S06047P

Safety and Compliance Specialist

ESD Hazardous Materials

The University of Georgia (UGA), a land-grant and sea-grant university with statewide commitments and responsibilities is the state’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (https://www.uga.edu/). UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA was founded in 1785 by the Georgia General Assembly as the first state-chartered University in the country. UGA employs approximately 1,800 full-time instructional faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 39,000 students including over 30,000 undergraduates and over 9,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 17 schools and colleges, as well as a medical partnership with Augusta University housed on the UGA Health Sciences Campus in Athens.

Internal (PEP)

TRS

Employee

Benefits Eligible

Full Time

M-F, 8-5, occasional after hours

up to $36,500 depending on experience

05/03/2021

No

05/07/2021

06/01/2021

You must be a current employee of The University of Georgia to be eligible for this position.

Athens Area

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

Safety/Risk Mgmt Technical/Paraprofessional/Professional

Non-Exempt

Environmental Safety

1.0

Requires technical knowledge in the field acquired through an apprenticeship, a 2-year degree, or professional certificate. Please contact your Human Resources office for an evaluation of education/experience in lieu of the required minimum qualifications.

The Safety and Compliance Specialist position involves an advanced level of safety and compliance work under general direction. This position bridges the gap between the responsibilities of a Safety and Compliance Associate II and an Assistant Safety and Compliance Officer. The Safety and Compliance Specialist must maintain a high degree of professionalism and integrity in representing the University and model a culture of safety. The Safety and Compliance Specialist is a liaison and point-of-contact within specific programmatic areas for campus departments, including areas such as research, clinical, academic, athletic, and support services. The Safety and Compliance Specialist is responsible for providing comprehensive health, safety, and/or compliance services and assisting in the University goal of a safe, healthy, and compliant workplace and academic environment, seeking assistance from superiors as needed. The work of a Safety and Compliance Specialist is primarily administrative in nature and involves activities such as: the receipt, processing, and maintenance of health, safety and compliance protocols; advising faculty, staff, students and researchers regarding safety and compliance issues; and safety and compliance documentation and communication. The Safety and Compliance Specialist will handle a case load of safety and/or compliance related tasks of moderate with moderate supervision. Other responsibilities include actively promoting and managing specific aspects of safety and compliance, providing assistance to faculty, staff, and students, and interpreting basic agency policies and regulations, guidelines, and standards.
Professionalism and integrity in representing safety and/or compliance offices or programs
- Leadership aptitude including clear focus on customer service as well as safety and compliance; work within a strong and effective team gaining synergy across discipline boundaries.
- Experience in active consensus-building and principle-based negotiation; grasp needs and concerns in varied areas of safety and compliance and solve complex problems through compromise when necessary and appropriate.
-Perform assigned tasks from direct instruction and established procedures.
- Excellent professional oral and written communication skills to maintain effective and cooperative relationships with students, faculty, staff, coworkers, public, and regulatory agencies.
- Implement continuous quality improvement through the use of relevant qualitative and quantitative metrics in assessing compliance and performance.

- Ability to use electronic safety, compliance, and research administration platforms; word processing, database; spreadsheet; and presentation computer programs.
- Working knowledge of State and Federal environmental health and safety regulations as well as nationally accepted standards, guidelines, and other related conventions on safety and compliance.
- Basic skills and knowledge in technical safety disciplines (e.g., radiation safety, industrial hygiene, biosafety, chemical safety, environmental monitoring and sampling methods).
- Knowledge and skills to assist with in-service training and educational programs in applicable programmatic areas.
- Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks simultaneously, due to the diversity of safety and compliance services, and the wide-range of potential work locations on campus.

Participate as a member of an on-call response team for after-hours events.
Wear and use personal protective equipment for hazardous materials handling and incident response.
Walking, climbing stairs and ladders, lift at least 40lbs. Sit and stand for long periods, full range motion of arms. Be exposed to potentially hazardous noise and high heat and humidity or cold. Stand, walk, and negotiate occasional awkward work locations and paths of travel.

Work in a variety of physical environments, including weather extremes, potential confined spaces, chemical/biological/radiological laboratories, animal care and use facilities, etc. Periodically perform short duration physical exertions, including light-medium weight lifting, pushing, pulling, stair or ladder climbing, etc. in support of a safety investigation, area or operations survey, or incident response.

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Yes

Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.

Hazardous Waste Pickups/RCRA
Hazardous Waste-
Independently performs Hazardous Waste pickups from approximately 1,850 locations across the Athens campus where waste is generated with general direction from the Safety Officer or Senior Safety Officer. The Hazardous Waste pickup process includes the following tasks.

