Health & Safety Officer

City of Toronto•Union, NJ

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The City’s Seniors Services and Long-Term Care division supports Toronto seniors and residents in long-term care homes to have the healthiest, most fulfilling lives possible through exceptional care and services. Vulnerable individuals who reside in the community are supported through adult day programs, supportive housing services, tenancy support and homemakers and nurses services. CareTO is our brand for the culture change we are investing in for the City’s directly operated long-term care homes. The division’s values – Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence – shape our organizational culture, our priorities and the experiences of all those who live, work, volunteer and visit. The Health & Safety Officer will provide leadership, expertise, and consultation services to management and staff in the Seniors Services and Long-Term Care division (SSLTC), in matters of occupational health and safety by developing effective policy, programs, resources and communications to foster a positive health and safety culture and reduce injury.

Requirements

Post-secondary education or certificate (e.g. Canadian Registered Safety Professionals Certification "CRSP") in Occupational Health & Safety, or an equivalent combination of education and considerable professional experience.
Considerable experience providing consultation, guidance and direction to management and staff regarding compliance, accountability, and best practices relevant to occupational health and safety in a social service or health care unionized environment.
Considerable experience in the development and delivery of health and safety programs and training, including conducting needs assessments.
Experience conducting research and analysis, assessing compliance, preparing and implementing recommendations, and writing operational policy and guidelines consistent with relevant health & safety legislation.
Considerable knowledge of applicable legislation (Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, etc.), applicable collective agreements, HR policies & practices, etc.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate, and provide work direction to staff, communicate effectively and resolve conflict with all levels of the organization, with internal and external stakeholders.
Excellent facilitation skills and the ability to lead committees and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.
Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, recommendations, work plans, etc.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to conduct assessments and evaluations with the ability to make recommendations based on findings and research.
Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
Ability to exercise discretion and judgement and work independently while demonstrating a high degree of initiative and creativity.
Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity, equity and inclusion and contributing to an inclusive working environment.
Ability to use M365 Office Suite (i.e., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and other software packages relevant to supporting the Division's core requirements.
Ability to travel to the City of Toronto’s long-term care homes and work locations as required.

Nice To Haves

Police Reference Check (PRC) with vulnerable sector screening
Tuberculosis screening
Proof of immunization in accordance with the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 (O.Reg. 246/22)

Responsibilities

Provides management and staff working in the division expert advice, guidance and consultation on matters related to health and safety.
Responsible for implementing divisional and corporate health and safety initiatives, in the areas of, occupational health and safety policies, procedures and programs, consistent with all relevant legislation.
Leads and provides expert direction on work refusals, critical injury investigations, inspections, and Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) orders in conjunction with human resources health and safety staff and joint health and safety representatives where appropriate.
Prepares, maintains and submits up to date documentation, as required by the MLITSD.
Develops and implements health and safety initiatives for all divisional work locations, through site-specific consultation with the appropriate joint health and safety representatives.
Leads relevant divisional Working Groups and supports relevant corporate Working Groups; supports the Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committees (JHSCs) as required.
Participates in staff investigations when required.
Makes effective recommendations with respect to hiring, work assignments, performance appraisals and disciplinary action.
Provides assistance and support to divisional supervisors and managers in accident investigation and documentation to determine the root cause and support the development of preventative measures.
Creates and facilitates regular communication for the division that outlines health and safety updates, strategies, trends and successes.
Leads the development and facilitation of an annual divisional health and safety day(s) and event(s).
Creates, implements and maintains a compliance framework that ensures the division meets all health and safety obligations.
Leads health and safety audits for all divisional direct service locations; reports findings and recommends improvements.
Initiates, builds and maintains relationships with internal and external partners in order to develop, facilitate and promote occupational health and safety.
Designs, implements, maintains and evaluates performance related to health and safety initiatives.
Analyze health and safety statistics, then prepare and present in depth reports on this incident analysis for management and staff
Develops and maintains divisional policies and procedures related to health and safety.
Develops workplace incident/injury reporting, investigating and return to work standards for the division.
Identifies and analyzes health and safety training needs and, through leadership and consultation, develops, designs and delivers training and education programs to meet divisional, organizational and legislative requirements.
Develops and implements detailed plans and recommends policies/procedures regarding program specific requirements.
Conducts research into assigned area ensuring that such research takes into account developments within the field, corporate policies and practices, legislation and initiatives by other levels of government.
Provides input into and administers assigned budget, ensuring that expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
Develops, implements and recommends blended learning approaches, including e-learning, to support diverse staffing needs and divisional priorities.