Environmental Health and Safety Specialist

Responsibilities

Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain and monitor compliance with all applicable safety regulations, including federal OSHA (29 CFR 1910), Cal/OSHA (Title 8 CCR), CAP accreditation standards, CLIA regulations (42 CFR Part 493), and NYSDOH requirements for any New York-licensed testing activity.
• Serve as the internal point of contact and subject matter expert for EHS-related regulatory inquiries, inspections, and surveys.
• Interpret new or revised regulatory requirements and translate them into actionable policy or procedural updates in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with the Quality and Compliance teams to ensure EHS requirements are integrated into the laboratory quality management system (QMS).

Safety Inspections

• Plan and conduct comprehensive quarterly safety inspections of all laboratory, storage, and office areas, covering physical hazards, chemical safety, biological safety, fire safety, ergonomics, and emergency preparedness.
• Document inspection findings using standardized checklists; assign corrective actions with owners and due dates; track completion to closure.
• Prepare quarterly inspection summary reports for leadership and Quality/Compliance committees.
• Conduct unannounced spot checks and follow-up inspections between quarterly cycles as warranted by incident trends or operational changes.
• Maintain all inspection records in the document management system in accordance with CAP, CLIA, and OSHA recordkeeping requirements.

Hazardous Waste Management

• Oversee all aspects of hazardous waste management, including chemical waste, biological/infectious waste, sharps, and mixed waste streams, in compliance with EPA, California DTSC, and applicable local regulations.
• Maintain accurate hazardous waste manifests, profiles, and disposal records; coordinate with licensed waste disposal vendors.
• Conduct and document regular waste accumulation area inspections and ensure proper labeling, segregation, and container integrity at all satellite accumulation points.
• Manage biohazardous and regulated medical waste (RMW) disposal programs, including waste stream documentation.
• Maintain the laboratory's chemical inventory and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) library; ensure all hazardous materials are properly labeled and stored in accordance with HazCom (GHS) standards.
• Coordinate annual hazardous materials business plan (HMBP) reporting through the California CERS system.

Incident & Near-Miss Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all Environmental safety incidents, near misses, and occupational exposures; ensure timely initial response, investigation, and reporting.
• Conduct thorough root cause analyses (RCA) for safety incidents and near misses using structured methodologies; develop and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Complete and submit OSHA 300/300A logs and required incident reports; ensure Cal/OSHA reporting obligations (e.g., serious injury/illness, fatality reporting) are met within required timeframes.
• Manage the workers' compensation reporting process in collaboration with the People team and insurance carrier; support return-to-work programs as appropriate.
• Maintain a near-miss reporting program; analyze trends and present findings to leadership on a quarterly basis to drive proactive risk reduction.
• Track all incidents and CAPAs in the QMS; escalate unresolved or recurring issues to appropriate management.

Ergonomics & Repetitive Motion Injury Prevention

• Conduct ergonomic assessments of bench work, pipetting stations, sample accessioning, packaging/kitting lines, and office workstations at both sites, identifying risk factors for repetitive strain and musculoskeletal injury.
• Develop and maintain an ergonomics program addressing high-frequency repetitive tasks common in molecular diagnostics workflows (e.g., pipetting, plate handling, manual kit assembly), including job rotation recommendations, micro-break guidance, and adjustable equipment (chairs, monitor arms, anti-fatigue mats, ergonomic pipettes).
• Partner with Lab Operations and Supply Chain leads to redesign high-volume, high-repetition workstations and processes to reduce cumulative trauma risk.
• Track early symptom reporting for repetitive strain (e.g., wrist, shoulder, back discomfort) and coordinate early intervention — stretching programs, equipment adjustments, or referral to occupational health — before symptoms progress to lost-time injuries.
• Include ergonomics and repetitive motion injury awareness as a standing component of new hire and recurring EHS training.
• Maintain metrics on ergonomic assessments completed, equipment provided, and repetitive strain injury/near-miss trends across both sites.

Safety Training & Culture

• Develop and deliver required safety training programs for new hires and existing employees, including but not limited to: Bloodborne Pathogens, Hazard Communication, Chemical Hygiene, PPE selection and use, Fire Safety, Emergency Action Plan, and Ergonomics.
• Maintain training records and ensure training completion rates meet regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Champion a speak-up safety culture by promoting near-miss reporting, participating in safety committee meetings, and providing safety communications (e.g., safety alerts, toolbox talks).

Documentation & Recordkeeping

• Author, review, and maintain EHS standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies, forms, and checklists within the document management system.
• Ensure all EHS records — inspection reports, training records, incident reports, waste manifests, permits, and correspondence with regulatory agencies — are complete, accurate, and retained per applicable regulatory requirements.
• Prepare and submit required regulatory reports and permit renewals (e.g., business license hazmat disclosures, EPA/DTSC reports, Cal/OSHA Form 300A annual summary posting).
• Maintain the EHS section of the quality management system; support internal and external audits by providing organized, audit-ready documentation.
• Track and report EHS key performance indicators (KPIs) including incident rates, training completion, inspection closure rates, and waste disposal metrics.