General Description

•The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Specialist is a safety business partner and safety practitioner in a defined area of business operation, provides subject matter expertise and technical support, advice and guidance to assigned clients and performs all the duties of the Occupational Safety & Health Specialist 1 job; provides subject matter expertise in the design and development of hazard-specific programs; leads or support serious safety incident investigations; provides ongoing safety consultation, advisory and coaching support to assigned clients and to other OSH Specialists on a diverse range of safety-related topics; leads individual stand-alone safety projects.

Experience and Role Accountabilities

• Performs all the duties of the Occupational Safety & Health Specialist 1 job.
• Reviews existing safety procedures and risk assessments for work activities conducted by employees, contractors and others to ensure adherence with internal standards and to promote worker/contractor safety; identifies non-compliant, incomplete or substandard procedures, revises existing procedures or develops new procedures for activities involving employees and dependent contractors where sound practical knowledge of occupational safety is required; refers independent contractors to outside sources for assistance with procedure development; consults with internal and external subject matter experts where new procedures involve complex, unique or unusual situations (including emergencies).
• Acts as an information resource to employees, managers, contractors and external contacts in the interpretation and application of internal safety standards and WorkSafeBC regulations to assigned work locations; consults with other Safety groups (such as Work Methods) and senior OSH Specialists where situations deviate from standard safety procedures, rules and practices.
• Reviews the use of new safety or site-specific equipment and associated processes as they apply to the assigned client area, assesses their safety impacts and ensures compliance with existing safety practices and standards through consultation with senior safety specialists.
• Conducts or ensures regular worksite inspections are conducted by location or site managers to monitor safe work practices, procedures and regulatory requirements; recommends corrective action where non-compliance with workplace standards is evident; may communicate, explain and interpret audit results to clients in other areas of the of business.
• Provides ongoing safety consultation, advisory and coaching support to assigned clients on a diverse range of safety-related topics by answering general inquiries, locating resource information on specific areas, initiating referrals to safety or industry specialists and outside agencies, and supporting management team decision making in all safety-related areas; builds ongoing business relationships with clients.

Education and Skills

• Excellent working knowledge of : o the operations and regulations of WorkSafeBC including federal safety regulations including WHIMIS and Transportation of Dangerous Goods
o Hydro’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Safety Practice Regulations, Power System Safety Protection regulations and Work Protection Practices
o types of work, industrial hygiene and safety issues and ergonomic principles affecting office, trades/technical and construction project work environments
o hazard identification, risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies
o recognition, evaluation and control of confined space hazards
o current incident investigation procedures and tools and knowledge of first aid regulations and requirements
o policies, procedures, standards, and regulations associated with a trade in plant operations or maintenance, heavy construction, power line or thermal trades, telecontrol or a related industry
o project management principles and practices and safety advocacy skills.
• Ability to lead the execution of individual stand-alone projects.
• Completion of a Diploma from a recognized Post-Secondary institute in Occupational Safety and Health. One (1) year of experience in a technical/trade job in operations, maintenance, construction, manufacturing, health care or equivalent industry where at least 50% of the role is safety-oriented; OR completion of a Certificate from a recognized Post-Secondary institute in Occupational Safety and Health plus two (2) years of experience in a technical/trade job in operations, maintenance, construction, manufacturing, health care or equivalent industry where at least 50% of the role is safety-oriented.
• Valid BC Driver’s Licence is required.