Safety Specialist

Job Description

The Safety Specialist is responsible for implementing and continuously improving the company’s occupational Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE) programs within the company's feed milling operation. The position ensures that employees, contractors, facilities, equipment, and production processes are protected from workplace hazards and that the company complies with applicable occupational safety, health, environmental, and regulatory requirements.

The Safety Specialist conducts regular workplace inspections, hazard identification and risk assessments, and safety audits covering feed mill operations, including raw material receiving and storage, batching, grinding, mixing, pelleting, packaging, warehousing, maintenance, utilities, and material handling activities. The role recommends and implements appropriate control measures to prevent accidents, injuries, occupational illnesses, environmental incidents, equipment damage, and property loss.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Recommend, implement, and maintain occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental policies, programs, procedures, and standards appropriate to feed mill operations.
• Conduct routine safety inspections, hazard identification, risk assessments, and compliance audits throughout the facility.
• Identify hazards associated with machinery, electrical systems, dust, noise, chemicals, confined spaces, working at heights, hot work, material handling, vehicle movement, and other feed mill activities.
• Recommend and monitor the implementation of the hierarchy of controls, including engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment (PPE) controls.
• Ensure machine guarding, lockout/tagout, emergency equipment, fire protection systems, PPE, signage, and other safety controls are properly implemented and maintained.
• Support the safe design and modification of work areas, equipment, processes, and facilities by reviewing potential safety risks before implementation.
• Develop and conduct safety orientation, toolbox meetings, training, drills, and awareness programs for employees and contractors.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions; determine root causes; and recommend corrective and preventive actions.
• Monitor compliance with company safety rules, safe operating procedures, permit-to-work requirements, and applicable legal and regulatory standards.
• Prepare, consolidate, maintain, and submit required occupational safety and health reports, notifications, applications, certificates, records, and other regulatory documents to DOLE and other applicable government agencies within prescribed deadlines. 
• Prepare and coordinate the submission of required fire safety reports, inspection documents, compliance requirements, permits, certifications, and other regulatory documentation to the BFP, as applicable to the facility. 
• Coordinate and assist during DOLE, BFP, and other regulatory agency inspections, audits, assessments, and site visits, ensuring that required documents and records are readily available. 
• Implement and monitor the Permit-to-Work (PTW) system for high-risk and non-routine activities, including hot work, confined space entry, work at height, electrical work, equipment isolation, line breaking, excavation, and other activities requiring formal authorization. 
• Monitor work activities covered by PTWs to ensure that employees and contractors strictly comply with the approved permit conditions, control measures, safe work procedures, and applicable company safety requirements. 
• Conduct field verification and periodic audits of active permits and stop or suspend work immediately when unsafe conditions, deviations from permit requirements, or uncontrolled hazards are identified. 
• Maintain accurate safety records, inspection reports, incident reports, training records, risk assessments, and other required OHSE documentation.
• Assist in emergency preparedness and response planning, including fire, chemical spills, equipment-related incidents, natural disasters, and other workplace emergencies.
• Coordinate with relevant departments and external agencies, as necessary, on occupational safety, health, and environmental matters.
• Monitor workplace environmental and occupational health conditions, such as air quality, noise, dust exposure, sanitation, and other relevant parameters.
• Promote employee participation in safety programs and foster a proactive safety culture throughout the organization.
• Track safety performance indicators and provide recommendations for continual improvement of the company’s SHE performance.
• Ensure that safety, health, and environmental plans are properly documented, communicated, implemented, monitored, and enforced.
• Ensure that all SHE plans, programs, procedures, risk assessments, JSAs, PTWs, reports, and regulatory submissions are properly documented, communicated, implemented, monitored, and enforced. 
• Perform other Safety, Health, and Environmental-related duties as may be assigned by management.

Others:

• Continuously research and recommend effective, practical, and cost-efficient methods and best practices to improve occupational safety, health, environmental protection, and fire prevention.
• Lead and monitor the implementation and sustainment of 5S, applicable ISO requirements, GMP, and other company policies and programs at the plant site.
• Support the implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of the company’s Quality Management System (QMS) and other management systems.
• Participate in internal, external, regulatory, customer, ISO, and GMP audits and ensure timely closure of findings and corrective actions.
• Monitor and ensure the effective implementation of Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) arising from incidents, inspections, audits, and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in the review and development of SOPs, JSAs, risk assessments, and work instructions to ensure applicable safety and compliance requirements are incorporated.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC) reviews to identify and control safety, health, environmental, fire, and GMP risks associated with changes in equipment, processes, materials, and facilities.
• Monitor and report key safety, environmental, 5S, GMP, and compliance performance indicators and recommend continual improvement initiatives.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by management.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field. 

Professional Qualifications and Certifications

• 40-hour (BOSH) basic OSH training course.
• DOLE-accredited/qualified Safety Officer with the appropriate Safety Officer training level based on the company’s classification and applicable regulatory requirements (SO3).
• Preferably, Basic Occupational Safety and Health (BOSH) training
• Construction Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) training is an advantage. 
• Scaffolding Safety/Scaffolding Competency training is an advantage. 
• Pollution Control Officer (PCO) training/certification is an advantage.
• Knowledge or training in ISO Management Systems, GMP, 5S, and Quality Management Systems is an advantage.
•  Knowledge of investigative skills 
• Strong knowledge on Occupational Safety and Health  (OSH) Regulatory Compliance
• Strong knowledge on auditing and implementing corrective action; follow through 
• Good public speaking and presentation skills 
• Good communication skills both in English and vernacular 
• Ability to establish and maintain good interpersonal relationship 
• Above average planning and organizing skills Good decision-making skills 
• Ability to handle, motivate and influence people

Additional Information

Physical Effort:

• Light work requiring little physical effort

Working Conditions and Hazards:

• Occasional exposure to some disagreeable elements