Specialist, Occupational Health and Safety

University of Ottawa•Ottawa, ON

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of the Chief Risk Officer offers a rewarding journey where your skills and passion for risk management will play a key role in shaping the future of the University of Ottawa. Our Office oversees Operational and Enterprise Risk Management, Insurance, Internal Audit, Protection Services, Emergency Management, and Health, Safety and Environmental Management. Our team is dedicated to ensuring the resilience and continuity of our operations. With a commitment to excellence, you'll have the opportunity to contribute significantly to promoting risk culture within our institution. We strive to be a valued partner and key player in advising and supporting University leadership, faculties, and staff, helping to foster a culture of informed decision-making. Join us in building a resilient future for the University of Ottawa and become part of our collaborative and forward-thinking team. The incumbent manages administrative operational activities relating to the Faculty Environmental Health and Safety Risk Management System (EHSRMS) to ensure the safety of the environment and the health and safety of all persons working and studying at the Faculty of Medicine. Specific operational activities include planning and executing workplace inspections to identify health and safety issues, hazards and trends, and verifying compliance with federal, provincial and municipal acts & regulations, and uOttawa policies and guidelines. Communicates infractions to the responsible party and tracks future compliance.

Requirements

B.Sc. degree in Basic Science, Biology, Chemistry, or Engineering or other relevant discipline.
Minimum 3 years’ experience in a research lab environment or in a regulatory/consulting field emphasizing health, safety and environmental programs, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
Knowledge of relevant federal, provincial, and municipal health and safety legislation, regulations and best practices.
Experience in interpretation of health and safety codes, standards, or legislation.
Experience in conducting inspections of environments typically found in a university setting.
Must be willing to immediately respond and participate as necessary to emergency incidents within the group’s remit (e.g., fire alarms, chemical spills).
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment
Able to facilitate effective and diverse community consultations, programs, and initiatives.
Keen attention to discretion, confidentiality, and tact
Strong communication skills, including experience with web-design and creating content required to reach different stakeholder audiences.
Experience in database functions and tools (MS Access)
Bilingual, French and English, spoken and written

Nice To Haves

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

Responsibilities

Support the activities, such as health and safety inspections, of the Alta Vista Sectoral Occupational Health and Safety Committee (the Committee).
Identifies and communicates trends (good and bad) to influence health and safety messaging and training.
Performs regular, frequent unannounced inspections as a means of identifying deficiencies in personnel performance and as well as the building’s infrastructure.
Independently responds to action items by recommending safer working practices as well as by raising work orders, for example.
Performs lower order risk assessments in support of the risk identification process at the faculty level.
Utilizes multiple information management systems and software to maintain records/databases and compile reports identifying trends, areas of concern, and corrective measures to be implemented in order to improve health and safety of the community in accordance with University procedures.
Keeps all pertinent information concerning changes in policy, hazard assessments, and the regulatory climate up-to-date.
Formats documents and reports a necessary, many of which are technical in nature (symbols, formulae and graphics).
Counsels lab staff in the effective and safe management of hazardous waste by ensuring that practices comply with regulatory requirements and university procedures.
Programs electronic building access cards for the Faculty to support onboarding of new staff and students, as well as contract extensions.
If required, will support card processing demands for the Department of Anatomy and Animal Care & Veterinary Services (ACVS).
Responsible for the Faculty’s Health and Safety website, including required updates and innovative design of new pages, as necessary, to enhance communications.
Maintains Health and Safety bulletin boards, faculty first aid kits, and ensures emergency eyewash/safety shower stations are regularly inspected.
Monitors the Health, Safety and Risk Management group email account and responds in a timely manner to correspondence by composing and sending letters and memos on behalf of the department.
Produces letters related to more complex issues for review by the Manager, Environmental Health and Safety.
Plans, facilitates, and participates in all aspects of workshops and events that harness a wide range of engagement techniques, such as “Take Your Kids to Work” day, Focus Santé, North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) week, Earth Day and Lunch & Learn sessions.
Develops a strong rapport and relationships with stakeholders.
Proactively works to build a positive image, increase reputation, prepares event schedules and makes all logistical arrangements such as catering, room bookings and parking.
Manages the online registration process for workshops.
Manages all workshop logistics, such as scheduling, room bookings and equipment reservations.