Safety Specialist (7146U) 75509
About Berkeley
At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.
As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value.
We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.
At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.
Departmental Overview
The Office of Environment, Health & Safety's (EH&S) mission is to provide guidance and services to the campus community that promote health, safety, and environmental stewardship.
EH&S is a highly dynamic, fast paced, committed organization focused on promoting workplace safety and environmental protection for the campus community. We are comprised of many scientific, technical, and administrative professionals, working in an evolving, learning, and sometimes challenging environment with a unified goal of supporting the University's mission of teaching, research and public service. EH&S strives to be an inclusive, service oriented, and operationally excellent organization and is seeking highly motivated individuals who want to learn, be creative, seek continuous competency development, and contribute to our mission.
For more information, visit http://ehs.berkeley.edu
Position Summary
The Safety Specialist develops, implements, and monitors safety, health, and environmental programs and policies to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and professional standards, and to ensure a safe workplace. The position provides direct safety and health services, including consultation with campus partners in support of the Workplace Safety Program (WSP), Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), consensus standards, and best practices. Through a memorandum of understanding, it may also provide these services to other University of California locations and the UC Office of the President.
EH&S is recruiting for two (2) Safety Specialist positions.
Application Review Date
The First Review Date for this job is January 24, 2025.
Responsibilities
Conduct field observations and worksite reviews to identify hazards, hazardous conditions, and questionable procedures. Develop & implement strategies to eliminate or control workplace hazards and reduce potential for injuries on campus.
- Communicate CCR, Title 8 regulatory compliance requirements and University safety policies, procedures and best practices to employees, supervisors and managers.
- Develop performance specifications, service-provider qualification requirements, equipment specifications, code compliance specifications, operational specifications, etc. for research and building equipment, and vehicle purchases.
- Work with Procurement to evaluate service-provider capabilities and, from a technical perspective, assure that a service provider can deliver what they say they can deliver in a safe and timely manner.
- Analyze incident and injury reports to identify workplace injury trends, patterns, and prevention opportunities. Interviews employees regarding perceived safety problems. Assist with targeted campus safety campaigns.
Conduct scheduled and unscheduled audits and/or inspections of fall protection equipment, cranes/hoists, forklifts, aerial lifts, ladders, confined spaces, hot work, campus shops, theaters, athletics facilities, dining facilities, and other high hazard areas to determine compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations/codes, and University policies. Inspection activities will include providing guidance on the proper usage, storage and maintenance of equipment, tools and machinery, proper safety procedures, and safety signage. Inspect equipment to ensure safe working conditions; remove equipment from service as necessary. Review training records, inspection records and written programs maintained at the inspection work sites.
- Review building construction plans and participate in the design review process. Designs new and/or recommends improvements to existing processes and procedures, including but not limited to the following types of work activities:
- Manage health and safety programs or processes and their integration into client- department business operations.
- Recommend improvements in processes, management systems, facility and/or equipment designs, procedures and operating equipment all focused on improved efficiency and integration of EH&S programs into client-department operations.
- Ensure EH&S subject matter experts focus on high-priority safety and compliance issues.
- Working with EH&S subject matter experts to demonstrate a risk / cost reduction and return on investment for best practices that are not necessarily code required.
Research, develop, present, and document safety training for campus staff and others as required. Training subjects emphasize CCR Title 8 mandates, including hazard communication, shop safety, electrical safety, energy control/lock-out/tag/out, ladder safety, PPE, confined space entry, fall protection, aerial lifts, cranes/hoists and other subjects as assigned. Participate in the continuous improvement process to ensure training and training products are of the highest quality and meet established training needs.
Provide safety services, outreach, and general communications to campus, departments, and organizations, especially Department Safety Coordinators.
- Establish and maintain client relationships to ensure that safety needs are being met.
- Serve as EH&S resource to client-departments/locations on implementation of the Injury and Illness Prevention Policy (IIPP), Workplace Safety Program, and Building Emergency Plan (BEP) as applicable.
- Act as a health & safety liaison with safety coordinators, safety committees and responsible management.
- Develop safety oversight procedures using a combination of original and standard professional approaches/techniques to identify and solve substantive, complex deficiencies or problems with multiple variables.
