Env Health & Safety Specialist, Morris, Minnesota

The University of Minnesota Morris, Facilities Management seeks an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist. This position is twelve months, 40 hours week/100% time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm and reports to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Facilities. The qualifications are as follows:

Minimum Qualifications

• BA/BS degree or a combination of related education and work experience in a University environment to equal at least four years.

Preferred Qualification

• A working knowledge of Federal, state, and local standards, regulations and rules, including federal OSHA general industry standards, Minnesota Department of Labor (MnOSHA) and Minnesota Department of Health regulations.
• The applicant must be able to understand the effects of exposure to hazardous materials
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate solutions as part of a team to complex health and safety problems by using persuasion, experience and knowledge
• Independent ability to prioritize tasks and use analytical skills to write reports and programs.
• Professional demeanor while performing site visits and investigations
• Communicate clearly in writing and verbally about health and safety issues
• Comfortably work with diverse group of employees and students Interpersonal skill and openness to mutual problem solving with supervisors and subordinates is essential

Physical/Environmental Demands

The applicant must be able to climb stairs and ladders and be able to make their way through obstructed and confined spaces in order to assess work places. The applicant must be able to lift and carry equipment that might weigh 40 pounds.

About the Job

Classification: Campus Operations Professional 1-Environmental Health and Safety, 8421HS, represented by Civil Servce.

Description of Position

This position provides the University of Minnesota, Morris campus with Environmental Health and Safety services. The position provides knowledge and resources and connects University Health and Safety with partners.

Responsibilities/Essential Functions

50% General Safety

• Apply established safety and health program templates and procedures to campus operations which include:
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Written safety and health policies and procedures for units/departments
• Customize developed modules and deliver safety program training for education for supervisors, staff, faculty and students based on:
  • Hazard recognition and exposure prevention
  • Compliance with applicable standards, rules and regulations
• Customize safety orientation material to be used by supervisors for training new employees
• Evaluate, review and recommend safe work methods and practices based on guidance from supervisor
• Facilitate the assessment of exposure hazards such as dust, chemicals, radiation, confined spaces, ergonomics and other physical hazards
• Conduct safety audits of department work areas, construction sites, laboratories and facilities based on potential risks, accident experience, compliance history, or as requested. Work with supervisor to report and make recommendations for corrective actions to be taken on safety and health audit findings.
• Apply knowledge of federal, state, and local standards, rules and regulations concerning health and safety issues when customizing safety program templates or making safety & health recommendations
• As the Environmental Health and Safety employee, serve and support committees as assigned
• Advise senior leaders about environmental health and safety issues affecting the campus.

15% Laboratory Safety

• Arrange annual fume hood certifications
• Conduct lab safety inspections
• Support the lab coordinators role in lab safety assurance

10% Hazardous and other Regulated Waste Management

• Coordinate the regulated waste program on the Morris campus
• Advise hazardous waste generators on the Morris campus and West Central Research and Outreach Center on hazardous waste shipments
• Respond to hazardous waste disposal requests
• Collect and process special waste and hazardous waste
• Maintain inventory of supplies and distribute to consumers
• Maintain waste storage facility

10% Emergency Management

• Provide professional support in the development and maintenance of the UMM Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
  • Participate in exercises of the EOP
  • Execute specified role in the EOP
  • Complete building emergency plans
• Advise University staff, students, and visitors about appropriate emergency procedures
• Participate in inspections or other actions taken by local emergency response agencies.
• Maintain a working relationship with emergency management agencies
  • Monitor or assist with emergency responses
  • Coordinate chemical spill response with the Morris Fire Department and the contracted Hazardous Materials Response Team
• Work with the DEM to coordinate campus emergency management and maintain contacts and working relationships with local city and county emergency management departments

5% Environmental Compliance

• Complete reports such as those related to air emissions, hazardous waste, chemical spills, and emergency management as directed
• Work with service providers to provide technical support related to compliance in the areas of storm water, wastewater, groundwater, air quality, storage tanks, feedlots and spill prevention control and countermeasures as needed
• Provide support to DEHS management to facilitate planning and development of "best practice" environmental programs and solutions.
• Monitor work sites for stormwater, erosion and sediment control as directed

5% Fire and Life Safety Compliance

• Make sure that Community Advisers are trained and quarterly housing unit evacuation drills are conducted
• Participate in capital development projects
• Represent DEHS on campus construction and renovation support committees as directed
• Review construction meeting minutes and attend meetings when DEHS input is required

5% Building Code Compliance

• Work under direction of the University Building Official
  • Conduct assigned inspections and surveys
  • Review work requiring a building permit as directed
• Report violations of building and fire code to the University Building Official

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter, resume and three references. Application review will begin on December 8, 2020 and will be accepted until the position is filled.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu.

UMN Morris values diversity in its students, faculty, and staff. UMN Morris is especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our community through their teaching, research, and /or service because we believe that diversity enriches the University experience for everyone.

Background Check Information

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About the U of M

The University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM)

The University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) makes its home on a 121-year-old campus on the western edge of the state and is one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the nation. The small, close-knit campus emphasizes faculty/student collaboration in research, study abroad, and service learning. Deeply rooted in the tall grass prairies of Minnesota, the campus also has advanced sustainable, environmentally friendly initiatives that have grown to levels of national leadership and touch nearly all aspects of campus life.

A distinctive undergraduate campus within the University of Minnesota system, the University of Minnesota Morris combines a student-centered residential liberal arts education with access to the resources and opportunities of one of the nation's largest universities. A founding member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), UMN Morris provides students with a rigorous academic experience, preparing them to be global citizens who value and pursue intellectual growth, civic engagement, intercultural competence, and environmental stewardship. The student body numbers nearly 1500 with a student/faculty ratio of 11:1. UMN Morris serves one of the most diverse student bodies in Minnesota. More than forty percent of UMN Morris students are Native American, persons of color, or of international origin. UMN Morris is the only federally recognized Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution in the Upper Midwest.

UMN Morris is highly ranked by national publications - U.S. News & World Report as a top-ten public liberal arts college; Forbes as one of the best colleges and universities in the nation; and Fiske Guide to Colleges includes Morris campus in its list of "the best" and "most interesting" schools in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. Morris students are taught by a faculty with the highest per capita representation in the University of Minnesota's Academy of Distinguished Teaching and students consistently win national awards, as demonstrated by UMN Morris's status among the top baccalaureate institutions producing student Fulbright award s . The campus is also a national leader in sustainability, evidenced by receipt of the inaugural Excellence in Sustainability award from the National Association of College and University Business Officers and an AASHE STARS Gold rating.