Environmental Health and Safety Officer

Environmental Health and Safety Officer - 2012247
Job : Professional and Managerial
Primary Location : TN-Nashville-Medical Center North (MCN)
Organization : Chemical Safety 108037
Shift: : First Shift
Description
Environmental Health and Safety Officer/ Laboratory Compliance Coordinator:
Job Summary:
The Environmental Health and Safety Officer/ Laboratory Compliance Coordinator provides a primary customer service contact for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) researchers, principal investigators, instructors and staff to ensure the implementation of the Chemical Safety Program and assist in the day-to-day functions of the program. This position works as one member of a team of three compliance coordinators that collectively comprise the Lab Compliance Assistance Program (Lab CAP) for Vanderbilt. Two LCCs are assigned to VUMC and one to Vanderbilt University's School of Arts and Sciences. This program is managed by the Assistant Director for Chemical Safety and is part of the Chemical Safety section of Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety (VEHS).
Department Summary
Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety (VEHS) mission is to partner with the VUMC/VU community to facilitate and promote safety, health and environmental protection. VEHS accomplishes this task by providing expertise in the following EH&S technical disciplines: radiation safety; occupational safety, emergency preparedness; industrial hygiene; fire and life safety; training; hazardous materials management; and biological safety.
View how Vanderbilt Health employees celebrate the difference they make every day:
Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity - of culture, thinking, learning and leading - is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
VUMC Recent Accomplishments
Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:
· US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children's Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.
· Healthcare's Most Wired: Among the nation's 100 "most-wired" hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.
· Becker's Hospital Review: named as one of the "100 Great Hospitals in America", in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.
· The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children's hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.
· American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows
· Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.
· National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement
· Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6 th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.
Additional Key Elements/ Responsibilities:
- Assure the policies and procedures of the VUMC Laboratory Safety Program as required by 29 CFR 1910.1450 [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Laboratory Standard]
- Assist Departmental and laboratory personnel in the preparation and implementation of written Chemical Hygiene Plans that are specific to the laboratory/area and assure that each lab complies with regulatory standards.
- Provide training to school, departmental, or laboratory personnel on their responsibilities, duties and functions per the TOSHA/OSHA Standards, the Chemical Safety Program, and their Chemical Hygiene Plans. This includes both informal, in-lab training and formal, presentation-style training.
- Assist laboratory personnel in establishing and maintaining chemical inventories for each laboratory/area.
- Assist with providing proper laboratory hazard signage in all laboratories.
- Assist with implementing the laboratory fume hood certification program and assure safe operation and proper functioning of hoods to increase personnel safety as required by the Chemical Hygiene Plan
- Conduct documented audits of laboratories in area of responsibility. This audit includes an evaluation of compliance with the Chemical Hygiene Plan and other laboratory physical and chemical waste issues.
- Assist laboratory personnel, VEHS personnel, and Space and Facilities staff in lab closeout procedures including the coordination of radiological, biological and chemical closeout and decontamination.
- Support VUMC with general safety programs including: fire code compliance, new construction and renovation support, emergency evacuation plans, etc. Direct any general safety or compliance concern posed by laboratory staff to the appropriate entity within Vanderbilt, either within VEHS or other appropriate departments such as Risk Management or Occupational Health.
- Participate fully in all VEHS emergency response activities and the VEHS Hazardous Materials Response team
- Supervisory Responsibilities: Indirect supervision of interns, consultants and vendors.
- Budgetary Responsibilities: Prepare necessary cost documentation for supervisory approval.
- Frequent contact with researchers, principal investigators, laboratory managers, laboratory assistants, instructors and students. Also communicate on a frequent and coordinated level with other VEHS staff, particularly Waste Management personnel, Radiation Safety/Lab Survey personnel, Bio-safety personnel, and Hospital/Clinical Safety personnel. Infrequent communication with departmental, school, and university administrators such as department chairs, deans, and vice-chancellors.
- Management directed contact with consultants and vendors involved with various aspects of the Chemical Safety Program *.
- Frequent contact with students and interns in laboratories
- Assist laboratory personnel in:
- Locating, acquiring, and maintaining Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)
- Training lab personnel on the requirements of the Chemical Hygiene Plan and general lab safety procedures
- Identifying old chemical containers for disposal
- Managing hazardous chemical and radioactive waste
- Ensuring fire safety in laboratories and hallways
Basic Qualifications
Position Qualifications:
- Requires a Baccalaureate degree in Safety, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science/Engineering, or other related sciences and 2 years relevant experience.
- Laboratory safety experience in a university or biomedical research setting is preferred.
- Applicant must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, computer skills and the ability to input and utilize database information.
Physical Requirements/Strengths needed & Physical Demands **:
Movement*
- Occasional: Sitting: Remaining in seated position
- Occasional: Standing: Remaining on one's feet without moving.
- Occasional: Walking: Moving about on foot.
- Occasional: Lifting under 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects under 35 lbs from one level to another
- Occasional: Push/Pull: Exerting force to move objects away from or toward.
- Occasional: Bending/Stooping: Trunk bending downward and forward by bending spine at waist requiring full use of lower extremities and back muscles
- Occasional: Reaching below shoulders: Extending arms in any direction below shoulders.
- Occasional: Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning or otherwise working with hand or hands.
Sensory
- Occasional: Vision: Clarity of near vision at 20 inches or less and far vision at 20 feet or more with depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision.
- Frequent: Noise: May include exposure to occupational noise levels which equal or exceed an 8-hr time-weighted average of 85 decibels, requiring enrollment in VUMC's Hearing Conservation Program which includes training, use of hearing protection, and periodic audiometry.
- Continuous: Communication: Expressing or exchanging written/verbal/electronic information.
Environmental Conditions
- Occasional: Chemicals and Gasses: Medications, cleaning chemicals, oxygen, other medical gases used in work area.
- Occasional: Radiation: May be exposed to occupational radiation, requiring enrollment in VUMC's Radiation Safety Program which includes training, use of personal protective equipment with lead shielding, and personal dose monitoring
Working Environment
- Frequent exposure to biological and infectious agents, hazardous chemicals, and ionizing radiation.
Req ID: 2012247
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.