Safety Specialist

Smurfit Westrock; Evadale (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life insurance

401k with match

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discounts

Job summary

Smurfit Westrock in Evadale, TX is seeking a Safety Specialist to protect workers and ensure regulatory compliance across mill operations. You will develop and drive safety programs, train staff, manage SDS data, and coordinate audits with safety leadership.

Reporting to the Safety Manager, you will engage operations to reduce hazards, support emergency response, and maintain an accident-free workplace through proactive collaboration and ongoing learning.

Qualifications

• Minimum High School diploma or GED.
• 5+ years safety experience in manufacturing.
• Knowledge of OSHA regulations and safety standards.
• Ability to work in extreme temperatures and environments.

Responsibilities

• Integrate continuous safety improvements by engaging employees.
• Plan and implement safety policies in line with OSHA regulations.
• Inspect facilities and equipment to identify hazards and ensure compliance.
• Support Emergency Response Team and training programs.
• Manage SDS system and chemical approvals/annual auditing.
• Lead incident investigations and root-cause analyses.
• Conduct field High Risk Task audits and corrective actions.
• Participate in outages/startups and readiness reviews.
• Be a resource for incident reporting and corrective actions.

Skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Interpersonal skills

Microsoft Office

Education

High School diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Description & Requirements

Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is the go-to leader and partner of choice in sustainable packaging. We are dedicated to creating efficient and scalable paper and packaging solutions to help solve complex packaging challenges. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity and respect, we are committed to delivering meaningful value for shareholders, customers, employees and the communities where we operate.

Position

Safety Specialist

Job Code

OPHSP2 + Specialist, Safety

Location

Evadale, TX

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Safety Manager, the Safety Specialist position is expected to be visible throughout the manufacturing areas, interface with employees concerning health & safety, assess hazards, and implement practices to reduce hazards. This role will include delegated responsibility for managing a process or an area chosen by the Safety Manager. The Safety Specialist will use a proactive and collaborative approach when working with operations, management, & other support groups to create a healthy and safe work environment. This position has responsibility for supporting safety, emergency response, safety training programs, policies, & procedures to ensure the mill complies with all applicable health & safety corporate initiatives & regulations to achieve an accident‑free workplace.

How You Will Impact Smurfit Westrock

• Integrate continuous safety system improvements by driving employee engagement to achieve desired results


• Participate in the planning & implementation of communication strategies to deliver accurate, consistent, & timely information on business safety issues & employee concerns


• Plan and implement safety policies & procedures in compliance with WestRock policies, local, & federal OSHA regulations. This includes responsibility for annual regulatory review support.


• Inspect facilities, machinery, & safety equipment to identify & correct potential hazards, & to ensure safety regulation compliance


• Review employee safety programs to determine adequacy


• Will be responsible for driving the preparation activities for the (SES) Performance Standard audit with support from senior safety leaders


• This individual will act as the facilitator for all Performance Standard team meetings and development of corrective action plans to resolve GAPs identified during the mill (SES) self‑assessments and audits.


• Interview employees to obtain information about work environments, incidents, & feedback for workplace improvements


• Assist with coordination of industrial hygiene program


• Be responsible for helping manage the SDS system within the mill. This includes chemical approvals, uploading of SDSs, and annual auditing of inventory.


• Analize and approve chemical approval forms, and upload them into the Benchmark SDS database


• Subject matter expert on ISN networld for contractor management.


• Support the Emergency Response Team


• Perform field High Risk Task audits and develop corrective action plans for resolution of findings.


• Perform financial job duties such as creating Statement of Work, Purchasing Requisitions, and Purchase orders.


• Audit permits in the field and in the office.


• Participate in project reviews and management of change to ensure health & safety issues are adequately addressed prior to the startup of the process. Involvement in operational readiness reviews & approval of written operating procedures


• Be a resource for incident investigations - identify root causes of near misses, injuries & property damage to prevent future events of the same nature. Be a resource to operations & support groups so that incident reports are entered in a timely manner & corrective actions completed


• Becoming a HOP Advocate and facilitating HOP Human and Organizational Performance Learning Events. Create the final presentation, enter the event into BGS database.


• This position will be required to work on all annual and daily outages as scheduled. This may require working 12 hour shifts up to 21 days straight when needed. These shifts can include nights and weekends. This position will be responsible for taking call for the mill every three weeks.

What You Need To Succeed

• High School diploma or G.E.D.


• 5+ yrs. SAFETY experience at a paper mill or related business experience


• Thorough knowledge of safety standards and methodologies


• Specialist, Safety must be able to work in extreme hot & cold temperatures & industrial environments including routinely climbing ladders & stairs


• Strong technical understanding of Federal & State Safety & Health regulations


• Experience working with unions preferred


• Experience working with regulatory agencies on behalf of company required. Experience working with Corporate EH&S group is a must


• Electrical experience is a plus


• Must be proficient with Microsoft office suite


• Proven record of critical thinking and problem-solving


• Demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage and inspire others to comply with safety policies and standards


• Inspire others to develop themselves and seek out continuous learning opportunities by serving as a role model and seeking out personal developmental opportunities


• Government or professional training and compliance courses (e.g., OSHA 30-hour training) are preferred

What We Offer

• Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence.


• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities.


• An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies, and potential.


• Benefits package to include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401k with match, tuition reimbursement, employee discounts, employee referral bonus, and much more!


• A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.

Candidates are required to undergo a drug screening after receiving a conditional job offer, but before starting employment.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.