EHS Specialist

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The EHS Specialist is responsible for leading and continuously improving the Safety, Health, Environment, and Security (SHES) programs at Minova's Georgetown, Kentucky chemical manufacturing facility. This position serves as the site's visible safety leader and partners with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Human Resources, and Plant Leadership to ensure a safe workplace, maintain regulatory compliance, protect the environment, and drive a culture of continuous improvement.

The EHS Specialist is expected to operate beyond regulatory compliance by demonstrating initiative, ownership, strategic thinking, employee engagement, and visible leadership throughout the facility. This role proactively identifies risks, develops practical solutions, leads incident investigations, drives corrective actions to completion, and builds employee accountability for safety while supporting the manufacturing of bonding resins and powdered chemical products.

Key Accountabilities

Safety, Health, Environment & Security Leadership

• Serve as the site's primary Safety, Health, Environment & Security resource.
• Promote a safety-first culture focused on achieving zero injuries and occupational illnesses.
• Serve as the visible leader of safety throughout the facility by maintaining a consistent presence on the production floor across all operating shifts.
• Build strong working relationships with employees, supervisors, contractors, and plant leadership.
• Proactively engage employees regarding safe work practices, hazards, concerns, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead safety culture initiatives that increase employee ownership and accountability.
• Demonstrate initiative by independently identifying risks and opportunities without waiting for direction.
• Develop practical recommendations, implementation plans, and corrective actions for identified risks.
• Communicate SHES expectations, priorities, and performance throughout the organization.
• Ensure contractors comply with Minova SHES standards.
• Support plant leadership in creating an environment where safety is integrated into daily operations.

Regulatory Compliance & Environmental Stewardship

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT, NFPA, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Maintain environmental permits and required regulatory reporting.
• Monitor regulatory changes and implement compliance improvements.
• Ensure compliance with Hazard Communication, Chemical Hygiene, Respiratory Protection, Lockout/Tagout, Permit Required Confined Space, Powered Industrial Truck, Hearing Conservation, and other applicable OSHA programs.
• Maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and chemical inventory systems.
• Oversee hazardous waste management, spill prevention, stormwater compliance, and environmental recordkeeping.
• Support sustainability and waste reduction initiatives.
• Maintain the site's license to operate through proactive regulatory compliance.

Process Safety & Chemical Manufacturing

• Support the safe manufacturing of bonding resins and powdered chemical products.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), and risk assessments.
• Evaluate new equipment, chemicals, and processes for SHES impacts.
• Ensure safe handling, storage, labeling, and transportation of hazardous chemicals.
• Support industrial hygiene monitoring as required.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to reduce process risks while supporting production efficiency.

Incident Investigation & Risk Management

• Lead all safety incident, injury, near miss, environmental, property damage, and unsafe condition investigations regardless of shift.
• Personally interview employees, witnesses, supervisors, and contractors to determine root causes.
• Conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and develop corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with Operations while maintaining ownership of the SHES investigation process.
• Ensure corrective actions are assigned, tracked, completed, and verified for effectiveness.
• Escalate serious incidents, repeat findings, and overdue corrective actions.
• Utilize incident trends to develop proactive improvement initiatives.
• Reinforce accountability through timely and effective investigations.

SHES Programs, Audits & Continuous Improvement

• Conduct routine safety inspections, behavioral observations, and compliance audits.
• Maintain emergency response equipment inventories including fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, safety showers, spill response equipment, and emergency supplies.
• Maintain accurate emergency equipment maps and inspection records.
• Ensure inspection contractors receive accurate facility information.
• Support internal, external, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Maintain corrective action tracking systems.
• Identify recurring deficiencies and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Track and analyze SHES Key Performance Indicators.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean principles and 5S methodologies.
• Continuously evaluate existing safety programs and recommend improvements.

Training & Employee Engagement

• Coordinate and deliver SHES training including:
• New Employee Orientation
• OSHA Required Training
• Hazard Communication
• Lockout/Tagout
• Respiratory Protection
• Emergency Response
• Forklift Safety
• PPE
• Contractor Orientation
• Annual Refresher Training
• Coordinate monthly safety meetings.
• Lead and facilitate Safety Committee meetings.
• Develop strategies that increase employee participation in safety programs.
• Coach supervisors on safety leadership and accountability.
• Promote employee involvement through floor engagement and safety observations.

Emergency Preparedness

• Coordinate the site's Emergency Response Program.
• Maintain emergency response plans.
• Schedule emergency response drills.
• Coordinate with local emergency responders.
• Ensure emergency equipment remains inspection-ready.
• Support crisis management activities.

Leadership & Ownership

• Operate as the plant's safety leader rather than solely a compliance administrator.
• Demonstrate ownership by following initiatives through completion.
• Present solutions—not just problems—to plant leadership.
• Prioritize work based on risk, compliance, and business impact.
• Coordinate responsibility transitions through management using documented plans.
• Continuously evaluate personal workload to maximize time spent on value-added safety leadership activities.
• Foster accountability throughout the organization by coaching employees and supervisors.
• Lead cross-functional SHES improvement projects.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, Chemistry, or related field preferred.
• Associate degree with equivalent experience considered with experience.
• High School Diploma or GED required.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of EHS experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Chemical manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with hazardous chemicals and OSHA Process Safety principles preferred.
• Experience leading incident investigations and Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience conducting OSHA and environmental compliance audits.
• Experience developing and delivering employee training programs.
• Experience leading cross-functional safety initiatives.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Salary : $75,000 - $85,000