Lab Safety Specialist (EHS Professional II), Risk Management Environmental Health and Safety

CSUSB•San Bernardino, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lab Safety Specialist (Environmental Health and Safety Professional II) supports California State University, San Bernardino’s research enterprise and campus community by administering specialized chemical hygiene, biosafety, radiation safety, and laser safety programs. The position serves, when formally authorized, as the Chemical Hygiene Officer, Biosafety Officer, and Radiation Safety Officer, and provides technical consultation, field-based services, and training to faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders. It evaluates research activities and grant applications, applies applicable CSU and governmental requirements, recommends safety controls, coordinates corrective actions, and maintains program records and institutional authorizations. The position works under general supervision and independently addresses routine matters and moderately difficult or non-routine issues by applying existing regulations, standards, license conditions, approved procedures, and technical guidance. It refers matters that are disputed, novel, significant, outside established criteria, or unusually high-risk to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, responsible institutional committee, or other appropriate authority. The role does not establish or approve institutional policy or make final institutional decisions on such matters. The specialist conducts laboratory and facility inspections, risk assessments, surveys, monitoring, and sampling; evaluates research protocols and proposals; develops corrective-action plans and monitors their completion; and helps develop and deliver training. Duties also include coordinating hazardous and regulated waste activities, inspecting laboratory ventilation and safety equipment, maintaining compliance databases and records, supporting incident investigations and small-scale emergency response, and providing task-specific training and indirect lead work direction to assigned staff or student employees. The position travels between university locations and transports field equipment. It may require work in environments with potential hazardous-material exposure, use of personal protective and respiratory equipment, and occasional evening or weekend work. Minimum qualifications are equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in a related field and two years of relevant experience. Additional relevant experience may substitute for the education requirement year for year, and an advanced degree in a related field may substitute for required experience year for year. A valid California driver’s license is required at appointment and must be maintained throughout employment. The position is full-time, exempt, and probationary. Employees must reside in California.

Requirements

Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in a related field and two years of relevant experience; additional relevant experience may substitute for education year for year.
An advanced degree in a related field may substitute for required experience year for year.
Valid California driver’s license required at appointment and throughout employment.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds in alignment with safe lifting requirements.
Ability to work in environments with potential exposure to hazardous materials while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.
Ability to wear respiratory protection, including a self-contained breathing apparatus.
Ability to work in inclement environments as needed.
Ability to exercise discretion in handling sensitive matters and information.
Ability to travel between campus locations and transport equipment for field duties and incident response.
Applicants must meet applicable background-check and employment eligibility requirements.
Employees must reside in California.

Nice To Haves

Relevant specialty certifications, such as CHO, RBP, CLSO, or CHP.
Experience within the CSU and with research compliance committees.
Ability to complete training necessary for Radiation Safety Officer approval within 18 months of appointment.
Bachelor’s degree in environmental health and safety, biology, chemistry, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience demonstrating ability to perform the duties.

Responsibilities

Administer the Chemical Hygiene Plan, campus chemical inventory, and Safety Data Sheet system; inspect laboratories and assess chemical risks and practices for compliance.
Provide technical direction on chemical storage, labeling, use, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and standard operating procedures; develop corrective-action plans and refer matters beyond assigned authority.
Respond within established training and plans to small-scale chemical spills, exposures, incidents, and near misses, including initiating immediate protective measures and coordinating reporting.
Administer biosafety requirements for BSL-1 and BSL-2 laboratories, vivarium activities, and field research; evaluate routine protocols and conditions and recommend containment and other safety measures.
Review biological-material research protocols and grant applications, conduct and document risk assessments, coordinate biological, sharps, and medical waste compliance, and monitor corrective actions.
Serve as Radiation Safety Officer when formally authorized and administer assigned radiation and laser safety activities, including licensing, registration, permitting, inspections, surveys, training, inventories, and compliance records.
Evaluate research proposals and safety issues involving radiation, lasers, and overlapping hazards; implement routine corrective actions and refer matters beyond established authority to the appropriate committee or management.
Respond to small-scale radiation or laser incidents within approved plans and transfer authority when incident command, emergency responders, management, or regulators assume control.
Evaluate research grant applications, sponsored-project proposals, and multidisciplinary research activities for environmental health, safety, and regulatory implications; coordinate with investigators, sponsored programs, and institutional committees.
Coordinate hazardous-waste pickups, accumulation-area inspections, storage, and disposal; evaluate laboratory ventilation, fume hoods, and biosafety cabinets; inspect emergency showers and eyewashes.
Conduct field-based inspections and surveys in laboratories, equipment spaces, storage areas, and waste-accumulation areas; operate portable monitoring, sampling, survey, fit-testing, and spill-response equipment.
Maintain compliance databases and records, document findings, develop corrective-action plans, and monitor implementation.
Provide backup or cross-program coverage for respiratory fit testing, ergonomic evaluations, incident investigations, and general inspections using established protocols.
Develop and deliver audience-appropriate training; evaluate its effectiveness, update materials, and recommend improvements to management or applicable committees.
Provide indirect lead work direction and task-specific training to student employees, interns, or staff assigned to projects, without formal supervisory authority.
Monitor changes in laws, regulations, and industry standards; assess impacts on programs and collaborate with management on updates to policies and procedures.
Report on EHS activities, metrics, trends, and issues using established monitoring mechanisms and provide information to regulatory agencies when requested and authorized.
Travel between university locations and transport inspection, monitoring, sampling, spill-response, and training equipment.