Health and Safety Lead

Position Summary

The Health and Safety Lead provides leadership in championing the sustainability of Methanex USA Services, LLC (Methanex) Geismar through highly engaged employees and a world class safety management system. This role leads the Health and Safety team, which includes occupational safety and industrial hygiene. The Health and Safety Lead is also responsible for assessing Methanex Geismar site’s compliance with Methanex Corporation Occupational Health and Safety standards, along with local regulatory requirements, to promote the well-being of employees in the workplace, avoid exposure to risk and to reduce costs related to workplace injuries and/or non-compliance fines and penalties.

Position Responsibilities

• Leads and coordinates incident/event management including investigations and audits.
• Investigates incidents and capture lessons learned and corrective actions.
• Advises on corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Supports Site investigation team by conducting analysis of incident trends, communicating pertinent information to the organization and developing recommendations.
• Leads the Health and Safety team, including supporting individual development, providing a clear direction and annual plan for the team.
• Provides Health & Safety Specialists communication of current activities, legislation and best practice requirements.
• Drives and improves the organizational safety culture.
• Implements the global management system and ensures effective local systems.
• Serves as the focal point covering Health and Safety with external agencies to ensure Methanex Geismar complies with relevant regulations.
• Participates in global Health and Safety initiatives which includes taking a lead on projects.
• Identifies and executes continuous improvement opportunities, minimizing overall risk of harm to people, the environment and damage to facilities.
• Represents Methanex Geismar in trade association meetings and in Health and Safety forums.
• Ensures legislative key contacts initiate change to ensure compliance. Monitors said compliance on an ongoing basis.
• Liaises (in person or via team) with outside organizations and government agencies to ensure Methanex Geismar complies with current and changing relevant legislation and makes submissions on proposed changes.
• Communicates proposed changes and/or updates as defined in the Corporate Legislative Compliance System.
• Ensures the Geismar Facilities have comprehensive Safety and Health procedures by:
  • Initiating the development of new procedures for emerging topics and new areas.
  • Maintaining appropriate safety programs and monitoring their effectiveness.
  • Maintaining relevant Safety and Health procedures.
  • Providing training for all employees and contractors on relevant Safety and Health procedures.
  • Ensuring procedures comply with regulatory requirements.
• Ensures full compliance with all aspects of the global Methanex Work Safety Control System.
• Administers the Safety Inspection program.
• Develops the Geismar site Safety Orientation for both internal and external site visitors and employees.
• Develops site safety audit plan.
• Oversight of the site industrial hygiene management strategy.
• Identifies monitoring methods and media.
• Provides expert advice on industrial hygiene legislation and standards.
• Performs and directs exposure monitoring for chemicals, particulates and other airborne contaminants.
• Directs noise dosimetry sampling and completing area noise surveys.
• Implements and maintains a physical ergonomics program in collaboration with the Occupational Health Nurse.
• Effectively manages team resources, including the annual budget.
• Provides input into capital planning with regard to health, safety, and occupational health improvements.
• Mentors and ensures department personnel effectively and efficiently manage costs related to their areas.
• Provides assessment of the application of safe work practice and procedures that adhere to federal, state, and local occupational Health and Safety legislation, Methanex standards and best industry practices.
• Assesses and evaluates work procedures and environments to identify potential hazards and eliminate them or ensure adequate controls are in place.
• Attends or delegates work safety control pre-job meetings to review Hazard Identification form, permits and confined space rescue plans.
• Provides technical Health and Safety advice to the Responsible Care department to ensure compliance with best Industry Practices and Methanex corporate standards.
• Leads the contractor management work process for the appropriate assessments and audits of contractors and suppliers in support of the Contractor Qualification process.
• Functional safety expert for the manufacturing organization.
• Responsible for development and implementation of a Behavior Based Safety program for the Geismar site.
• Adheres to site trip response and outage preparation checklist.
• Chairs daily Safety Advisor meetings and provides advice where needed.
• Stops any unsafe work.
• Provides collaborative support to the Turnaround Manager and supervisors.
• Visual representation on site includes nights and weekend coverage.
• Positively intervenes where unsafe conditions are observed and promptly communicate issues to relevant line management.
• Performs quality process audits as per the turnaround audit procedure.
• Performs duties of TAR RC lead in support of site turnarounds.
• Leads site RC audits.
• Assists the audit team with management system auditing.
• Develops and delivers site annual work safety permitting system audits with designated site employees.
• Contributes to the organizational vision of Global Methanol Leadership and as a team member demonstrates the core values of integrity, trust, respect and professionalism.
• Demonstrates through feedback from team and leaders.
• Undertakes all aspects of the role through living the Methanex values.
• Conducts all business in a manner which supports the Responsible Care® ethic.
• Networks with other Methanex sites to the mutual benefit of all sites.
• Responsible for ensuring awareness of all controlled documents relating to this position as per Document Awareness Report from Document Management Database.
• Contributes to the ‘operational excellence’ for Methanex USA as an effective member of the Responsible Care department.

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Occupational Health & Safety, or related field; OR equivalent work experience/combined education.
• Professional certification or designation in Occupational Health & Safety preferred.
• Accredited auditor training.
• Minimum 10 years related Health and Safety experience in oil and gas and/or petrochemical industry.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Planning, organization and time management skills.
• Problem-solving and providing recommendations related to workplace practices/conditions and accident investigations.
• Interpreting applicable safety codes, standards, guidelines and relevant legislation/regulations.
• Possess excellent analytical, investigative and problem-solving skills including knowledge of effective workplace safety audit techniques.
• Advanced communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills to effectively influence and secure the cooperation of others.
• Must have a good working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database software applications.
• Strong contract employee relations skills.
• Ability to support and facilitate positive work relationships and deal with contentious situations and issues.
• Ability to work with minimum direction and self-manage competing priorities and workload.
• Ability to work in cross functional team focused environments and contribute at high level to complete and deliver designated assigned tasks.