Using the online Chematix Hazardous Waste Management Module to review waste pickup requests and categorize waste according to EPA regulatory codes and specific hazard class. Communicating with lab staff to ensure proper hazardous waste determination and characterization for safe and compliant packing and transport. Preparing proper documentation to transfer waste from generator point to Central Accumulation Area (CAA), including organizing paperwork and printing accurate Chematix waste tags. Organizing waste pickup routes based on designated hazardous waste zones in order to maintain compliance with federal and state hazardous waste regulations.

Preparing packing materials based on hazard class to insure that waste is segregated based on compatibility. Identifying and verifying pickup request information is consistent with waste that is present at the location. Packing waste in proper containers based on hazard class for safe and compliant transfer to transport vehicle. Properly loading and securing waste in the transport vehicle. Utilizing compliant waste pickup routes to transfer waste to the CAA.

Transferring waste into the CAA from the transport vehicle. Checking waste into CAAs using the Chematix scanning barcode system in order to account for all waste, reconcile any possible discrepancies, and maintain an accurate inventory of CAA contents. Properly dating and placing waste in appropriate location within CAA.

RCRA-
Independently provides technical assistance to campus hazardous waste generators in all areas of hazardous waste management findings with general direction from the Safety Officer or Senior Safety Officer. Routinely Inspects assigned hazardous waste generation points for compliance with the Georgia Hazardous Waste Management Act (GHWMA) and the Georgia Rules for Hazardous Waste Management (GRHWM) and reports Assist campus hazardous waste generators with physical compliance, providing, training and intervention where necessary to insure compliance.

60

Hazardous Waste Generation and Compliance:
Independently analyzes hazardous waste generation and compliance protocols and makes recommendations for insuring compliance, optimizing processes and reducing waste, with general direction from the Safety Officer or Senior Safety Officer In coordination with appropriate laboratory staff assist in waste determinations and assigns EPA waste identification numbers. Has an in depth understanding of hazardous waste generation patterns in assigned areas and works closely with generators to insure that Hazardous Waste Small Quantity Generator Zones and Very Small Quantity Generator Areas do not exceed quantity limits.

5

CAA Inspections: 2%
Independently conducting required weekly/monthly inspections of all CAA facilities including: checking waste accumulation start dates for compliance with regulatory time restraints; verifying accurate labeling, proper segregation, container integrity; and examining secondary containment vessels for indications of leakage. Inspections also include maintaining mandated quantity spill supplies, testing of emergency communication devices, inspections of fire extinguishers and other safety equipment.

2

Hazardous Waste Disposal Contractor Assistance:
Independently accompanying and assisting hazardous waste disposal contractors during waste removal from very small quantity generator locations, locations with unique disposal circumstances, and CAAs after consulting with the Safety Officer or Senior Safety Officer. This includes providing access to waste locations and overseeing transfer from waste locations to contractor vehicle. Coordinating and scheduling waste removal with lab personnel. Confirming EPA waste codes on hazardous waste manifest are consistent with UGA predetermined waste codes. Signing manifests and land disposal restriction forms.

5

Lab Clean Out and Closure Assistance and Transfer of Chemical Inventory:
Assisting with the removal of waste generated during lab clean-outs or lab closures. Under the direct direction of the Assistant Safety Officer, Safety Officer, or Senior Safety Officer.

3

Documentation and Record Keeping:
Independently reviewing and associating correct manifest and waste container records (Chematix waste tags) to insure all waste is tracked from generation to final disposition. Filing signed manifests and monitoring time restraints for receiving final signed manifest from the hazardous waste contractor. Recording final closure dates on manifests and filing appropriately. Entering information into Chematix and scanning all documentation into Chematix and Hazardous Waste Tracking Database.

10

Hazardous Waste Consolidation:
Independently consolidating compatible liquid hazardous waste at the CAA after consultation with the Safety Officer or Senior Safety Officer.

5

Technical Support:
Independently providing technical support for faculty, staff and students in research while performing duties involving Hazardous Waste Management.

3

Shipping of Dangerous Goods:
Assisting the Safety Officer or Senior Safety Officer and serving as back up for packing/shipping of hazardous materials and dangerous goods in accordance with IATA and DOT regulations and standards.

2

Regulatory Inspection Assistance:
Assisting with the escort of regulatory agency personnel during inspections and site visits. This includes: providing information on hazardous waste management policies, procedures, and programs; obtaining answers to inspector questions regarding specific hazardous waste situations in Central Accumulation Areas, laboratories, art studios, and other work areas generating hazardous wastes; providing access to any area generating or storing hazardous waste, documenting any discrepancies noted by the inspector with photographs and narrative, and reporting inspection results to senior Environmental Safety Division Management.

5