SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SPECIALIST - 40001834

Durham County Government employs approximately 1,900 employees that work towards providing needed services throughout the community. With a wide array of services, Durham County Government is at the heart of a rapidly growing and diverse area offering residents, employees and visitors exciting opportunities to live, work, grow and play. For more information about Durham County Government, visit www.dconc.gov.

**This posting is subject to close without prior notification.**

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This position performs difficult analytical and professional work as a member of the Human Resources Department developing County-wide safety programs and safety education, conducting work-site inspections, accident/injury investigations and hazard reduction/elimination activities.

This job is performed under the general supervision of the Safety & Workers’ Compensation Manager.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Plans, organizes, and develops risk, safety, and incentive programs and events. Encourages and motivates employees to participate in the County’s Safety & Workers’ Compensation programs.
• Consults with all levels of departmental staff in assessing County-wide safety, loss control, and training needs.
• Prepares and presents, or contracts with others to present, safety training, orientation materials, or any other items such as manuals, videos, booklets, or instructional items for safety training.
• Advises departments on federal and state safety and occupational health rules and regulations and assists those departments in implementing compliant safety programs.
• Conducts incident investigations involving injury or damage to property to identify root cause, safety issues, and risk mitigating strategies. Interviews witnesses, reviews police reports, and insurance adjuster reports to determine root cause, liability, and safety and loss control issues.
• Reviews reports submitted by insurance and loss control consultants to identify necessary corrective actions and subsequently implement those actions.
• Conducts worksite job safety analysis, administrative and engineering controls, and hazard assessments in all work areas.
• Reviews claim loss runs and conducts analytical analysis of trends to identify appropriate workers’ compensation and safety program needs.
• Develops and leads a County-wide Safety Committee with membership comprised of managers and supervisors from all County departments.
• Manages County-wide OSHA recordkeeping program and regulatory compliance.
• Investigates, evaluates, and negotiates property and casualty claims involving auto liability, general liability, workers compensation, and property damage. Interacts with claimants and coordinates with insurers to respond to claims. Creates and maintains claims files, computerized records, and risk management information system (RMIS) records for all claims and prepares related statistical reports for management.
• Answers routine questions, directs calls, and explains claim reporting procedures to claimants, employees, and other parties involved in accidents or incidents.
• Analyzes and produces statistical reports related to accidents, safety and claims, OSHA reports, safety awards, etc. Conducts research to help identify and prevent recurrences of accidents. Creates summary reports to highlight claim activity by multiple categories (i.e., type, location, property damaged) and indicate the overall financial impact.
• Assists with the gathering and analyzing of data for the purpose of incepting or renewing insurance programs.
• Provides claims and administrative support to the department.
• Performs related tasks as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of Federal and North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health ( NC OSH) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and reporting requirements, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) information and recommendations, and general industry safety programs and procedures to recommend or begin initial draft development of safety program policies, programs and procedures, conduct safety training and inspections, identify training needs, and provide advice and guidance concerning safety requirements.
• Knowledge of precedent decisions applicable to North Carolina local government, general industry, industrial workplace environment, and investigative requirements concerning tort and personal property claims to recommend safety and loss control directives, conduct safety inspections and accident investigations, and provide guidance to managers and employees on safety issues.
• Knowledge of effective principles, methods and techniques of training development and skills in conducting safety programs to meet the County needs and to evaluate the effectiveness and the results of such programs.
• Skills in problem solving to select, organize and logically process relevant information (verbal, numerical or abstract) to solve a problem. This includes the ability to recognize subtle aspects of problems, identify relevant information, and make balanced recommendations and decisions. Examples include analysis of construction drawings for life safety issues and accidents for causality, development or review of training modules, reviewing insurance policies/certificates for adequacy, and developing trend lines from quantitative data on accidents and losses.
• Skills in oral communication to understand verbal information (facts, instructions, and descriptions) and to express such information verbally so that others will understand, and in certain circumstances, be convinced. This includes explaining workers compensation program procedures, safety program guidelines or accident reporting procedures, coordinating work, providing guidance and training to others (including conducting formal training presentations), and skills in encouraging effective communication by others, such as those involved in accidents.
• Skills in written communication and ability to understand written information (facts, ideas, and assertions), draw inferences, form hypotheses, and develop logical arguments, and to express such information in writing so that others will understand, and in certain circumstances, be convinced. This includes skill in the review of the written work of others, such as correspondence and management reports, and in the preparation of guidelines.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to interact with business contacts in a businesslike, customer service-oriented manner.
• Skills in using a computer and other electronic devices to plan, schedule, communicate, word process, etc., with emphasis on word processing and spreadsheet applications

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Requires any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety or a related field and two years of progressively responsible experience in safety.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate degree in Environmental Health & Safety with 4 years’ experience or 6 years’ experience with no degree
• Preferred Environmental, Health and Safety Certifications/Certificates.
• OSHA 30 Hour General Industry & Construction
• American Heart CPR Instructor
• Ergonomic Experience
• Fall Protection, Confined Space and Electrical Safety
• Familiar with ANSI and NFPA standards

NOTE:

• We will also consider an associate's degree in Environmental Health & Safety with 4 years of experience or 6 years of experience with no degree

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

UNAVOIDABLE HAZARDS (WORK ENVIRONMENT):

• None

SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES:

• A North Carolina Driver’s License is required.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE:

Durham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Durham County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

Durham County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer