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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Warehouse Safety Consultant

💰 $70,000 - $110,000

SafetyWarehouseEHSConsultingOccupational Health

🎯 Role Definition

The Warehouse Safety Consultant is an experienced EHS professional who partners with operations, HR, and leadership to design, deploy and continuously improve warehouse safety programs. This role leads safety audits and inspections, delivers engaging training (including forklift and equipment safety), conducts incident investigations and root-cause analyses, develops corrective action plans, and provides strategic guidance to reduce injuries, regulatory risk, and operational disruption. The Consultant acts as a subject matter expert for OSHA regulatory requirements, PPE and ergonomics, and leverages data to prioritize interventions across single or multiple distribution centers.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Safety Coordinator or Safety Specialist (warehouse/distribution)
  • EHS Technician or Environmental Health and Safety Associate
  • Warehouse Supervisor or Operations Team Lead with safety responsibilities

Advancement To:

  • Senior EHS Consultant / Senior Warehouse Safety Consultant
  • Regional Safety Manager / EHS Manager
  • Director of Safety, Risk & Compliance
  • VP Safety & Operations or Safety Program Lead for multi-site networks

Lateral Moves:

  • Loss Prevention Manager
  • Operations Manager (Distribution)
  • Compliance & Regulatory Affairs Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead comprehensive safety audits and inspections of warehouses and distribution centers, identifying hazards, documenting nonconformances, and delivering prioritized corrective action plans that align with OSHA standards and company policy.
  • Design, implement and own site-specific safety programs (forklift & powered industrial truck safety, PPE, Lockout/Tagout, hazard communication, confined space entry, and ergonomics) to reduce injury rates and create consistent cross-site standards.
  • Conduct timely and thorough incident investigations and root cause analyses for near misses, recordable incidents, and lost-time injuries; prepare clear investigation reports and present findings and corrective/preventive actions to operations leadership.
  • Develop and deliver engaging, adult-learning-focused safety training for frontline warehouse associates and supervisors, including forklift certification, safe material handling, manual lifting ergonomics, and emergency response drills.
  • Create, maintain and audit permit-to-work systems and contractor safety programs to ensure third-party compliance when contractors work within warehouse environments.
  • Assess equipment and facility layouts for ergonomic and safety improvements; recommend engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) selection to mitigate repetitive strain and manual handling risks.
  • Partner with operations leadership to integrate safety into production planning and continuous improvement initiatives; translate safety metrics into operational priorities and measurable KPIs.
  • Manage and maintain compliance documentation for OSHA, DOT and local regulatory inspections; support external audits and act as the main point of contact for regulatory visits.
  • Build and maintain a robust hazard identification and risk assessment process (JHAs/JPAs) for routine and non-routine tasks; ensure job hazard analyses are used to inform training and controls.
  • Develop and implement emergency preparedness and response plans for warehouse sites, including spill response, fire evacuation, and severe-weather procedures; coordinate drills and refine plans based on lessons learned.
  • Lead programs to reduce vehicle/pedestrian interactions (traffic management in yards and DCs), including site layout recommendations, signage, speed controls and separation barriers.
  • Implement and manage lockout/tagout (LOTO) programs for maintenance activities, ensuring equipment isolation procedures are documented, taught and enforced.
  • Design and steward a proactive near-miss reporting program that increases reporting rates, analyzes trends, and drives prevention-focused interventions.
  • Establish KPI dashboards and data-driven reporting (incident rates, TRIR, DART, near-miss frequency, audit closure rate) to measure safety program effectiveness and report progress to executive stakeholders.
  • Coach and mentor site safety champions and frontline supervisors to increase ownership of safety outcomes, improve hazard recognition, and ensure consistent enforcement of policies.
  • Oversee PPE selection, procurement guidance and fit-for-purpose assessments; ensure compliance with HAZCOM and proper labeling/storage of hazardous materials and SDS accessibility.
  • Facilitate cross-functional safety committees and monthly safety review meetings to drive accountability, share lessons learned and implement continuous improvements across multiple sites.
  • Evaluate and recommend occupational health initiatives and wellness programs that reduce ergonomic injuries and support return-to-work and light-duty processes.
  • Provide input into capital investment decisions to ensure new equipment, conveyors and racking systems incorporate safety by design and meet applicable standards.
  • Lead behavioral-based safety observations and coaching programs to improve frontline safety behaviors and leadership engagement.
  • Maintain and improve safety-related SOPs, work instructions and compliance checklists; ensure documents are version-controlled and easily accessible to warehouse teams.
  • Support return-to-work coordination and light-duty program implementation in partnership with HR, case management and occupational health providers.
