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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator

💰 $50,000 - $85,000

Environmental Health & SafetyEHSOccupational SafetyComplianceIndustrial Hygiene

🎯 Role Definition

The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Coordinator is responsible for implementing and maintaining workplace safety, environmental compliance, and health programs to protect employees, contractors, the public, and the environment. This role supports site-level EHS operations through hazard identification, risk assessment, incident investigation, regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA, DOT), training delivery, auditing, and continuous improvement initiatives. The EHS Coordinator acts as the primary point of contact for EHS issues at the facility level and collaborates with operations, maintenance, HR, and leadership to ensure sustainable, legally compliant, and practical safety programs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Safety Technician
  • Environmental Technician
  • Manufacturing/Operations Associate with EHS responsibilities

Advancement To:

  • EHS Manager / Site EHS Manager
  • Regional EHS Specialist / Regional EHS Manager
  • Environmental Compliance Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Industrial Hygienist
  • Environmental Compliance Specialist
  • Quality Assurance / Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement, and maintain site-specific EHS programs and procedures (including Lockout/Tagout, confined space entry, hot work permits, and chemical management) to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and company policies.
  • Conduct regular workplace inspections and audits to identify hazards, ensure corrective actions are tracked and closed, and provide written reports with recommendations to site management.
  • Lead incident investigations (near misses, injuries, spills, property damage) using root-cause analysis techniques, document findings, recommend corrective/preventive actions, and track completion to prevent recurrence.
  • Manage the site hazardous materials program including Safety Data Sheet (SDS) management, chemical inventory, labeling, safe storage, and disposal in accordance with OSHA HAZCOM, EPA waste regulations, and DOT hazardous materials rules.
  • Coordinate and administer site emergency response and preparedness activities, including evacuation plans, fire drills, spill response, and coordination with local emergency responders and contractors.
  • Develop, deliver, and track comprehensive EHS training programs (new hire safety orientation, PPE use, HAZWOPER, lockout/tagout, fall protection) and maintain training records to ensure workforce competency and regulatory compliance.
  • Perform job hazard analyses (JHAs) and risk assessments for routine and special tasks, recommending engineering, administrative, and PPE controls to reduce risk and align with hierarchy of controls.
  • Maintain OSHA logs (300/300A/301), prepare regulatory reports, and submit required notifications for recordable incidents, fatalities, and serious injuries in accordance with OSHA and company policy.
  • Manage environmental compliance tasks including stormwater (NPDES) monitoring, air emission reporting, waste manifests, and permitting coordination with external agencies to prevent violations and fines.
  • Oversee contractor EHS programs on-site, ensuring contractors have appropriate safety documentation, training, and orientation before work commences and conducting periodic audits of contractor performance.
  • Maintain and calibrate EHS monitoring equipment (gas detectors, noise dosimeters, air sampling pumps) and coordinate industrial hygiene assessments (noise, airborne contaminants, ventilation adequacy).
  • Track EHS metrics and KPIs (TRIR, DART, near-miss rate, corrective action closure rate), produce dashboards and monthly reports for site leadership, and recommend data-driven improvements.
  • Support product stewardship initiatives and environmental sustainability programs, including waste minimization, recycling, energy conservation, and hazardous materials substitution efforts.
  • Coordinate health and medical surveillance programs (audiometry, respirator fit testing, biological monitoring) and work with occupational health providers to manage worker exposures and return-to-work cases.
  • Ensure proper labeling, packaging, transportation documentation, and manifests for hazardous waste and regulated materials in compliance with DOT and EPA hazardous materials regulations.
  • Participate in capital project reviews and design teams to provide EHS input on equipment selection, machine guarding, ventilation, and process safety considerations to reduce lifecycle risks.
  • Facilitate safety committees and toolbox talks, engage employees at all levels on safety culture initiatives, and recognize positive behaviors to promote employee ownership of safety.
  • Manage corrective actions from regulatory inspections, third-party audits, and internal assessments; prepare response letters, action plans, and status updates for senior management.
  • Maintain environmental and EHS permits, prepare permit applications and renewals, and ensure ongoing operational compliance with permit conditions and reporting deadlines.
  • Stay current on changes to federal, state, and local EHS laws and industry best practices; interpret regulatory impacts and implement compliant operational changes.
  • Coordinate ergonomics programs including workstation assessments, manual handling reviews, and ergonomic improvement plans to reduce musculoskeletal injury risk.
  • Assist in budget planning for EHS initiatives, procurement of PPE, safety equipment, and training resources, and manage third-party vendor relationships for sampling, remediation, and specialist services.

