Sr. Safety Specialist

Westlake offers you the potential to enrich your work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment. We work together to enhance peoples' lives through our products and presence in the communities in which we operate.

SUMMARY

As part of the Performance and Essential Material (PEM) Team in North America, this is a key position responsible as a site wide resource for Occupational Safety and Health activities for the Natrium, WV facility. The Sr. Specialist is responsible for the development and implementing in line with PEM policies, procedures and programs, proactive management systems, checks and balances, and other necessary systems to ensure effective compliance and continuous improvement of safety and health performance at the Natrium facility. Close collaboration with manufacturing site management is required to ensure stakeholder needs are addressed. Contributes as a member of the Natrium HSE Team and acts independently under guidance from HSE Manager.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

May include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide visible and engaged safety and health leadership to the Natrium facility.
• Acting as a role model and leader for the Natrium facility, including but not limited to:
  • Promote collaboration with manufacturing and maintenance stakeholders within Natrium to lead and/or influence the development of site improvement plans and actions to drive continuous improvement and compliance of HSE programs, culture, and goals.
  • Regular communication and coordination with the site management.
  • Effectively interacting with governmental officials, corporate HSE leadership and other departments to meet the requirements/goals of those individuals.
  • Working with the line organization to integrate strong safety and health concepts into the daily work activities.
• Ensure all necessary regulatory permitting, monitoring of operations, recordkeeping, reporting, statutory/regulatory agency requests, industry association and participation are met.
• Assimilate internal data relative to safety and health compliance, assuming the responsibility for leading action plans necessary to ensure continuous compliance.
• Perform duties in a manner that protects personal safety as well as the safety of others.
• Promptly report safety and health issues or incidents to site management.
• Maintain proactive management systems, including but not limited to:
  • A system to track and anticipate upcoming safety and health regulations;
  • A system that aggressively develops and implements compliance programs to address safety and health requirements - both regulatory and corporate.
  • A system that anticipates future safety and health expenditures, resource needs and efficient use of existing resources.
  • A system of checks and balances to identify gaps in the safety and health program and address those gaps

• Lead the implementation of compliance strategies that maintain existing compliance. Where non-compliance exists, lead the development of an aggressive action plans to move the site back into compliance. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • OSHA requirements including Occupational Safety, Industrial Hygiene and Process Safety Management.
  • Other requirements as may be required to meet security, insurance, and corporate HSE standards at the Natrium facility.

• Support activities such as the Joint Safety Committee and other standing Plant committees as directed by the HSE Manager
• Participation on the site emergency response team.
• Lead effective incident investigations and root cause analysis to determine the cause and actions to prevent reoccurrence.
• Perform all other duties and tasks as assigned or directed by local management and/or the HSE Manager.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Occupational Safety, Environmental Sciences or related field.
• 10 years minimum occupational safety, operations, maintenance, or engineering experience, preferably in chemical manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of health, safety, and process safety management regulations as applicable to chemical and general manufacturing required.
• Strong collaboration, facilitation, organization, interpersonal and computer skills, with a good working knowledge of related databases and applications, and excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
• Capable of developing and leading multiple projects.
• Exhibits positivity, passion, integrity and accountability.
• Possesses conflict resolution and de-escalation skills to achieve desired outcomes.
• Possesses or has ability to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential from the Transportation Security Administration
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This job is performed mainly in the manufacturing and office setting; physical presence is required. Work in operating units and maintenance shops is expected routinely. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; have full use and range of motion of arms, hands and fingers to reach, grasp, hold, push or pull, twist, and work with tools; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to perform tasks that may require bending, or stooping. The employee must be able to move safely over uneven terrain or in confined spaces. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 5 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to see details of objects that are more/less than a few feet away; see differences between colors, shades and brightness and determine the distance between objects. This job requires response to audible emergency alarms inside of the facility. Employee must be able to evacuate when required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee must be able to work in a normal factory environment, including enclosed spaces and exposure to various hazards. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate as normally based in an office. Some of the work may be required in operating units which can require usage of required PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, flame retardant clothing, etc. May also result in exposure to outside elements and may require usage of stairs and elevators. Travel including air travel or auto travel may occasionally be required.

Westlake is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable legislation.

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