Leads the site Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) program within a California-based plastics manufacturing operation to create a safe, healthy, and injury-free work environment while ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Develops, implements, and sustains site EHS systems, training, audits, environmental compliance programs, and performance management routines. Partners with site leadership and cross-functional teams to reduce risk, investigate incidents, drive corrective actions, and deliver measurable improvements in safety, environmental performance, and operational excellence.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide leadership for all implementation, enforcement, and continuous improvement of Sabert's environmental, health, safety, and sustainability policies and processes. Plan, direct, and implement new corporate policies, procedures, and standards at the site.
- Develop and manage EHS programs so that employees remain injury-free and maintain a high degree of awareness, accountability, and ownership regarding safety, health, and environmental matters. Drive accountability among all functions to eliminate accidents, injuries, and environmental incidents.
- Identify, evaluate, prevent, and control environmental, health, and safety hazards associated with plastics manufacturing processes, including thermoforming, extrusion, injection molding, material handling, and recycling operations.
- Ensure compliance, conservation, and protection of the environment in accordance with EPA, Cal/OSHA, CARB, DTSC, and other applicable California regulatory requirements.
- Implement and maintain industrial hygiene programs and standards, including noise monitoring, respiratory protection, heat illness prevention, ergonomics, indoor air quality, and chemical exposure assessments.
- Interface with regulatory agencies on EHS matters, including Cal/OSHA, EPA, local Air Quality Management Districts, fire departments, and environmental agencies.
- Communicate EHS progress, status, performance metrics, and issues to the entire organization.
- Proactively build awareness of EHS throughout the facility through continuous communication strategies, including bulletin board postings, visual management, signage, safety topics of the month, newsletters, toolbox talks, and employee engagement initiatives.
- Develop and maintain an annual calendar for all required OSHA, Cal/OSHA, environmental, and company-required safety training programs.
- Conduct and document thorough accident, incident, environmental release, and near-miss investigations and provide recommendations for process, procedure, behavioral, or equipment changes to prevent recurrence.
- Provide leadership and direction for the cross-functional site safety committee and support employee-led safety initiatives.
- Perform job hazard analyses, risk assessments, ergonomic evaluations, and process safety reviews, identifying specific hazards within plastics manufacturing operations and implementing effective corrective actions. Administer and report EHS metrics and performance measurements to Sabert leadership.
- Comply with all OSHA, Cal/OSHA, EPA, CARB, and other related regulatory requirements for documentation, reporting, permitting, and recordkeeping. Audit all EHS-related activities to ensure ongoing compliance.
- Evaluate current Safety Rewards and Recognition programs and recommend improvements that support employee engagement and safety performance.
- Administer all required Emergency Evacuation Drills, Emergency Action Plans, and facility emergency response programs.
- Actively seek improved EHS practices through benchmarking, networking, and participation in EHS-related seminars, professional organizations, and industry associations.
- Work closely with independent contractors on site to ensure compliance with facility EHS requirements. Administer contractor safety programs, contractor onboarding, and permit-to-work processes.
- Participate with the Plastics Manufacturing EHS Team on weekly conference calls and actively share best practices, lessons learned, and continuous improvement opportunities across facilities.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong knowledge of OSHA, Cal/OSHA, EPA, CARB, DTSC, hazardous waste, air quality, stormwater, and environmental compliance requirements relevant to plastics manufacturing operations.
- Demonstrated ability to lead change and build a safety culture through coaching, employee engagement, leadership influence, and accountability.
- Strong incident investigation, root cause analysis, and problem-solving skills with the ability to implement sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
- Project management and execution discipline to manage multiple initiatives, compliance activities, audits, permits, and deadlines.
- Ability to analyze safety and environmental data, identify trends, and translate insights into prioritized actions and measurable business results.
- Strong communication and influencing skills across all levels of the organization; able to facilitate committees, conduct training, and effectively communicate regulatory requirements.
- Ability to partner cross-functionally and align teams to priorities while maintaining non-negotiable compliance and safety standards.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and EHS management systems for reporting, compliance documentation, recordkeeping, and KPI management.
- Knowledge of industrial hygiene principles, machine safeguarding, lockout/tagout, process safety, ergonomics, and chemical management programs.
- Working knowledge of plastics manufacturing processes, including thermoforming, extrusion, injection molding, packaging, warehousing, and recycling operations preferred.
Other
Work in accordance with all company policies and procedures regarding employment, safety, quality, product safety and legality, food-contact packaging requirements, environmental sustainability, security, and regulatory compliance as applicable.
Qualifications
- Education: BS degree in Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health, Engineering, or related field required; equivalent experience considered. Preferred: Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), or similar professional certification.
- Experience: 5+ years of EHS experience in a plastics manufacturing environment with demonstrated ownership of site safety, environmental compliance, industrial hygiene, and regulatory programs. Experience with Cal/OSHA compliance, environmental permitting, contractor safety management, and plastics processing operations preferred.