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Safety Specialist

Category: Classified/Excluded
Pay Grade: C24
Job Code: 17080

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.  Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

JOB SUMMARY

Performs highly responsible technical and professional work with administrative responsibility of safety and occupational health programs; performs one or more segments of County safety and occupational health related activities and programs; establishes and enforces requirements and policies to ensure minimization and elimination of human injury, property, and productivity losses caused by harmful contact incidents through the design and implementation of effective policies, programs, and practices; observes and makes assessments of professional and highly technical activities associated with fire protection and prevention requirements, employee safety training, hazardous material safety, safe chemical storage/use, and occupational health (first aid, pulmonary, and respirator) testing; performs or oversees investigations and organization efforts to analyze experience and to recommend changes in work policies and practices to ensure safety.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive)

• Participates in safety and loss control programs including the development and presentation of occupational safety and health training programs;
• Prepares OSHA, DOT, and EPA type facility audits;
• Performs investigations of accidents and incidents;
• Coordinates and participates in Accident and Safety Review Board and Safety Council meetings and promotes, develops, and implements Action Teams;
• Conducts safety inspections at all work sites to assure compliance with OSHA, state, and County directives, standards, and laws and inspects facilities for hazardous conditions;
• Recommends changes and additions to ensure compliance with fire protection and prevention requirements;
• Communicates to others about the recognized standards covering workplace safety, fire prevention techniques, and procedures, fire prevention ordinances, and fire related building codes;
• Implements corrective action by use of tact and firmness in dealing with all levels of management in gaining acceptance of good occupational safety, health, and fire prevention practices;  
• Conducts an information program and secure client involvement in fire prevention, detection, and suppression;
• Interacts with a wide variety of employees and others in all aspects of fire prevention;
• Coordinates established fire watch programs with designated building, facility, or installation program representatives, and fire marshals;
• Participates with occupational safety and health committees along with fire prevention officials on matters to ensure a safe and healthy workplace;
• Develops materials and provides situational and classroom training on numerous occupational, safety, and health topics;
• Attends conferences, workshops, and meetings to ascertain new developments or changes in law pertaining to assignments;
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Six (6) years or experience in comprehensive occupational safety and health programs; or a Bachelor’s degree with major course work in occupational safety/health, risk management, public administration, business administration, or related field plus two (2) years of experience in comprehensive occupational safety and health programs; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.

Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):

• Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
• Other knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of appropriate safety laws, codes, standards, and regulations such as OSHA and ANSI;
• Knowledge of appropriate federal laws, codes, standards, and regulations such as FMLA, FLSA, and HIPAA;
• Knowledge of standard office software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, email, internet access, and risk management software applications.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships;
• Ability to resolve stressful and difficult situations;
• Ability to conduct effective negotiations with all levels of employees, individuals, professionals, the public, and organizations with tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to conduct in-depth investigations of accident and loss circumstances and responsibilities and to write special studies and reports;
• Ability to maintain and analyze statistical and factual reports, exercise sound judgment, and determine appropriate action;
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing;
• Ability to analyze facts and to exercise sound judgment in arriving at conclusions;
• Ability to develop, prepare, and conduct training classes on a wide variety of occupational safety and health as well as fire safety, CPR, and other training of safety and risk management subjects.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS

This work requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects.  Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Visual ability: Sufficient to effectively operate office equipment including copier, computer, etc.; and to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, etc.
• Hearing ability: Sufficient to hold a conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; and to hear recording on transcription device.
• Speaking ability: Sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone.
• Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in an environment where errors can lead to significant physical or mental consequences for self or others.