What are the responsibilities and job description for the EH&S Specialist I - Occupational Safety & Environment of Care (OSEC) position at University of Massachusetts Medical School?
Overview
POSITION SUMMARY:
For this position, the incumbent’s primary assignment will be with the EH&S Occupational Safety & Environment of Care Team. This Team is responsible for compliance with occupational safety regulations, such as OSHA, as well as hospital specific standards, such as the Joint Commission. The incumbent must have a basic knowledge or experience of occupational safety and OSHA standards. Programs under the Occupational Safety & Environment of Care Team include responding to and conducting indoor air quality investigations, conducting industrial hygiene exposure monitoring, performing respiratory fit testing, conducting accident/incident/occurrence investigations, performing ergonomic seated workstation evaluations, performing risk assessments, conducting hazard surveillance inspections and surveys, and participating in the hospital’s hazard communication and hazardous materials and waste management program, including handling, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and waste, conducting daily/weekly chemical waste pick-ups, apprising hospital staff of proper disposal procedures, conducting Satellite Accumulation Area inspections, ensuring proper container labeling, marking, handling and shipping, and overseeing lab packing and removal operations.
The EH&S Specialist will work independently and as part of a team to prioritize multiple projects. These tasks will require the employee to work at multiple locations serviced by the UMass Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) EH&S Department, including UMass Chan and UMass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC).
Responsibilities
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Assist with inspections, evaluations, surveillance surveys & audits of labs, patient care areas & construction areas
- Assist with risk assessments, incident, and injury investigations
- Assist with collecting airborne, surface and personal exposure samples using monitoring equipment or badges
- Assist with performing accident, incident and injury investigations
- May assist with industrial hygiene exposure monitoring
- May assist with maintaining chemical inventories and safety data sheets as part of the medical center’s hazard communication program
- May collect and handle hazardous and non-hazardous chemical and pharmaceutical wastes from designated collection areas, assist with proper segregation and labeling of chemical waste, transport hazardous waste to main storage rooms, and assist with preparing hazardous waste for disposal
- Assist with conducting drills and exercises
- Support the creation and preparation of checklists for compliance inspections
- Conduct inventory of safety supplies and par levels
- Assist with response to urgent/emergent calls, questions or requests of lower acuity incidents
- Assist with triaging issues & concerns, report back to supervisor, provide suggested response/follow-up to supervisor, and apply appropriate follow-up
- Assist with data collection, research, and investigation of regulatory concern
- File and maintain records and documentation (i.e. training records, waste manifests, SDS, safety, equipment, certifications, inspection reports)
- Enter data or information into EH&S software applications, databases or filings
- Conduct respiratory fit testing
- Assist with conducting EH&S training
- Assist with drafting or revising programmatic standard operating procedures
- May participate on the EH&S Emergency Response Team (will require wearing full face respirator)
- Participate in the EH&S nights, weekends, holiday and off-hours on-call program
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Education
- Bachelor’s Level Degree, or equivalent, in: safety, environmental science, industrial hygiene, fire safety, environmental health and safety, or related field
Experience
- Zero to two years of working experience in safety, environmental science, industrial hygiene, fire safety, environmental health and safety, or related field
Certifications
- Ability to become certified as OSHA 40-hour Hazwoper Emergency Responder and wear a full-face respirator
- Ability to become certified by DOT for manifest signing
Driver’s License
- Must have a valid driver’s license and a vehicle or the ability to travel to off-site locations and respond to matters of urgency
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Internship in safety environmental science, industrial hygiene, fire safety, environmental health and safety, or related field
