Safety Coordinator

Location: New Johnsonville, TN

Starting Pay: $31.00 – $35.00/hourly

Department: Health, Safety & Environmental

Reports To:  HS&E Manager / Plant Manager 

(Direct report to HS&E Manager – secondary report to the Plant Manager)

Employment Type: Full-Time

Travel: Travel Between Locations:  30 to 40% with main focus on location below

795 Foote Lane

New Johnsonville, Tennessee  37134 

7am to 5pm – Monday through Friday

Position Summary

The Safety Coordinator is responsible for implementing and maintaining a strong safety culture throughout the organization.  This position will work closely with employees, supervisors, managers, and leadership to ensure compliance with OSHA and TOSHA requirements, company safety policies, and applicable federal and state regulations.

The successful candidate will be a visible, hands-on safety leader who spends time on the manufacturing floor, identifies potential hazards, provides practical solutions, and works with managers and employees to prevent workplace injuries and incidents.

Essential Responsibilities

Safety & Compliance

  • Implement, and maintain company safety policies, procedures, and programs.
  • Ensure compliance with OSHA and TOSHA, and other applicable safety regulations.
  • Conduct regular safety inspections and workplace hazard assessments.
  • Identify unsafe conditions and recommend corrective actions.
  • Monitor corrective actions to ensure they are completed timely.
  • Maintain required safety records, documentation, and reports.
  • Assist with regulatory inspections and respond to safety-related inquiries.

Incident & Injury Management

  • Lead investigations of workplace accidents, injuries, near misses, and safety incidents.
  • Identify root causes and recommend corrective and preventive actions.
  • Maintain OSHA and TOSHA injury and illness records and required reporting.
  • Work with management and employees to implement return-to-work and injury prevention strategies.
  • Track safety trends and identify opportunities for improvement.

Training & Employee Development

  • Conduct safety training for new hires, employees, supervisors, and managers.
  • Maintain required training records.
  • Coordinate training related to:
    • Lockout/Tagout
    • Machine guarding
    • PPE
    • Hazard Communication
    • Forklift/Powered Industrial Trucks
    • Fall protection
    • Emergency response
    • Electrical safety
    • Ergonomics
    • Bloodborne pathogens
    • Other job-specific safety requirements
  • Conduct regular safety meetings and toolbox talks.
  • Promote employee participation in safety initiatives.

Manufacturing Floor Safety

  • Conduct routine walks throughout manufacturing and operational areas.
  • Contractor safety oversight
  • Job safety analyses
  • Corrective action tracking
  • Emergency planning
  • Stop work authority
  • Evaluate machine, equipment, material-handling, chemical, ergonomic, and environmental hazards.
  • Partner with Maintenance and Operations to address safety concerns.
  • Review new equipment, processes, and facility changes for potential safety risks.
  • Assist with machine guarding and safety-related equipment evaluations.
  • Ensure required PPE is identified, available, and properly used.
  • Promote good housekeeping and safe work practices.

Safety Culture

  • Develop initiatives that encourage employees to take ownership of workplace safety.
  • Establish and monitor safety goals and performance metrics.
  • Encourage employees to report hazards and near misses without fear of retaliation.
  • Partner with supervisors and managers to reinforce safe behaviors and accountability.
  • Serve as a resource to employees and management on safety-related questions.

Qualifications

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health & Safety, Industrial Safety, or a related field OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
  • 3+ years of safety experience, preferably in a manufacturing environment.
  • Working knowledge of OSHA and TOSHA regulations and workplace safety practices.
  • Experience conducting safety inspections and incident investigations.
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.
  • Strong organizational and documentation skills.
  • Ability to identify hazards and develop practical corrective actions.

Preferred

  • OSHA 30-Hour certification.
  • ASP, CSP, CHST or similar credentials
  • Experience with workers’ compensation and injury management.
  • Experience developing and delivering safety training.
  • Experience with safety management systems and safety audits.
  • Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or skilled-trades environment.

Key Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

  • Safety Leadership – Leads by example and consistently reinforces safe practices.
  • Accountability – Follows through on safety concerns and corrective actions.
  • Communication – Communicates safety expectations clearly and effectively.
  • Problem Solving – Identifies root causes and develops practical solutions.
  • Attention to Detail – Maintains accurate safety documentation and identifies potential hazards.
  • Collaboration – Builds productive relationships with Operations, Maintenance, HR, and employees.
  • Coaching Ability – Corrects unsafe behaviors while teaching employees the reason behind the requirement.
  • Floor Presence – Regularly engages with employees and understands how work is actually being performed.

Safety Metrics

The Safety Coordinator will monitor and report on key safety indicators, including:

  • Recordable injuries
  • Lost-time injuries
  • Near misses
  • First-aid incidents
  • OSHA and TOSHA compliance
  • Corrective-action completion
  • Safety training completion
  • Safety inspection results
  • Workers’ compensation trends
  • Employee safety observations

Physical Requirements

  • Ability to regularly walk through manufacturing and operational areas.
  • Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
  • Ability to climb stairs and access manufacturing equipment and work areas as required.
  • Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.
  • Ability to occasionally lift or carry materials weighing up to [X] pounds.

Work Environment

This position operates primarily in a manufacturing environment and will routinely be exposed to manufacturing equipment, machinery, noise, moving materials, chemicals, and other workplace hazards. Appropriate PPE and safety procedures must be followed at all times.