Environmental scientist serp_jobs.h1.location_city

Environmental Health and Safety Specialist

Location : Fairfield, CT

Division : Facilities Management

Department : Environmental Health and Safety

Basic Function : Develops full-scale environmental health and safety practices to provide for the safety of the students, staff, administration and faculty of the university community; implements federal, state, county, town and university codes with respect to compliance by departments and personnel; serves as central resource for environmental health and safety questions / concerns, including, safe storage, handling and disposal of chemicals and industrial safety; coordinate activities and interface with faculty, responsible for lab safety on campus

Unusual Work Conditions : Exposure to hazardous materials. Required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE).

Knowledge and Skill Needed :

Education : Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Safety Engineering, or Occupational Health, or related field preferred. Master's degree in Environmental Science / related field preferred or equivalent related experience. A Certified Safety Professional would be an acceptable background.

Experience : 5-7 years' experience in the management and administration of health and safety programs. Good physical condition and mobility. Possession of a valid motor vehicle license. Demonstrated knowledge of industrial hygiene. Demonstrated computer ability. Current State of CT Operational Awareness certification. State of CT HAZMAT Technician's license. RCRA certified. A Certified Safety Professional is preferred. OSHA 10 certification required. OSHA 30 certification preferred.

Reports To : Director Facilities Management

Essential Functions :

Responsibilities :

• The Environmental, Health, & Safety Specialist provides support to faculty, students, and staff to help facilitate, assess, and promote a safe and healthy working environment in laboratories and research support spaces
• The primary responsibilities of this position are to promote and support a strong safety culture in University laboratories
• This position will provide professional knowledge and expertise in the operation and development of laboratory safety programs and initiatives, and guide laboratories in complying with regulatory agency requirements and University policies and recommended best management practices
• In addition, will assist in development, planning and execution of environmental, health and safety training for faculty, staff, and students, including visitors, vendors, and construction workers when applicable
• Develop, implement and manage laboratory related safety programs to meet University and regulatory requirements and address safety related needs in academic and research laboratories, including chemical safety, biological safety, animal safety, Chemical Hygiene Plan, Bloodborne Pathogens Program, Personal Protective Equipment Policy, Lockout / Tagout and Electrical Safety Program, Air Program and Restricted Emissions Status (RES), Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Plan, Hazardous, Universal and Biological Waste Management, and other programs as warranted.
• Support the University in interactions and negotiations with regulatory agencies, including OSHA, EPA, and DEEP. Coordinate external agency reviews and inspections.
• Assist in grant applications.
• Serve as Chemical Hygiene Officer for the University
• Perform tasks and activities in support of the Environmental, Health & Safety Program including : haz-waste management, laboratory surveys and inspections, incident response, training preparation, record-keeping, etc
• Collaborate with laboratory faculty, staff and students to evaluate laboratory processes, identify safety and compliance needs and gaps, and implement safety programs and initiatives to address identified needs
• Participate, coordinate and maintain records for laboratory and research related safety committees
• Develop and provide training to laboratory personnel on laboratory safety related topics
• Develop standard operating procedure (SOP) templates and guide laboratory staff and researchers in the development of lab specific SOPs for standard lab operations and experimental procedures
• Review protocols for laboratory operations and research involving regulated or specific hazardous components including operations involving biological, highly toxic or reactive materials and determine and communicate safety and compliance obligations and recommendation to faculty and laboratory personnel
• Perform laboratory assessments to assist laboratory faculty, staff and students in improving safety and compliance, communicate results, and assist with identifying related improvements and corrective actions
• Participate in chemical, biological, radiological and environmental incident investigations and spill response actions, including, on-call 24 hour emergency response or notification
• Maintains and annually updates the biomedical waste management plan, chemical hygiene plan, hazardous communication plan, bloodborne pathogen policy, and other policies.
• Familiar with and leads IACUC protocols.

Responsible for University compliance with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards (OSHA) and with state hazardous waste laws and also develops full-scale environmental health and safety practices. This involves :

Maintains University's lead, and Hazwoper, teams. This entails annual training and record keeping procedures.

Participates in the professional development of the University. This involves :

Promotes safe and secure working conditions. This involves :

Performs other related duties as directed or dictated by responsibilities. Duties may be changed and / or be added at any time.

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Fairfield University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.