Environmental Health & Safety Specialist

Position Summary

The Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist is responsible for developing, implementing, administering, and continuously improving environmental, health, and safety programs for the facility. This position supports an automotive manufacturing environment that includes injection molding, assembly, paint, warehousing, and maintenance operations. The EHS Specialist ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, customer, and corporate requirements while promoting a proactive safety culture focused on injury prevention, environmental stewardship, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.

The EHS Specialist serves as a technical resource to plant leadership and employees regarding occupational safety, environmental compliance, industrial hygiene, workers' compensation, regulatory requirements, and best practices. This position works closely with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Human Resources, and Quality to integrate EHS principles into all business processes.

Essential Responsibilities

Safety Management

• Implement and maintain corporate and plant-level EHS policies, procedures, and work instructions.
• Promote a proactive safety culture through employee engagement, coaching, communication, and training.
• Conduct routine safety inspections, audits, and risk assessments throughout the facility.
• Lead and support safety initiatives designed to reduce injuries, illnesses, and property damage.
• Administer key safety programs, including:
• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
• Machine Guarding
• Hazard Communication (HazCom)
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Powered Industrial Trucks
• Ergonomics
• Contractor Safety
• Emergency Response
• Participate in manufacturing readiness reviews and risk assessments for new, modified, or transferred equipment and processes.

Incident Management & Workers' Compensation

• Review and support all incident investigations to ensure accurate root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Facilitate investigations utilizing methodologies such as 5-Why analysis and other root cause tools.
• Track, monitor, and verify completion of corrective actions.
• Analyze injury and incident trends and recommend preventive measures.
• Maintain OSHA/MIOSHA recordkeeping and related documentation requirements.
• Enter work-related incidents into the Risk Management Information System (RMIS).
• Coordinate workers' compensation claims with employees, supervisors, medical providers, and third-party administrators.
• Develop and administer return-to-work and transitional duty plans.

Environmental Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and permit requirements.
• Monitor environmental programs related to air emissions, hazardous waste, chemical management, stormwater, wastewater, and spill prevention.
• Conduct environmental permit evaluations for equipment installations, process changes, and material changes.
• Maintain Safety Data Sheet (SDS) inventories and chemical management systems.
• Prepare and submit required environmental reports accurately and on time.
• Support environmental sustainability and waste reduction initiatives.
• Maintain and support the facility's ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System.

Training, Auditing & Continuous Improvement

• Identify training needs and develop or coordinate EHS training programs.
• Maintain required training records and compliance documentation.
• Lead or support plant safety committee activities.
• Conduct compliance audits and track actions resulting from:
• Job Safety Assessments (JSA)
• SAFE Audits
• Layered Process Audits (LPAs)
• Ergonomic Assessments
• Regulatory Inspections
• Collect, analyze, and report EHS performance metrics, including incident rates, DART rates, workers' compensation costs, audit performance, and training compliance.
• Utilize data to drive continuous improvement initiatives and risk reduction strategies.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of EHS experience in a manufacturing environment required.
• Experience in automotive manufacturing, injection molding, assembly, or paint operations preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Knowledge & Skills

• Working knowledge of OSHA/MIOSHA, EPA, and environmental compliance regulations.
• Experience conducting incident investigations and root cause analysis.
• Knowledge of hazardous materials management, chemical safety, and environmental permitting.
• Experience supporting ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems preferred.
• Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement experience preferred.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications
• Ability to work effectively with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Frequent walking throughout manufacturing and warehouse areas.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and navigate production environments.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.
• Exposure to manufacturing conditions including noise, moving equipment, chemicals, and varying temperatures.