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This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
Language Incentive
Referral Bonus
Tuition Assistance Program

Description

The City of Richmond, Department of Public Utilities is seeking a qualified Health and Safety Specialist to ensure a safe and compliant work environment by identifying potential hazards, conducting risk assessments, and recommending effective control measures. The incumbent will develop, implement, and maintain health and safety policies and procedures in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations, including OSHA standards. This position leads workplace inspections, incident investigations, and compliance audits, ensuring that all findings are documented, and corrective actions are taken. The incumbent will also design and deliver employee training programs to promote safety awareness and ensure staff understand proper protocols. In addition, the Health and Safety Specialist plays a key role in emergency preparedness by coordinating response plans, conducting drills, and training employees on emergency procedures. By collaborating across departments and promoting a culture of safety, the Health and Safety Specialist will help minimize workplace injuries and illnesses while enhancing overall organizational performance. This position also involves maintaining accurate safety records, tracking key performance metrics, and staying informed on emerging regulations and best practices in occupational health and safety.

Duties include but are not limited to

Conducting regular workplace inspections and hazard/risk assessments to identify and control potential safety issues
Developing, implementing, and maintaining health and safety policies, procedures, and programs in compliance with OSHA and other regulatory standards
Leading investigations into workplace incidents, accidents, and near-misses, including root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions
Coordinating and delivering health and safety training sessions and onboarding programs for employees at all levels
Maintaining accurate records related to incidents, training, inspections, audits, and regulatory compliance
Assisting in the development and execution of emergency response plans, including organizing drills and training staff on emergency procedures
Collaborating with management, supervisors, and employees to foster a strong safety culture throughout the organization
Monitoring safety performance indicators and recommending continuous improvements based on data and trends
Staying up to date with changes in health and safety regulations, standards, and industry best practices
Supporting internal and external audits, inspections, and regulatory visits

This is an essential position, which requires the selected candidate to report to work for an emergency and on call duty in response to inclement weather/natural disaster.

The selected candidate will be required to work 24 hours on call, weekend and holiday call duty as scheduled.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree in and occupational safety, safety management, environmental management, or a related field
2 years' experience in the occupational safety field
May require additional training such Workers Compensation, 40-hour HAZWOPER training courses, etc.
An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

A valid Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record, and acquisition of a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Driver's License within 30 days of hire (position specific)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

Occupational and general safety principles, processes, and procedures
OSHA regulations and compliance, such as the use and placement of gas monitors, lanyards and harnesses, respirators, and fall protection equipment
Risk management and process safety management guidelines
OSHA 300 log, including understanding of recordable, lost workday, and lost time injuries
Health and occupational safety machines, tools, and equipment such as hard hats, confined space permits, fall protection equipment, automated external defibrillators (AED's), and hemostatic dressings
OSHA reporting procedures

Skills (some combination of the following):

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
Oral and written communication
Public speaking/presentations and training
Project management

Abilities (some combination of the following):

Work on multiple projects at a time
Recognize an IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life & Health) condition and address the situation with authorized and affected personnel
Follow directions
Function independently with minimal supervision
Pay attention to detail in writing and proofreading
Manage timelines and deadlines
Problem-solve

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, talk, see, and hear. The employee is climb, occasionally required to balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach extending hands and arms, push, pull lift, feel, grasp or finger, and use hands, wrist, or fingers in a repetitive motion. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be light work (exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects), but may differ based on area of focus.

* Internal use: HR Generalist to review.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Jessica McKenzie, Human Resources Manager by email at Jessica.McKenzie@RVA.GOV.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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