Secondary Functions

  • Support behavior-based safety observations and coaching programs to increase frontline engagement and reduce at-risk behaviors.
  • Support ad-hoc environmental monitoring and sampling requests, and coordinate lab analysis, data interpretation, and reporting to stakeholders.
  • Assist with development and continuous improvement of EHS documentation systems, including policies, SOPs, permits, and records retention processes.
  • Participate in cross-functional incident review boards and assist legal or HR teams with workers' compensation and return-to-work coordination.
  • Provide technical assistance during internal and external audits, and prepare materials and supporting documentation for accreditation or certification activities (e.g., ISO 14001, ISO 45001).
  • Assist in the evaluation and selection of PPE, monitoring technologies, and engineering controls by conducting field trials and compiling cost/benefit analyses.
  • Contribute to community and stakeholder engagement on environmental topics and support public-facing communications in coordination with corporate communications.
  • Review and update safety signage, floor plans, and emergency contact lists to ensure clarity and regulatory conformance.
  • Support corporate sustainability reporting initiatives by gathering site-level environmental data (waste, energy, water) and verifying accuracy.
  • Maintain relationships with regulatory agencies and third-party consultants to expedite permits, enforcement resolution, and technical guidance.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strong knowledge of OSHA standards (29 CFR 1910 and 1926) and ability to interpret and apply regulations to site operations.
  • Environmental regulatory knowledge including EPA (RCRA, CAA, CWA), state environmental rules, and permit compliance.
  • Incident investigation and root cause analysis techniques (5-Why, Fishbone/Ishikawa, TapRooT).
  • Hazardous waste management and DOT hazardous materials shipping regulations, including manifesting and cradle-to-grave documentation.
  • Competency in performing job hazard analyses (JHA), risk assessments, and process safety reviews.
  • Experience with industrial hygiene monitoring and basic sampling methods (air sampling, noise dosimetry, particulate monitoring).
  • Proficiency with MS Office suite (Excel for KPI tracking and charting), and familiarity with EHS management systems (e.g., Enablon, Intelex, Gensuite) or LMS platforms.
  • Knowledge of permit application processes, stormwater (SPCC, SWPPP) controls, and environmental sampling programs.
  • Training development and delivery skills, including classroom and hands-on training, and competency evaluation techniques.
  • Familiarity with ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 frameworks, audit procedures, and supporting documentation for certification.
  • Basic understanding of ergonomics principles, PPE selection, and machine guarding standards.
  • Experience managing safety data sheets (SDS) systems and chemical inventory platforms.

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for producing clear reports, procedures, and training materials and for delivering presentations to diverse audiences.
  • Proven ability to influence and collaborate with cross-functional teams including operations, maintenance, HR, and senior leadership.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills with a practical, solutions-oriented mindset focused on safe, compliant, and operationally feasible outcomes.
  • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills for managing multiple compliance tasks, permits, and training records.
  • Initiative and proactive mindset to identify and mitigate hazards before they result in incidents.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, approachability, and ability to build trust with frontline employees and contractors.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance routine inspections, incident response, and project work.
  • Conflict resolution and coaching abilities to correct at-risk behaviors and promote a positive safety culture.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn new regulations, technologies, and company procedures.
  • Analytical skills for reviewing monitoring data, evaluating trends, and recommending data-driven improvements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety and Health, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, or Engineering.
  • Certifications such as CHST, CSP, CIH, ARM, or NEBOSH are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Science
  • Occupational Safety and Health
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Chemistry

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of practical EHS experience in manufacturing, industrial, construction, or similar operational environments.

Preferred:

  • 3–7 years of progressively responsible EHS experience with demonstrated ownership of site-level EHS programs.
  • Experience implementing OSHA-required programs, environmental permitting and reporting, incident investigation, and training development.
  • Experience working with regulatory agencies and managing contractor safety programs.
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