Safety Specialist

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is the go-to leader and partner of choice in sustainable packaging. We are dedicated to creating efficient and scalable paper and packaging solutions to help solve complex packaging challenges. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity and respect, we are committed to delivering meaningful value for shareholders, customers, employees and the communities where we operate.

About the role

Reporting to the Safety Manager, the Safety Specialist will be visible throughout the manufacturing areas, interface with employees concerning health & safety, assess hazards, and implement practices to reduce hazards. This role includes delegated responsibility for managing a process or an area chosen by the Safety Manager. The Safety Specialist will use a proactive and collaborative approach when working with operations, management, and other support groups to create a healthy and safe work environment.

Responsibilities

• Integrate continuous safety system improvements by driving employee engagement to achieve desired results
• Participate in the planning & implementation of communication strategies to deliver accurate, consistent, and timely information on business safety issues & employee concerns
• Plan and implement safety policies & procedures in compliance with WestRock policies, local, & federal OSHA regulations, including responsibility for annual regulatory review support
• Inspect facilities, machinery, & safety equipment to identify & correct potential hazards, & to ensure safety regulation compliance
• Review employee safety programs to determine adequacy
• Drive the preparation activities for the (SES) Performance Standard audit with support from senior safety leaders
• Act as the facilitator for all Performance Standard team meetings and development of corrective action plans to resolve GAPs identified during the mill (SES) self-assessments and audits
• Interview employees to obtain information about work environments, incidents, & feedback for workplace improvements
• Assist with coordination of industrial hygiene program
• Manage the SDS system within the mill, including chemical approvals, uploading of SDSs, and annual auditing of inventory
• Analyze and approve chemical approval forms, and upload them into the Benchmark SDS database
• Serve as subject matter expert on ISN networld for contractor management
• Support the Emergency Response Team
• Perform field High Risk Task audits and develop corrective action plans for resolution of findings
• Perform financial job duties such as creating Statement of Work, Purchasing Requisitions, and Purchase orders
• Audit permits in the field and in the office
• Participate in project reviews and management of change to ensure health & safety issues are adequately addressed prior to the startup of the process
• Be involved in operational readiness reviews & approval of written operating procedures
• Serve as a resource for incident investigations - identify root causes of near misses, injuries & property damage to prevent future events of the same nature
• Support operations & support groups so that incident reports are entered in a timely manner & corrective actions completed
• Become a HOP Advocate and facilitate HOP Human and Organizational Performance Learning Events; create the final presentation and enter the event into BGS database
• Work on all annual and daily outages as scheduled, which may require working 12-hour shifts up to 21 days straight, including nights and weekends
• Take call for the mill every three weeks

Requirements

• High School diploma or G.E.D.
• 5+ years of safety experience at a paper mill or related business
• Thorough knowledge of safety standards and methodologies
• Ability to work in extreme hot & cold temperatures & industrial environments, including routinely climbing ladders & stairs
• Strong technical understanding of Federal & State Safety & Health regulations
• Experience working with unions preferred
• Experience working with regulatory agencies on behalf of company required; experience working with Corporate EH&S group is a must
• Electrical experience is a plus
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite
• Proven record of critical thinking and problem-solving
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage and inspire others to comply with safety policies and standards
• Ability to inspire others to develop themselves and seek out continuous learning opportunities by serving as a role model
• Government or professional training and compliance courses (e.g., OSHA 30-hour training) are preferred

Benefits

• Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence
• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities
• Attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies, and potential
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance
• 401k with company match
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discounts
• Employee referral bonus

Schedule

• May require working 12-hour shifts up to 21 days straight, including nights and weekends during outages
• On-call responsibility for the mill every three weeks

Candidates are required to undergo a drug screening after receiving a conditional job offer, but before starting employment.