Senior Health and Safety Specialist â Health, Safety & Wellness (Human Resources)

Cambridge Memorial Hospital; Cambridge; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A community hospital in Cambridge is seeking a Senior Health and Safety Specialist to lead safety and risk prevention programs. This role ensures compliance with health and safety legislation, oversees incident reporting, and collaborates with clinical teams to enhance safety culture. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety and at least 5 years of experience in the healthcare sector.

Benefits

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)

Group benefits including health and dental

Employee and Family Assistance Program

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a health and safety role within the healthcare sector.
• Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) or equivalent certification preferred.
• Proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams in a unionized environment.

Responsibilities

• Implement workplace health and safety strategies across departments.
• Ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Mentor Junior Health, Safety, and Wellness staff.

Skills

Strong knowledge of applicable legislation

Excellent communication skills

Analytical skills

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety or related discipline

Tools

Electronic safety management systems

Workplace accommodation practices

Job description

Overview

Join a hospital where everyone makes a difference! Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) is a thriving community hospital that proudly provides acute care services including: Emergency, Surgery, Medicine, Women's and Children's Health, Intensive Care, Mental Health, and Inpatient Rehabilitation.

Our vision is to create healthier communities together. Our dedicated and skilled staff are passionate about providing outstanding patient-centered care and an exceptional patient experience to residents of the Waterloo Region and beyond.

Come be part of our vision as CMH leads in innovation and compassion! To learn more about CMH, please visit our website.

Why Should You Apply to CMH

• Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)
• Group benefits including health and dental for full-time employees
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Leadership and Quality Improvement Curriculum
• Career Development & Education Grant
• Wellness & Wellbeing Program
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Senior Health and Safety Specialist plays a lead role in the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of safety and risk prevention programs in a hospital setting. This role ensures compliance with all legislation and standards, leads incident investigations, and collaborates with leaders to foster a culture of safety for staff, patients, volunteers, physicians, medical professional staff, midwives, students, and visitors.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Build, implement, and evaluate workplace health and safety strategies across clinical and corporate departments.
2. Accountable for compliance, coordination, and oversight of occupational health and safety obligations at CMH.
3. Ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, WSIB regulations, Public Health directives, Accreditation Canada Standards, Employment Standards Act, and other applicable legislation.
4. Manage all Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) claims to ensure timely and accurate reporting, appropriate modified work planning, follow-ups, and compliance with return-to-work obligations, including appeals.
5. Oversee incident reporting, including critical injury investigations, workplace violence, and musculoskeletal injuries. Complete root cause analyses and lead corrective actions.
6. Coordinate and participate in internal and external inspections, risk assessments, and Ministry of Labour audits.
7. Serve as a subject matter expert on infection control requirements, workplace violence prevention, and safe patient handling issues related to code brown/spills, needle stick safety.
8. Collaborate with clinical teams, Joint Health and Safety Committee, Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), Facilities, and other departments to implement proactive safety solutions.
9. Monitor safety performance indicators, prepare regular reports, and present findings to leadership and committees internally and externally.
10. Support emergency preparedness and code response planning (e.g., Code Red, Code White, Code Silver), including drills and education.
11. Mentor Junior Health, Safety, and Wellness staff, and contribute to professional development and succession planning within the team.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Nursing, Public Health, or a related discipline.
2. Minimum 5 years of experience in a health and safety role within the healthcare sector.
3. Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) or equivalent certification preferred.
4. Strong knowledge of applicable legislation, clinical environments, patient safety concerns, and healthcare regulations.
5. Experience with electronic safety management systems (e.g., RL6, Parklane) and workplace accommodation practices.
6. Proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams in a unionized environment.
7. Excellent communication, facilitation, and analytical skills.

As part of our commitment to the health and safety of our patients, staff, and community from COVID-19, and subject to any accommodations required by applicable human rights legislation, CMH requires all staff to have received all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada.

The successful external applicant must provide a criminal record check upon request by Human Resources, in accordance with federal and provincial legislation. Valid criminal record checks must be in original format and dated within two months of the conditional offer from CMH.

We welcome all applicants and encourage members of equity-deserving groups, including Indigenous and LGBTQ2SIA communities, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion, neurodiversity, or physical ability. We promise to ask if needed and to provide reasonable accommodations during the recruitment and selection process to ensure an equitable experience.

To support this commitment, CMH is an employee partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion (CCDI) and provides access to CCDI resources and education for all members. We encourage you to reflect on our inclusive commitment and explore a promising future career at CMH.

Mari Iromoto, Executive Champion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Susan Toth, Director of Human Resources

CMH proudly integrates AI-based technologies into its applicant screening process to enhance recruitment. These tools aim to reduce bias and uphold fair hiring practices based on skills, education, and experience. CMH's AI assists, not replaces, human decision-making, with results audited to ensure quality and equity. This initiative reinforces the hospital's commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, ensuring the best talent is selected while adhering to core values.

We thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.