The 30,000-foot view of what is expected of an employer by way of workplace safety compliance.

Determine workplace hazards and exposures that could harm employees and by extension the environment and community.

Then:

• Write programs/policies/SOP’s
• Train employees
• Correct/abate hazards (ongoing)
• Enforce safe behaviors & workplace practices
• Conduct mandatory govt reporting

The items listed above are the core in which ALL other workplace safety, health, environmental initiatives live and are tucked within. The core and its’ associated initiatives are ongoing work, never once and done.

What are the specific initiatives? What might an employer list on Safety Pro/EH&S job description? Or what might a Safety Pro/EH&S person reports as falling under their work responsibilities?

It can include and is not limited to the following:

• Conduct safety audits.
• Recommend, design and implement hazard abatement measures.
• Lead a joint labor/management safety committee.
• Lead an executive safety committee.
• Comply with regulatory requirements for federal/state OSHA, EPA, Workers Compensation, Maritime, RCRA, Superfund, Water/Waste water, Hazardous waste, recycling, DOT, USP, etc. etc.
• Complete & lead JSA/JHA (job safety analysis/job hazard analysis) for operations and R & D groups.
• Calculate ROI on ANY initiative impacting various departmental budgets & workflow.
• Administer policies and liaise with Property/Casualty, Auto, Workers Compensation and grantors.
• Establish relationships and build trust with all levels of management and labor.
• Establish and maintain SDS system.
• Arrange post-injury medical care.
• Arrange drug testing protocols.
• Establish medical monitoring protocols.
• Establish post-exposure medical treatment protocols.
• Research & implement most current sharps-injury prevention devices.
• Determine and develop job/task and/or equipment specific safety training.
• Track and report on Experience Modification rating & associated cost/trends.
• Conduct or contract for Industrial Hygiene monitoring.
• Conduct emergency drills.
• Determine, inventory and control hazardous substances including storage, shipping and disposal.
• Establishes onboarding, annual, periodic, job advancement, and task specific training protocols for employees and contractors.
• Pre-plan for various emergencies with community stakeholders and response teams.
• Write job descriptions specific to hazard exposure & work tasks for return-to-work initiatives.
• Select & contract with local occupational medicine departments.
• Set protocols for equipment specific daily, weekly, monthly, annual inspections.
• Procure all personal protective equipment.
• Contract with private investigators.
• Contract and work with employment and workers compensation law firms.
• Conduct or contracts ergonomic assessments.
• Establish safety expectations and protocols for contracted agencies, workers and firms.
• Establish corporate and local safety goals.
• Establish training protocols with temporary worker agencies.
• Design professional development & obtain funding for the safety professional.
• Establish radiation safety protocols.
• Hire qualified rehabilitation consultants.
• Create an annual budget or determine how to fund safety & health initiatives.
• Request additional safety and health team members or contracted assistance.
• Create resource network.
• React and respond to daily safety crisis following safety engineering principles.

And, for what might a Safety Pro need to procure funds? Here are a few common items.

Learn more about workplace safety training.