  • Partner with IT and analytics teams to implement safety-focused digital tools (inspection apps, incident management systems, e-learning platforms) that streamline reporting and improve data access.
  • Conduct periodic fleet and powered industrial truck (forklift) safety reviews, oversee operator certification processes, and coordinate maintenance schedules in collaboration with maintenance teams.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for new-site openings, relocation projects and major process changes, providing hazard assessments and pre-start safety reviews.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc safety data requests, exploratory data analysis and development of safety insights to guide operational decision-making.
  • Contribute to the organization's safety data strategy and roadmap, recommending tools and processes to improve data capture, analysis and transparency.
  • Collaborate with business units and IT to translate safety and regulatory needs into technical requirements for inspection apps, LMS integrations, and reporting dashboards.
  • Participate in project planning and cross-functional change initiatives, representing safety requirements in agile or project-management ceremonies when new systems or processes are implemented.
  • Assist procurement and real estate teams with safety requirements for vendor selection, site layout, and capital projects affecting warehouse safety.
  • Provide subject matter input for insurance and risk management discussions, including support for claims reviews and preventative correction plans.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • In-depth knowledge of OSHA regulations relevant to warehouses and distribution centers (e.g., 29 CFR 1910), and experience translating regulatory requirements into practical site-level controls.
  • Certified expertise in incident investigation and root cause analysis methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone, TapRooT).
  • Experience conducting formal safety audits and compliance assessments, including writing audit reports and tracking corrective action closure.
  • Proficiency developing and delivering forklift and powered industrial truck training and maintaining operator certification programs.
  • Competence with Job Hazard Analysis (JHA/JSA/JPA) development and operator task risk assessments.
  • Familiarity with safety management systems and standards such as ISO 45001 and ANSI standards relevant to warehousing.
  • Practical understanding of ergonomics, manual material handling risk reduction strategies, and engineering control recommendations.
  • Ability to develop and maintain safety metrics and dashboards using Excel, BI tools (Power BI/Tableau), and incident management software.
  • Knowledge of Hazard Communication (HAZCOM), Safety Data Sheet (SDS) management, and chemical storage best practices.
  • Experience with Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) program development, permit systems and confine-space entry procedures.
  • Skilled in PPE selection, inspection protocols, and supplier/vendor engagement for safety equipment.
  • Familiarity with contractor safety management and oversight of third-party service providers on-site.
  • Basic understanding of industrial hygiene principles, noise, ventilation and exposure control strategies.
  • Experience with emergency preparedness planning and coordination of response drills.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to present technical findings to frontline staff and executive leadership.
  • Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills to gain buy-in from operations, HR and maintenance teams.
  • Coaching and mentoring aptitude to develop supervisors and safety champions.
  • Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
  • High attention to detail and commitment to follow-through on corrective actions.
  • Project management skills and ability to prioritize across multiple sites and competing initiatives.
  • Resilience and adaptability to operate in fast-paced warehouse environments and manage change.
  • Training facilitation skills with a track record of creating engaging, outcomes-focused learning experiences.
  • Collaborative team player with ability to work cross-functionally and build consensus.
  • Customer-focused attitude with an emphasis on practical, operationally-driven safety solutions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED plus relevant safety certifications (OSHA 30 General Industry, Forklift Train-the-Trainer, First Aid/CPR).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Health & Safety, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
  • Professional certifications such as CSP (Certified Safety Professional), CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist), CHST, or NEBOSH are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Occupational Safety & Health
  • Industrial/Mechanical Engineering
  • Environmental Health
  • Public Health
  • Business Administration with EHS focus

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–10 years of progressive safety experience, with at least 3 years focused in warehouse/distribution environments.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years implementing safety programs across multiple distribution centers or manufacturing/warehouse operations.
  • Demonstrated success leading OSHA-compliant safety programs, reducing injury rates, and delivering measurable safety improvements.
  • Experience working as a consultant or in a matrixed organization, managing multiple stakeholder relationships and driving cross-site initiatives.
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