Safety Support Specialist

Reports to Environmental Health & Safety Director

Job Summary:

The Safety Support Specialist is responsible for EHS assessments concentrating on special focus areas like incident response and reporting, regulatory compliance and recordkeeping, facility and equipment safety, and risk assessments (chemical & physical hazards). The Safety Support Specialist is critical in creating an engaging environment around safety and establishing a safety-oriented culture with strong involvement of each employee. This position requires decision-making, policy formation, and guidance in the context of intimate knowledge regarding manufacturing practices, raw materials, business development objectives, and R&D activities.

Office Environment: 60% of the work is conducted in an office setting, involving time spent on computer research, project management, and communication with team members and stakeholders. Frequent participation in both in-person and virtual meetings, including project updates, strategy sessions, and presentations to management and stakeholders.

Production Environment: 35% Regular visits to the production areas will involve exposure to machinery, noise, varying temperatures, humidity, and wet conditions.

Travel: <5% Occasional travel for training, meetings, conferences, etc.

Schedule: Flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed based on operational requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Incident & Emergency Response

• Help respond to injuries, near misses, or safety incidents by gathering information, taking photos, and assisting in root-cause investigations.
• Prepare or support documentation such as incident reports, corrective-action plans, and follow-up verifications.
• Track safety metrics (TRIR, DART, near misses, leading indicators) and assist in trend analysis and reporting.
• Support fire extinguisher, eyewash/shower, alarm, AED, and emergency equipment checks.
• Participate in drills and help coordinate emergency-response activities.
• Support ergonomic assessments and improvement projects.
• Assist supervisors and maintenance teams with equipment safety verifications, guarding assessments, and lockout point labeling.

1. Training & Communication

• Support onboarding and refresher training for safety topics such as LOTO, chemical safety, fall protection, forklift safety, ergonomics, and emergency response.
• Help maintain accurate training records and coordinate training schedules.
• Develop and post clear, bilingual safety communication materials (bulletins, posters, digital screens, toolbox talks).
• Assist with safety campaigns, safety week events, and employee recognition initiatives.
• Assist in implementing and maintaining OSHA-required safety programs (LOTO, machine guarding, PPE, powered industrial trucks, hazard communication, confined space, etc.).
• Help conduct and document hazard assessments, job safety analyses (JSAs), and routine workplace inspections.
• Support monthly Safety Committee activities, including agenda preparation, meeting facilitation, and follow-up on action items.
• Participate in internal audits and verification activities to ensure compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate degree or safety-related coursework preferred.
• 1–3 years of experience in manufacturing, warehouse, construction, or EHS-related roles (or strong interest in safety with leadership potential).
• Working knowledge of general OSHA requirements (training can be provided).
• Strong communication skills; ability to work with diverse teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable with documentation, data entry, and technology (Microsoft Office; safety software preferred).
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a strong plus.

Working Conditions/ Physical Requirements:

1. Regular visits to production areas will involve exposure to machinery, high noise levels, varying temperatures, humidity, and wet conditions.
2. Must be comfortable sharing office space with other professionals and performing repetitive, computer-based tasks. This includes extended periods of sitting, reaching with hands and arms, and using input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, and other tools. The role requires maintaining focus on detailed screen work for prolonged durations, including tasks such as data analysis, report preparation, and troubleshooting operational issues.
3. Must be able to sit, stand, walk, reach, stretch, stoop, and bend for extended periods. Ability to walk production floors, climb stairs, and respond quickly during incidents.
4. Ability to work around ingredients and/or finished products containing food allergens.
5. Must be able to communicate through various channels, including phone, email, face-to-face, and videoconferencing, effectively building and presenting organized data and plans to executive leadership, internal and external groups of various sizes, and key stakeholders.

The physical demands described in this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job. Other duties or tasks may be assigned as required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

At Cloverdale Foods, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range.  Actual base pay within that range will depend upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge, skill set, level of experience, and geographic market location.

Other components of Cloverdale Foods’ total compensation package include life insurance, medical, dental and vision coverage, pay-for-performance merit increases, and 401(k) with employer match, paid vacation, weekly massage reimbursement, and more.

Cloverdale Foods Company offers a competitive compensation package and an excellent benefits program. For confidential consideration, please send your resume to HRDept@cloverdalefoods.com or Fax: 701-663-0690. To comply with government recordkeeping requirements, please go to http://www.cloverdalefoods.com/employment/apply.asp and send us a completed Online Application along with your resume/cover letter.

Cloverdale Foods Company is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.