Environmental Health And Safety Compliance Specialist - Scvhhs

Description

Under general direction, to plan, develop, implement, and supervise the environmental and occupational Health and Safety Compliance activities of the Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System (SCVHHS); to serve as a consultant to Agency and department management regarding related policy and planning activities.

Typical Tasks

• Plans, organizes, supervises, and coordinates the staff and activities of SCVHHS' Environmental Health and Safety Services (EH&SS) in developing and implementing SCVHHS-wide occupational health, JCAHO and environmental compliance programs;
• Advises and reports to SCVHHS executive management regarding critical environmental and Health and Safety issues that have impact on operations; serves as consultant to SCVHHS departments, employees, and management regarding environmental and Safety issues and policy and planning activities;
• Develops, implements and manages environmental programs for SCVHHS to comply with EPA, State, local and JCAHO regulations;
• Plans and prepares program fiscal budget and monitors expenditures;
• Selects, hires, supervises, and evaluates unit staff;
• Participates in the selection and delegation of various SCVHHS safety officers and coordinators; provides direction and oversight to these officers and coordinators to ensure compliance with appropriate regulatory standards;
• Performs research and analysis, including injury reports and Workers' Compensation statistics and develops, reviews, and updates occupational safety and environmental policies and procedures, prepares reports, and provides policy recommendations to the Agency;
• Monitors and oversees the JCAHO Environment of Care (EOC) programs for effectiveness;
• Prepares EOC quarterly and annual reports for submittal to the SCVHHS Safety Committee and Board as required by JCAHO;
• Serves as the Designated Safety Officer for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) as required by JCAHO; serves as Environmental Health Officer for SCVMC in responding to hazardous materials and bio-terrorism incidents and hospital decontamination process;
• Chairs the SCVHHS Safety Committee;
• Reviews and approves construction plans with the SCVMC Facilities Division, Infection Control and contractors for compliance with Environmental Health and occupational safety regulations and JCAHO requirements;
• Directs and participates in accident/incident investigations for patients, employees and product liability;
• Schedules facilities, Infection Control and clinical areas for semi-annual safety and environmental inspections and internal audits of patient care areas as required by JCAHO standard;
• Conducts industrial hygiene evaluations for air quality, sound level, and biological samplings, ergonomic assessment, and radiation testing;
• Develops and provides occupational Health and Safety, JCAHO, and environmental compliance training to SCVHHS trainers, first responders and individual employees;
• Serves as a Designated Underground Storage Tank (UST) Operator for SCVMC; assures that UST systems at SCVMC are operated, tested and monitored in compliance with applicable regulations;
• Monitors the quality of well water system to ensure that the system meets the State safety standard; acts as liaison to regulatory representatives as necessary;
• Directs and provides oversight to hazardous waste disposal; establishes service agreements and administers contracts for hazardous waste disposal and other Environmental Health and Safety services;
• Monitors contractors performing work for SCVHHS for compliance with Environmental Health and Safety regulations; directs and evaluates the work of consultants;
• Secures and maintains all environmental permits;
• Responds to emergency incidents at SCVHHS facilities as needed (on-call 24-hours);
• Performs other duties as required

Employment Standards

Sufficient education, training, and experience that demonstrates possession and application of the following knowledge and abilities.
Experience Note:The knowledge and abilities required to perform the duties of this position are typically acquired through possession of a Bachelor's Degree from a college or university in Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Health, Environmental Management, Occupational Safety/Health, Toxicology, or closely related field, and five (5) years of experience in environmental and occupational Safety Compliance.
A Master's degree in any of the above fields is highly desirable and may substitute for one year of experience. Experience in performing Environmental Health and Safety Compliance duties for a healthcare organization and in supervising professional and support staff is also highly desirable.
Possession of designated Underground Storage Tank (UST) Operator certification in accordance with the requirements of the California Code of Regulations. Possession of any other certifications required to perform assignments. Depending on certification required, these may be required upon hire, before completion of probationary period, or at some other point during employment.
Possession of a valid California driver's license prior to appointment.
Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of program development, implementation, evaluation, and management;
• Federal, State, and local regulations governing environmental and occupational Health and Safety Compliance processes, emergency response procedures, and regulatory agency report requirements;
• Environment of Care (EOC) standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO);
• Hospital and clinic operations and processes, and budget processes pertaining to healthcare delivery systems,
• Hazardous materials and waste management, principles and practices of workplace hazard assessment and hazard control, and types of protective equipment;
• Techniques for monitoring chemical, biological, and physical exposures, and principles of safety training and risk communication;
• Principles and techniques of personnel management and supervision;
• Water quality assurance process and underground storage tank (UST) monitoring;
• Emergency response procedures in a healthcare environment;
• Principles of training program design and implementation; methods, resources, equipment, and aids used to effectively present and coordinate training programs;
• Statistical analysis and research methods, and current research, trends, and methods in the fields of occupational Health and Safety and environmental compliance.
  Ability to:
• Plan, develop, and implement SCVHHS Agency-wide Health and Safety, JCAHO, and environmental compliance programs;
• Interpret and apply Federal, State, and local laws and regulations pertinent to environmental and Safety programs;
• Conduct risk assessment and analysis regarding occupational safety and environmental issues, identify safety and environmental hazards, and recommend control methods;
• Supervise staff, prepare budgets, and develop and maintain statistical data;
• Identify and monitor trends in occupational safety, JCAHO survey process, environmental compliance and loss prevention;
• Communicate effectively, in writing and orally (including public speaking) and establish cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of work;
• Work independently, reason logically, work under pressure and adapt to varying circumstances, and use sound judgment in the performance of duties;
• Effectively train SCVHHS employees in occupational safety, and environmental compliance.
  Special Requirements
  Be on-call and available during off-hours to respond to Environmental Health and Safety calls as needed. The position also requires the physical fitness for wearing a respirator.