EHS Manager - Food Manufacturing


Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Manager directs the development, implementation, and maintenance of comprehensive environmental, safety and health programs for the facility. The EHS Manager provides the leadership, direction and support necessary to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and standards to meet or exceed relevant internal and external safety & environmental standards in a manner consistent with sound business practice.  The EHS Manager must possess the ability to develop and maintain relationships with all levels within the organization to include all employees at both the corporate and plant level.  The EHS Manager needs to be able to indirectly lead change across all departments.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Establishes strategic safety programs for the plant, designs and implements critical programs to achieve that strategic direction, develops safety program performance objectives and measures safety performance with KPI's and communicates status/needs to plant employees and management. Provides leadership and direction in the development, administration and maintenance of EHS compliance. Main focus will be in the areas of compliance and reporting, safety training and safety program management.

 

Compliance and Reporting

  • Develops, issues and maintains safety standards/directives and procedures to coincide with corporate and regulatory compliance requirements to reduce workplace injury/illness risks and minimize overall liability.
  • Works with Corporate Safety Manger to develops and implements safety policies and procedures to ensure that safety compliance is maintained
    • LOTO, confined space, spill response, arc flash, OSHA Report, Hearing tests, Ergonomics
  • Assist management with accident investigations and reporting,
    • Provide recommendations for corrective or preventive measures,
    • Ensure that accurate environmental and injury/illness records are maintained.
  • Maintain a current working knowledge of EHS regulations and laws to provide expertise for EHS assessments, capital projects, work orders, and general EHS related problem solving at the site and corporate level as needed.
  • Develop and administer the facility EHS Management Systems:
    • e. Hazard analyses, safe operating procedures, risk management, loss control, waste water management, spill prevention, hazardous waste, DOT hazardous materials, emissions, emergency planning and all other key system elements.
  • Facilitate compliance with facility, regional, corporate and regulatory environmental & safety standards and guidelines through audits, inspections, recordkeeping and data documentation
    • Serve as liaison with applicable external regulatory agencies and ensure all required reporting is completed and submitted accurately and on time.
      • OSHA including the 300 log
      • Workers Compensation
      • Safety reporting to insurance carriers
      • Claims review
      • KPI’s and Safety number reporting
      • Near miss reporting
    • Routinely conducts inspections and audits of all operations for work conditions, work practices and operational behaviors to ensure that safety-related policies and procedures are being enforced and that compliance with Company and government requirements are being maintained.

 

Safety Training                         

  • Ensures a proactive approach to accident prevention through employee training directly and through preparation of materials for others to use.
  • Maintain training records and appropriate documentation
  • Coordinate, conduct or outsource safety training as applicable. Including but not limited to:
    • OSHA required training-
    • Safety Orientation – for new hires
    • Chemical safety
    • Fire extinguishers maintenance and training
    • Coordinate safety culture training

                                               

Contractor and Vendor Compliance

  • Coordinate and review vendor’s safety training
  • Coordination with temp agencies to insure compliance of safety programs.
  • First Aid supply’s, Boot trucks

 

Program Oversight

  • Main point of contact for Plant Safety Committee and site Cultural project efforts
  • Influences and direct a culture change across the organization.
  • Oversee the Emergency response program, security program, fire protection assets and inspections.
  • Administers plant respiratory protection and hearing conservation programs

 

  • Commitment to safety begins with management. Managers and frontline supervisors are accountable for creating and maintaining a culture of Safety and assuring a safe work environment.

 

Other Duties as Assigned

 

REQUIRED SKILLS

  • Detailed knowledge of OSHA, EPA and other applicable industry environmental, health and safety standards
  • Strong analytical skills to evaluate performance metrics and outcomes.
  • Superior communication skills – verbal and written
  • Strong problem solving and decision making skills with the ability to develop multiple solutions to an issue and make valid recommendations for resolution
  • Able to understand and execute processes including: recognizing customer needs, communicating process changes, measuring and assessing success and identifying areas of improvement
  • Ability to develop and implement environmental and safety policies, programs, and training
  • Knowledge of manufacturing practices and processes, preferably in the food industry
  • Ability to adjust work hours as needed
  • Demonstrated ability to move between tasks and projects on short notice and to quickly change priorities based on customer and department needs, while still meeting project deadlines (Flexibility is key in this role as priorities change quickly)
  • Able to work well in a team environment or independently

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

  • Bachelor’s degree in Occupational / Industrial Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, Environmental Science, or other EHS related field preferred; other four year degrees will be considered. 
  • Certification in an EHS related discipline and/or further education is a plus.  
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment related to EHS program management.