Assistant Safety Officer

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The position of Assistant Chemical Hygiene Officer (ACHO) is needed to mitigate risk, ensure compliance with OSHA’s Laboratory Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450), and support growing laboratory operations. This position acts as a necessary safeguard to maintain a safe working environment and protect the institution from liability. OSHA requires a qualified Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) to develop and implement a Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). An ACHO ensures these extensive duties are not bottlenecked by a single person and provides the necessary boots-on-the-ground to ensure no lab goes unmonitored. These duties take considerable time to perform and include, but are not limited to: performing laboratory inspections, performing hazard assessments, providing proactive oversight of engineering controls—like fume hoods and emergency eyewash stations, performing various equipment checks, managing chemical inventory tracking, implementing waste minimization strategies, managing safety orientations, managing hazardous waste handling, and managing PPE protocols for incoming students, researchers, and staff. Having dedicated safety oversight significantly reduces institutional liability and the risk of costly regulatory fines. In the event of a chemical spill or exposure, having an additional trained professional ensures rapid containment and minimizes exposure. As the institution continuously modifies scope of existing laboratory spaces (500+) or adds new laboratories this will result in an increased use of hazardous substances (currently track 35,000+ substances) as well as an increased generation of hazardous waste which a single CHO can no longer safely cover all shifts and spaces. An ACHO ensures that critical safety operations continue without interruption during the primary CHO’s vacations, conferences, or leaves of absence.

Requirements

Bachelors degree plus 5 years' experience in occupational health and safety, chemical waste processes and regulatory compliance, various environmental permit regulatory compliance or related experience
OSHA’s Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response standard (HAZWOPER); 40 Hour initial training with eight (8) hours annual refresher. Will be provided within the first year if candidate does not have it.
CPR/AED Certified. Will be provided within the first year if candidate does not have it.
Ability to follow oral instructions, read and write.
Knowledge of hazardous waste and laboratory safety regulations, standards, and ability to utilize and make appropriate decisions.
Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Nice To Haves

Two (2) years of practical experience working in a professional laboratory environment
Two (2) years of experience of technical writing.

Responsibilities

performing laboratory inspections
performing hazard assessments
providing proactive oversight of engineering controls—like fume hoods and emergency eyewash stations
performing various equipment checks
managing chemical inventory tracking
implementing waste minimization strategies
managing safety orientations
managing hazardous waste handling
managing PPE protocols for incoming students, researchers, and staff