Safety Compliance Officer (Administrative Analyst II) - County Administration, Risk Management

Howard County:

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government:

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, best practices and sustainability. It is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2024, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 63 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the most awards in the state of Maryland, and the fifth highest in the nation, as compared to more than 3000 counties. NACo Achievement Awards are the premier national honor to recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policy making.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

Safety Compliance Duties:

• Conduct various inspections, audits, and assessments to observe employee behaviors and work with departments to provide working conditions in compliance with all safety and health standards.
• Investigate work-related accidents to determine cause and propose and implement appropriate preventative measures, safeguards and controls.
• Perform requested, scheduled and random job site inspections. Advise employees of safety deficiencies recommend corrective action, safeguards and controls and conduct follow-up inspections.
• Evaluate work-related hazards relating to County operations and implement effective controls and programs to reduce or eliminate those hazards.
• Inspect job locations and activities for OSHA compliance and safe work practices involving contractors who perform major construction work for the County.
• Interpret new regulations, standards and guidelines to incorporate changes into the County Safety Program.
• Serve as a resource to County employees on matters of industrial health & safety and maintain a strong "in-the field" presence.
• Write and maintain safety guidelines and policies which are current and comprehensive, reflect County best practices, and satisfy the requirements of federal, state, and county safety and industrial health standards.
• Research appropriate engineering controls, administrative means and/or protective measures to mitigate exposures to employee injury.
• Lead projects in risk and cost reduction in the areas of process safety and employee industrial health and safety.
• Chair, organize, and/or attend meetings with employees, supervisors, and upper management to discuss specific safety issues.

• Help design, implement, maintain, and communicate core safety analytics, including developing proactive data driven hazard control metrics with measured outcomes.
• Gather and analyze safety data from various internal and external sources, including our Risk Management Information Systems (RIMS) platform as well as those of our third-party administrator.
• Develop and maintain statistical reports and prepare formal and informal administrative reports as required. Identify, and evaluate hazards through statistical reports to propose and implement appropriate preventative measures, safeguards and controls.
• Use statistical tools and software to interpret data and provide insights into safety performance.
• Identify potential safety risks and propose preventive actions.
• Support the safety team in driving compliance through standardized reporting practices.
• Assist in the development and tracking of safety training materials based on analysis of data.
• Provide technical support and guidance on safety data management.
• Maintain and update safety databases and systems.
• Clearly communicate data insights to stakeholders.
• Lead projects of cost reduction in the areas of process safety and employee industrial health and safety.
• Maintain a central reference library for safety related information and provide technical guidance on safety and industrial health related matters to all County departments.
• Support the Risk and Safety Division with special projects, such as identifying potential hazards with new or existing programs an conducting pre-event safety inspections for special events.

• Serve as the primary contact for our RMIS vendor and facilitate enhancements related to information gathering, reporting and dissemination.
• Act as a resource to County employees for general problem solving for matters related to injuries and incidents.
• Update and enhance data collection efforts to keep pace with technology.
• Support the safety team by developing training and education for all County departments and allied agencies for compliance with data collection and reporting.
• Support the collection of data utilized for the annual Cost Allocation assessment.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's Degree and two (2) year related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience in the occupational safety and health industry.
• Experience with Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH).
• Experience driving and influencing customized interface with Claim and Risk Management Insurance Systems.
• Membership in professional associations such as American Society of Safety Professional (ASSP).
• Experience creating and conducting safety training.
• Strong computer skills, including use of spreadsheets is desired.
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation.
• Experience conducting building and work site safety audits.
• Ability to respond within one hour to emergency situations if placed on standby.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to independently travel to hearings, trials, move around accident sites and conduct on-scene investigations. Job sites and accident scenes may involve uneven or rough terrain, climbing stairs and ladders. The employee is regularly required to use a personal computer, use vision and hearing to view and analyze evidence in claims investigations and talk on the telephone and in person to other people. The employee must be able to travel to off-site locations at a moment's notice and navigate accident sites independently. Job sites may involve uneven or rough terrain, climbing stairs and ladders. The person must be able to pass a respirator fit test.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.

Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. Strong analytical, interpersonal and problem solving skills. Ability to communicate effectively at all levels.

Knowledge of methods and techniques employed in gathering and compiling data. Ability to use computerized methods to research information.

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES AND REGISTRATIONS

Possession of a valid driver's license.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/).

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at HiringPreference@howardcountymd.gov. Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.