POSITION SUMMARY/CLASS DESCRIPTION
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, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2023, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 51 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the most in the state of Maryland. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.
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.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Responsible for implementation of the County-wide safety program, OSHA compliance, training and loss control initiatives for all County operations.
CLASS DESCRIPTION:
Performs intermediate professional level administrative work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes administrative support of a functional program and professional level analysis and coordination of functional office programs and activities.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.
Works and cooperates with co-workers and supervisors at levels.
Learns and performs all essential job functions accurately.
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.
The Safety Analyst has authority to take immediate corrective action, up to and including a complete stoppage of work, if a life threatening or a serious injury hazard exists on a County employee's or County contractor's jobsite.
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.
Conduct county wide safety trainings for all county employees including in person, virtual, and pre-recorded.
Create custom trainings to support the goals of the county safety program.
Oversee industrial hygiene initiatives. Work with contractors to evaluate and test county facilities, conduct air sampling and personal monitoring analysis. Communicate findings, recommendations, and corrective actions as appropriate.
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.
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.
Manage compliance of County department's federal, state, and county safety and health documentation and reports including OSHA reports, SDS (Safety Data Sheets) and chemical inventory lists.
Maintain a central reference library for safety related information and provide technical guidance on safety and industrial health related matters to all County departments.
Chair, organize, and/or attend meetings with employees, supervisors, and upper management to discuss specific safety issues.
Emergency Management Operations: Work with County Emergency Management personnel to coordinate Risk Management's role in County Government emergency response. Serve as one of the County's risk management and safety liaisons for disaster planning, response, recovery and mitigation operations to minimize the risk of injury or illness to Howard County personnel who are involved in disaster response. This involves establishing safety and health guidelines and policies; providing direction and advice for employee training and personal protective equipment needs; providing on-site disaster-specific guidance and assisting with post-event mitigation efforts.
Support the Risk Management Administrator team with special projects, such as identifying potential hazards with new or existing programs and conducting pre-event safety inspections for special events.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
This job has no direct personnel supervisory responsibilities.
MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
Bachelor's Degree and two (2) years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Experience in the occupational safety and health industry.
Experience with Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH).
Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation.
Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation.
Certified ISA Arborist (TRAQ) designation.
Certified OSHA 500 Trainer (Construction Industry).
Certified OSHA 501 Trainer (General Industry).
Training Certification in; Confined Space Entry, Excavation & Trenching, Traffic Control, Asbestos, Lead, HAZWOPER, CPR, Chain Saw Operations, Off Road Vehicles, CDL Instruction.
Membership in professional associations such as American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), National Electrical Contractors.
Experience conducting building and general work-site safety audits.
Experience leading safety meetings, seminars, trainings, events.
Experience in the Public works, Recreation & Parks, Inspections & Licenses professions
Experience writing policy documents, procedures, and training material.
Ability to respond within one hour to emergency situations if placed on standby.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
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 frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; 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, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
The employee must be able to travel to and move around job 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.
Employees are required to travel to different work sites both inside buildings and outdoors.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:
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 hripkin@howardcountymd.gov. Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.
