-site facilities (e.g., Press Warehouse, Gleacher Center, Court Theatre Production Center, multiple commercial real estate locations, Ricketts Lab, Fossil Lab, Hyde Park Labs, leased spaces), Medical Center Facilities on the Hyde Park campus, and multiple affiliates (e.g., UC Charter Schools, Marine Biology Lab, Child Development Centers). EHS ensures operations are conducted safely and in accordance with regulatory standards and institutional guidelines while serving in a consultative role to other partners (e.g., Argonne National Lab, Fermi National Lab). EHS contributes to the UChicago institutional safety infrastructure via partnerships with other administrative support units including Facilities Services, Physical Plant, Office of Research Safety, the Medical Center Environmental Health and Safety Office, Emergency Management, University of Chicago Police Department, Risk Management, Office of Legal Counsel, Commercial Real Estate Operations, and Campus and Student Life.

About the Role

The Occupational Health and Safety Specialist reports to the Senior Occupational Health and Safety Specialist for Environmental Health and Safety and requires frequent reporting directly to the Assistant Vice President of Facilities Operations. This role is solely dedicated to Facilities Services Operations, ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety programs while coordinating regulatory compliance efforts. The specialist provides technical guidance, training, and risk analysis of occupational health and safety hazards for Facilities Services Operations, which includes carpenters, painters, electricians, engineers, groundskeepers, inventory clerks, locksmiths, mechanics, roofers, sheet metal workers, and central utility plant workers.

The programs under the purview of this role include hazard communication, respiratory protection, confined spaces, hearing conservation, lockout tagout, fall protection, machine guarding, shop and theatre safety, aerial lifts, cranes, powered industrial lifts, exposure assessments, indoor air quality/mold investigations, bloodborne pathogens, heat and cold stress, ergonomics, ladder and scaffold safety, electrical safety, and personal protective equipment.

Responsibilities

• Develops, implements, and supports occupational health and safety policies and procedures within Facilities Services Operations.
• Provides expert opinions to interpret internal or external University issues and recommends best practices to address occupational health and safety concerns.
• Independently manages schedule to complete work requests and operational work.
• Leads a cross-functional team in developing a risk matrix applicable throughout all units within the Facilities Services division while engaging with other divisions to identify and quantify facility-related risk.
• Applies specialized expertise in conducting risk assessments, delivering safety training, recommending effective safety measures, and evaluating turnover of construction and renovation projects to improve safety and reduce injuries.
• Collaborates with Environmental Health and Safety team members to design, develop, and deploy complex EHS initiatives and projects aligned with Facilities Services Operations fiscal year goals.
• Communicates complex concepts involving multiple stakeholders influenced by inherited circumstances, funding limitations, and restricted spatial parameters.
• Manages ongoing review, audit, and reporting processes of safety programs as the subject matter expert.
• Solicits improvement ideas from EHS leadership, staff, and other University stakeholders to ensure solutions meet business needs and requirements.
• Develops project charters, prioritizes and creates implementation plans, and seeks approval from Senior Occupational Health and Safety Specialist and department leadership.
• Works with stakeholders and technical teams to collect business and technical requirements and design/deliver solutions.
• Creates and updates technical documentation of standard operating procedures as needed.
• Addresses sensitive issues using tact and diplomacy to influence others and guide groups in creating well-informed solutions.
• Establishes priorities for safety training by leveraging in-depth knowledge of each group within Facilities Services Operations, tailoring training to accommodate differences in union contracts, start and break times, and specific hazards.
• Provides expertise to managers, directors, and senior directors in prioritizing and addressing safety concerns while considering operational workload, non-standard shifts, and seasonal demands.
• Engages with Facility Services employees and facility managers during campus walkthroughs to identify and resolve day-to-day safety issues.
• Generates quarterly safety key performance indicators across multiple units within Facilities Services Operations and collaborates with leadership to resolve moderately complex problems.
• Provides subject matter guidance to employees, colleagues, and customers on occupational health and safety.
• Integrates industry best practices through continuous study of professional journals, collaboration with colleagues from various institutions, and application in risk assessments, injury investigations, and construction project reviews.
• Participates in the cross-divisional Worker’s Compensation Claims Review committee to address workers' compensation claims and develop strategies to close claims efficiently and prevent future incidents.
• Identifies equipment and supplies required for the occupational health and safety program within Facilities Services Operations.
• Coordinates safety onboarding for newly hired personnel and actively manages their safety training profiles in the safety learning management system (EHSA) as roles change.
• Provides training compliance metrics to shop managers, directors, and senior directors to ensure a 98% safety training compliance objective within Facilities Services Operations.
• Assists in creating and achieving annual objectives for occupational health and safety as they pertain to Facilities Services Operations.
• Assists in accurate completion and filing of reports and documentation required by regulatory agencies.
• Develops presentation materials for briefings, toolbox talks, and training for Facilities Services Operations.
• Reviews requests for proposal and defines occupational health and safety technical scope of work for services within Facilities Services Operations.
• Identifies benchmarking metrics for occupational health and safety and uses the University’s safety management system to generate relevant reports.
• Chairs the Facilities Services Safety Committee and coordinates associated sub-committees for managers, directors, and senior directors.
• Coordinates monthly safety meetings with each shop within Facilities Services Operations to cover relevant safety topics and follow up on non-compliant training requirements.
• Serves in a 24/7 on-call rotation responding to emergencies including fires, injuries, significant flooding, property damage, chemical spills, and chemical releases in laboratories triggering environmental reporting.
• Participates in emergency response teams, serving in roles based on training and expertise, including cleaning up chemical spills or bloodborne pathogens.
• Develops recommendations to improve overall occupational health and safety management systems, including program audits and accident/incident investigations.
• Maintains knowledge and expertise on existing and proposed changes in all relevant regulations, interpreting and applying relevant laws.