Specialist/Occupational Health & Safety

The Specialist/Occupational Health & Safety reviews, evaluates, and analyzes work environments and work procedures to design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, or ergonomic factors.  This position is responsible for assisting the Administrator/Occupational Health & Safety with the implementation, enhancement, and maintenance of a cohesive Occupational Health and Safety compliance function for the five operating Divisions and Corporate campus and facilities, ensuring full regulatory compliance with applicable occupational health and safety laws and regulations in a manner consistent with Southwest Gas Corporation (“Company”) policies and procedures.  This position is also responsible for developing and implementing occupational programs, delivering training, identifying areas of poor performance, and performing field and office audits/observations.  

POSITION DIMENSIONS

The incumbent does not have direct accountability for people or budgets.  However, the incumbent is one of the Company’s authoritative sources for occupational health and safety and is the liaison between Corporate and the operating Divisions.  The incumbent very frequently exchanges information, both verbally and written, with employees, management, Corporate staff, and senior management.

QUALIFICATIONS

There are general guidelines, precedents and practices that the incumbent uses to determine how this job is performed.  This position requires three to five years of relevant work experience.  Professional training relating to pertinent duties is required.  This position requires a highly motivated self-starter, with a demonstrated ability to establish rapport and effective working relationships with employees, management, and peers.  Frequent travel is required.  This position requires excellent written and verbal communication skills and experience developing and delivering progress reports, proposals, requirements documentation, and presentations. 

 A bachelor’s degree and OSHA/Safety industry certification is preferred.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Utilize knowledge of federal, state, and local governmental regulations pertaining to occupational health and safety issues in order to assist the Administrator/Occupational Health and Safety with providing technical interpretations to management
• Utilize knowledge of federal, state, and local occupational health and safety regulations, industry safety standards, and process safety standards to assist the Administrator/Occupational Health and Safety with developing and maintaining regulatory and Company-required workplace safety programs pertaining to:
  • Hazardous material handling, storage, and transportation
  • Respiratory protection
  • Control of energy sources
  • Fire prevention and protection
  • Injury and illness recordkeeping
  • Confined space entry
  • Use of personal protective equipment
  • Fall protection
  • Defensive driving
• Work with the Administrator/Occupational Health and Safety to develop and implement safety programs that reinforce the Company’s strong safety culture
• Develop and implement comprehensive inspection programs to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations relating to occupational health and safety.  Programs must include building inspections, work site inspections, and warehouse inspections at each Company location
• Work with the Administrator/Occupational Health and Safety to develop, implement, enhance, and maintain employee training programs throughout the Company to include new programs in order to ensure all safety requirements are met including accident prevention, accident investigation, injury and illness reporting, safety training, industrial hygiene sampling, and safety equipment evaluation
• Partner with Divisions and senior management to develop and promote participation in a cohesive approach to a Company safety program
• Evaluate existing occupational programs for workplace health and safety to determine program effectiveness.  Develop and implement enhancements to improve program effectiveness, when necessary
• Implement occupational safety programs focused on the elimination or control of workplace hazards and/or exposures
• Develop, implement, and maintain best practices to ensure compliance with Company policies and federal, state, and local occupational health and safety regulations
• Investigate occupational-related accidents to identify causes and to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future
• Investigate health-related complaints and inspect facilities to ensure that they comply with public health legislation and regulations
• Inspect specified areas to ensure the presence of fire prevention equipment, safety equipment, and first-aid supplies
• Participate on accident investigation teams that perform root cause analysis, identify corrective actions, and communicate same to management.  Track the implementation of approved corrective actions to ensure compliance and closure of same, where appropriate
• Serve as liaison, as requested by management, between federal, state, and/or local agencies on occupational health and safety matters
• Educate Company employees about the importance of workplace safety
• Assist the Administrator/Occupational Health and Safety with development of training modules for Division-based Risk Management and Division Supervisors for revisions to the Safety Manual, Accident Prevention Program Manual, Emergency Action Plans, etc.
• Provide trend analysis reports to management with recommendations for corrective actions
• Perform annual respiratory fit and flow testing for applicable Division-based employees
• Perform annual drivers’ training for all applicable Company employees
• Complete all projects in a timely manner as required, and perform related duties and responsibilities as assigned
• Regular and predictable attendance is a condition of employment and is an essential function of the job

SALARY DETAILS

Phoenix: $92,000 - $138,000

At Southwest Gas, attracting the best talent is key to our strategy and success as a company. We use flexibility to develop competitive compensation offers to ensure we are able to hire the best candidates. The quoted salary range represents the minimum and maximum of the pay range for the position. It is provided as a good faith estimate as to what our ideal candidates are likely to expect, as we tailor our offers within the range based on the selected candidate's experience, industry knowledge, location, technical and communication skills and other factors that may prove relevant during the interview and selection process.

Salary : $92,000 - $138,000