Investigate safety concerns reported to EH&S by faculty, staff and students. Advise and assist responsible parties regarding practical solutions. When warranted, develop & implement strategies to eliminate or control identified hazards and reduce potential for injuries on campus.
- Conduct exposure assessments and perform root cause analysis as needed to achieve conclusive investigative results.\
- Conduct investigations and prepare reports on injury and near miss claims as assigned. Conduct follow up visits to ensure remediation, repairs or modification of equipment or job site have been completed.
- As an investigator, the incumbent will coordinate and collaborate with supervisors, other involved personnel, and the campus Workers' Compensation staff and third party administrator.
Maintain and develop a working knowledge of the technical aspects of various regulatory requirements and health/safety principles.
- Monitor proposed changes in regulations within specific areas of knowledge; interpret and apply relevant laws, regulations, codes and standards, including making recommendations for work environment changes based on interpretations and professional safety principles.
- Act as a technical resource for campus Risk Management Dept.
- May serve as campus liaison to regulatory agencies.
- Completes and maintains compliance on campus and systemwide training requirements, as well as any training necessary per role.
Staff Development: Works on professional committees and assignments, participates in professional training and attends relevant conferences. May be mentored or coached on a formal or informal basis.
Member of Designated Urgent Response Team: Regular rotation, 24/7, up to every 6-8 weeks or more frequently as needed.
- Provide technical support to the Dedicated Urgent Response Team (DURT) program by serving as a "Designated Responder". Must be accessible via telephone and readily available to respond on-scene to emergencies (e.g., a chemical spill) during business hours. Will perform directly or coordinate any necessary field activities to evaluate and mitigate a hazard.
- Provide technical support to the DURT program by serving as the "Lead Off-Hours Responder". Must be accessible by UCPD via telephone and readily available to respond on-scene to emergencies (e.g., a chemical spill) during non-business hours.
- Must be within one hour of campus and may not engage in activity that will affect the ability to respond.\
- To serve as a designated responder, incumbent must meet the specific requirements of the program as outlined in the EH&S DURT Program Guidelines. These include occupational physical qualifications. Medical baseline is required.
Performs other duties as assigned, including but not limited to:
- Drives university vehicles to fulfill job requirements.
- May oversee work of other technical staff and/or student employees
- May be assigned as Industrial Hygienist On-Call: On a rotational basis, during business hours, provides industrial hygiene services for emergency indoor air quality calls and industrial hygiene support to large, highly hazardous or unfamiliar chemical spills.
- At the request of campus management (EH&S Director, VC Administration/Research, UCPD Chief, or designated alternate), UCPD Chief, or designated alternate), serve in a designate role within the EH&S Emergency Support Function and be on call to the campus Emergency Operations Center in a campus designated disaster or campus hazardous material release/threatened release. Provide appropriate emergency response role based upon expertise and, where applicable, designated departmental role.
Required Qualifications
- Thorough knowledge/understanding of specific EH&S fields including related laws and regulations; and general knowledge / understanding of all EH&S fields.
- Thorough knowledge and skill in applying and interpreting applicable local, state, and federal regulations and related standards and guidelines.
- Thorough written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including political acumen and skill to communicate effectively in a diverse environment.
- Strong analytical and organizational skills to organize, prioritize and manage the successful completion of projects within time and budget constraints.
- Skill to appropriately use technology and relevant scientific equipment as required.
- Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or Associate Safety Professional (ASP)
Preferred Qualifications
- Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST)
Salary & Benefits
This is a full-time career position.This position is eligible for up to 40% (16 hours per week) remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.
This position is eligible for the full range of UC Benefits. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $80,400-$112,900, annually.
Other Information
This is not a visa opportunity
How to Apply
To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.
Driving Required
A valid driver's license and DMV check for driving record is required.
Physical Exam
Employment is contingent upon passing a physical exam.
Conviction History Background
This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.
Misconduct Disclosure
As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.
"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
Abusive Conduct in the Workplace
Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.
The University of California's Affirmative action policy.
The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.
To apply, visit https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucb/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=75509&PostingSeq=1&SiteId=21&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant