Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Warehouse Safety Officer

🎯 Role Definition

The Warehouse Safety Officer leads day-to-day safety activities for warehouse and distribution center operations. Acting as the subject matter expert for warehouse-specific risks, the officer develops and enforces safety policies and procedures, conducts regular inspections and audits, delivers targeted safety training (including forklift/MEWP/handheld equipment, PPE, LOTO and ergonomics), investigates incidents and near-misses, coordinates emergency response and workers’ compensation processes, and partners with operations and HR to drive measurable reductions in recordable incidents and lost-time injuries. This role requires strong regulatory knowledge, pragmatic risk mitigation skills, and the ability to influence front-line supervisors and warehouse teams to adopt safe work practices.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Safety Coordinator / Safety Technician (warehouse focus)
Warehouse Supervisor or Lead with safety responsibilities
Loss Prevention or Risk Control Specialist with logistics exposure

Advancement To:

EHS Manager / Warehouse Safety Manager
Regional Safety Manager or Distribution Safety Lead
Director of Occupational Health & Safety or Head of EHS

Lateral Moves:

Operations Manager (warehouse operations)
Quality Manager (safety & compliance overlap)
Loss Prevention Manager (retail distribution focus)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement and continuously refine the warehouse safety management system, including written policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), permits, and checklists tailored to receiving, storage, picking, packing, staging and shipping processes.
Conduct daily, weekly and monthly operational safety inspections and walkthroughs of receiving docks, racking, mezzanines, storage yards and staging areas, documenting hazards, assigning corrective actions, and verifying closure.
Lead formal safety audits (internal and third-party), prepare audit reports, prioritize findings, and drive remediation plans with operations, maintenance, and facilities teams to achieve full compliance with OSHA/Local regulatory requirements.
Investigate all workplace incidents, near misses and first aid cases using root cause analysis techniques (5-Why, RCA), produce thorough investigation reports, recommend corrective/preventive actions, and track corrective action effectiveness.
Maintain OSHA injury and illness logs (OSHA 300/301 forms or equivalent), report required incidents to regulatory agencies, manage record retention and ensure timely workers' compensation reporting and coordination with HR and insurance carriers.
Design, deliver and evaluate targeted safety training programs — new hire orientation, forklift operator certification, pallet jack and lift training, PPE, lockout/tagout (LOTO), fire safety and emergency response — and maintain accurate training records and certifications.
Establish and monitor key safety performance indicators (KPIs) such as TRIR, DART, near-miss reporting rate, training completion, audit score trends, and corrective action closure rates; present metrics and trend analysis to operations leadership.
Develop, implement and manage permit-to-work, confined space entry, fall protection and working-at-height programs specific to warehouse activities, ensuring competent person designation and rescue planning where required.
Implement and enforce forklift and powered industrial truck safety programs including pre-shift inspections, operator qualification, traffic management plans, dock safety, pedestrian segregation and speed control measures.
Manage PPE programs: select appropriate PPE, ensure availability, fit-testing (where applicable), enforce usage and monitor program effectiveness.
Coordinate contractor safety pre-qualification, site orientation, work permits, supervision and compliance verification for maintenance, construction and third-party service providers working on site.
Oversee hazardous materials, chemical storage and labeling programs (SDS management, HAZCOM/GHS) and coordinate spill prevention, containment and cleanup planning for warehouse chemical or fuel incidents.
Conduct ergonomic assessments for repetitive tasks, manual material handling, order picking and packing stations; recommend engineering or administrative controls to reduce musculoskeletal risk and recommend assistive devices or process changes.
Lead regular toolbox talks and shift-level safety huddles to reinforce safe work practices, communicate policy changes, corrective actions and seasonal hazards, and to increase near-miss and hazard reporting.
Coordinate emergency preparedness and response plans for fires, medical emergencies, severe weather and active threats; organize and lead periodic drills, evacuation exercises and liaison with local emergency services.
Manage the maintenance and inspection schedule for safety-critical equipment — dock levelers, fall protection anchors, guardrails, fire extinguishers, AEDs and emergency lighting — ensuring certifications and service records are current.
Serve as the primary point of contact for regulatory inspections (OSHA, local authorities), prepare documentation, accompany inspectors, respond to findings and lead abatement activities.
Implement behavior-based safety initiatives and employee engagement programs that encourage hazard recognition, reporting and continuous improvement, and run safety committees and cross-functional meetings.
Create and maintain comprehensive documentation: safety manuals, incident reports, training logs, inspection checklists, regulatory filings, and contractor records; ensure documentation is easily accessible to leadership and auditors.
Analyze accident and near-miss data to identify systemic trends and high-risk processes; propose and implement process design changes, engineering controls, or administrative controls to prevent recurrence.
Collaborate with maintenance and engineering to design safer material flow, storage systems and racking layouts to reduce tipping, overloading and collapse risks and to ensure compliance with load rating and aisle spacing requirements.
Enforce disciplinary and corrective action processes for non-compliance with safety policies in coordination with operations and HR, ensuring fair and consistent application while prioritizing coaching and training.
Oversee return-to-work programs and reasonable accommodations for injured workers, working closely with HR, supervisors and medical providers to safely reintegrate employees and reduce lost time.

Secondary Functions

Support continuous improvement initiatives (Lean/Six Sigma) by integrating safety risk assessments into process improvement projects and capital investments.
Provide subject matter expertise for procurement decisions related to safety equipment, racking, lifting aids and PPE to ensure purchased items meet operational safety needs and regulatory standards.
Assist in budget planning for safety programs and capital safety projects, justifying expenditures with risk reduction analysis and ROI on injury reduction.
Maintain and configure safety management software (EHS/Safety/Incident management tools) to ensure accurate incident capture, corrective action tracking and KPI dashboards.
Liaise with HR on behavioral and performance issues related to safety compliance, including coaching, documentation and escalation when necessary.
Coordinate seasonal safety campaigns (heat stress, cold weather, holiday surge) and targeted communications to address temporary risks arising from business cycles.
Support product damage reduction programs by advising on safe stacking, pallet quality, packaging standards and load securement methods.
Provide onboarding and competency assessment support for warehouse supervisors to ensure supervisory staff enforce safety standards and conduct effective pre-shift inspections.
Participate in vendor and customer site assessments when warehouse operations interface with third-party logistics providers and contract warehouses.
Keep abreast of industry best practices, new regulations and emerging safety technologies and recommend pilot programs (e.g., automated safety sensors, anti-slip coatings, wearable alerts).

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Comprehensive knowledge of OSHA standards (or applicable national/local occupational safety regulations), MSDS/SDS management and GHS/HAZCOM compliance.
Incident investigation and root cause analysis (RCA) skills, including the ability to produce formal reports and corrective action plans.
Experience developing and delivering safety training programs: powered industrial trucks (forklifts), LOTO, confined space, fall protection, PPE and emergency response.
Ability to conduct formal safety audits and inspections and to convert audit findings into prioritized remediation roadmaps.
Proficiency in risk assessment methodologies, job safety analysis (JSA/JHA), ergonomic risk assessments and hazard identification techniques.
Knowledge of warehouse equipment, racking systems, material handling equipment, conveyor safety, dock operations and storage best practices.
Familiarity with safety management and incident reporting software (e.g., iAuditor, Intelex, SAP EHS, Enablon or equivalent) and with MS Office for reporting and dashboards.
Competence in managing contractors and vendor safety pre-qualification and permit-to-work processes.
Practical knowledge of emergency response planning, AED/first aid program administration, and coordination with local emergency services.
Understanding of workers’ compensation processes, return-to-work case management and collaboration with HR and insurance providers.
Experience with behavior-based safety programs, KPI development (TRIR, DART, LTIFR) and safety culture interventions.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings and contribute to safe layout and material flow design decisions.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills for effective training, reporting and stakeholder engagement at all levels.
Influencing and coaching skills to effect behavior change among front-line staff and supervisors without direct authority.
Detail-oriented with strong observational skills and the ability to identify latent hazards and systemic weaknesses.
Problem-solving and analytical mindset to translate incident data into actionable process improvements.
Leadership and facilitation skills for safety committee leadership, cross-functional projects and emergency management.
Collaboration and interpersonal skills to partner with operations, maintenance, HR and external agencies.
Time management and prioritization to balance routine inspections, incident responses and strategic initiatives.
Resilience and composure in crisis situations and when managing workplace incidents.
Continuous learning orientation and curiosity to stay current on regulatory changes and safety innovations.
Change management skills to lead adoption of new procedures, equipment and safety processes across shifts.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED; required safety certifications (OSHA 10/30, Forklift operator certification) or equivalent experience.

Preferred Education:

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Health & Safety, Industrial Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field; or completion of recognized safety professional coursework.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Occupational Health & Safety
Environmental Health
Industrial Engineering
Logistics / Supply Chain Management
Facilities Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 7+ years of progressive safety experience in warehouse, distribution center or industrial settings; at least 2 years in a lead or specialist safety role preferred.

Preferred:

5+ years of warehouse/distribution safety experience, demonstrated success reducing recordable injuries, managing OSHA/regulatory interactions, and implementing behavior-based safety or risk reduction programs.
Certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHST, NEBOSH, or equivalent are highly desirable.