Safety Specialist

EQUS was founded on the co-operative spirit. Our core values of Quality, Accountability, Community and Knowledge define the attitude our teams bring to work every day. Together, we connect rural Alberta and enrich the lives of our members.

Job Purpose

The Safety Specialist has overall responsibility for the EQUS Health and Safety Program.

Health and Safety Duties

• Monitors the Corporate Health and Safety Program and update as required to meet legislated requirements, industry best practices, and the changing needs of EQUS.
• Develops and maintain safety orientation training materials for new hires, returning employees, and refresher training.
• Stays informed of industry developments in safety practices and procedures, including communication with other utilities, vendors, and safety professionals.
• Provides safety information and feedback to assist in the research, testing, and implementation of new tooling and material for the company.
• Provides safety information and recommendations to various EQUS departments including Human Resources, Standards, IT, Communications, and field staff.
• Chairs the Safe Work Practice Committee and maintain the process for development of required Safe Work Practices, Safe Job Procedures, and other best practices.
• Provides safety leadership and resources to staff in the development and improvement of existing safety practices using both internal and external resources.
• Develops and maintain a competency-based onboarding and training system for field staff.
• Attends meetings with other utilities and organizations in regards to safety and work methods, and sit on the Alberta Electric Utility Safety Association (AEUSA). Keep staff informed of relevant information coming from utility meetings.
• Provides safety training standards and assesses safety training requirements across all EQUS departments, and where practical, develops and implements in-house training programs utilizing EQUS instructors. Where in-house training may not be practical, makes recommendations for outside providers.
• Attends staff safety meetings, providing safety presentations and participating in safety roundtable discussions to increase employee engagement in EQUS’ safety program.
• Develops worksite inspection standards, conducts periodic worksite inspections, and provides analysis and recommendations for improvements to existing worksite practices where applicable.
• Oversees the incident investigation process and provides assistance to individuals that are required to complete investigations. Makes recommendations for changes in equipment or processes to correct identified substandard acts or conditions.
• Performs the duties of lead incident investigator when appropriate, such as incidents resulting in serious injury or potential of serious injury.
• Reviews and signs off on all incident investigations, ensuring that substandard acts and conditions, root causes, and corrective actions have been consistently identified and corrected. Tracks incident investigations for reporting purposes.
• Maintain records of relevant safety statistics to be communicated with EQUS teams, and monitors safety statistics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Develops and maintains a multi-level orientation process for contractors, to be implemented by the team members responsible for hiring the contractor and assigning the work.
• Determines prequalification requirements and reviews completed prequalification and approval documents for all proposed contractors and keeps the WCB exception notification database updated.
• Ensures EQUS complies with Occupational Health & Safety legislation, and when required, develops a process for change and any associated training to ensure compliance.
• Coordinates annual COR and other external safety audits.
• Produces internal and provincial safety reports as necessary.
• Provides input on budgeting for the maintenance of EQUS’ safety program.
• Required to be on call for any emergency situations. A vehicle and cell phone will be provided.

Review and Approval of Work

This position reports directly to the Operations Group Leader.

Job Requirements

• Minimum ten years’ experience in the electrical or electric utility industry, specifically including exposure to high voltage systems.
• Experience as a Journeyman Electrician or Powerline Technician is preferred.
• Certified as a Safety Codes Officer, Group B – Electrical Utility.
• Minimum five years’ experience managing a comprehensive health and safety program and maintaining COR certification.
• Canadian Registered Safety Profession (CRSP) designation.
• Occupational Health and Safety post-secondary training and certification.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing a Quality Management Program.
• Strong collaborative and values-based leadership skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience writing technical manuals, specifications, and work procedures.
• Facilitation and presentation skills are preferred.

EQUS would like to thank you in advance for your resume. It will be kept on file for 6 months from the date you submit it, for the purpose of assessing your suitability for the position for which you are applying as well as any positions that may become available during that period. You may modify or update the information by contacting the office. After 6 months your application, and any personal information collected about you during the verification process will be destroyed. EQUS REA LTD. (EQUS) collects only that personal information about job applicants that is needed to determine suitability for employment. The information will be used only for the purpose of evaluating that suitability. EQUS will not distribute your information to anyone else.

Job Type: Full-time

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person