Job Title:  Environmental Health and Safety Technician

Summary

Performs environmental health and safety tasks to assist the EHS Manager in providing a safe work environment for employees. Monitors and ensures environmental compliance throughout the Plant including air, noise, wastewater, and land in compliance with company policies and regulatory agencies including KDHE, OSHA, EPA, and others. Provides employee education on PPE, safety and blood lead mitigation. Assists with accident/incident review and reporting.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Scheduling and Conducting Airborne Lead Monitoring.
• Conducting Safety Audits/Walkthroughs/Reviews.
• Preparing, Scheduling and Conducting Safety Training.
• Scheduling and Conducting Sound Level Monitoring and Noise Dosimetry.
• Discussions with Team Leaders and Employees Regarding Various Safety/Health Matters.
• Stocking, Ordering and Cleaning PPE and First Aid Equipment.
• Scheduling, Conducting and Evaluating Audiometric Tests.
• Tracking, Filing and Maintaining Databases of Safety/Health Training, Air-Lead Results, Blood-Lead Results, Noise Dosimetry Results, Audiometric Testing Results, Wipe Test Results, Fit Test Results, Prescription Safety Glasses Vouchers and Safety Shoe Vouchers.
• Scheduling and Coordination of Blood-Lead Draws, Notifications and Laboratory Evaluation of Samples.
• Scheduling and Conducting Respirator Fit Tests.
• Incident Investigations and Corrective Action Plans.
• Coordinating and Providing First Responder and First Aid Duties.
• Developing, Maintaining and Revising Safety and Health Operating Procedures.
• Scheduling and Conducting Wipe Tests to Evaluate Hygiene and Cleaning Methods.
• Other Duties as Assigned or Requested.

Qualifications

• A minimum of two years experience related to either manufacturing, industrial safety, or industrial hygiene.  High School Diploma or GED, additionally the completion of at least 60 credit hours toward a degree in Industrial Safety or related field is desirable, but not essential.  Completion of some coursework in Industrial Hygiene is preferred.
• An understanding of algebra, scientific units, measurement conversions, and general calibration techniques is required to aid in developing and carrying out monitoring strategies and tasks.
• Analytical ability to determine cause and effect relationships.
• Fundamental keyboarding skills and ability to understand various software programs such as Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, Baan and PowerPoint is required.
• Ability to obtain certification as an Occupational Hearing Conservationist from the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC).
• Proficiency in reading, presentations, technical writing, and spreadsheet analysis.
• Irregular and changing working hours with little notice required to accomplish tasks on alternate shifts.  
• 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.
  •  Ability to work in a lead exposed environment and be qualified to wear respiratory protection.
  • Work in a manufacturing setting with moving equipment and ability to traverse from plant to plant on at least a daily basis.
  • Visual acuity to view possible incidents or areas of hazard in order to recommend steps for correction.
  •  Ability to hear alarms or alerts in first response activity.
  • Ability to sit for a period of time while preparing necessary reports and collection of data for proper analysis of work environment.

Physical Requirements

• Plant conditions may be cold in the winter, (45 degrees) and very hot in the summer, (120 degrees). Job tasks may be carried out in these conditions.
• Job requires the ability to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, climb ladders, scaffolds, catwalks and high stairs to reach bag house or air monitoring equipment, descend to reach wastewater equipment, climb ladders to assess equipment on the roof.  The employee is exposed to work in high, precarious places. (10% of the shift.)
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, acid, caustic, extreme heat from the lead melting process and other hazards. The employee may be exposed to wet or humid conditions. Work involves exposure to hazardous materials, chemicals, dirt, dust, fumes and/or loud noise. (20% of the shift.)
• Job requires that the employee be able to wear all PPE required for machine operators including steel-toed boots, gloves, safety glasses with side-shields and a respirator; either a half-faced standard respirator or a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) to interact with employees on the production floor, or in the case of a baghouse failure or other emergency release. (5% of the shift)
• Job requires regular blood draws (per corporate schedule) and maintaining blood lead levels at the current corporate threshold determined for all employees.
• The employee must be able to lift or move up to 50 pounds regularly, up to 10 times per day, moving chemicals in buckets, and freight.
• The employee will be required to lift 40 pound bags of soda ash, floor to waist, when cleaning acid spills, up to 5 bags, approximately once a week.
• Must be able to lift scrap bin lids, up to 75 pounds, floor to waist, approximately 5 times per week.
• Using a forklift barrel picker and/or dolly, the job requires moving hazardous waste barrels from 100-700 pounds, (average 230 pounds) floor to pallet. Occasionally, due to positioning, these barrels must be moved manually to secure on the pallet.