OSHA Consultant Safety

Job Code: 32002777
Salary Grade: NC18
Revision Date: 09/2023

Class Concept

Safety Consultants evaluate and provide technical assistance for the full range of occupational areas covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and its subsequent amendments. Employees are the single consultant in a geographic territory covering several counties or in large metropolitan areas requiring one or more consultants. Employees coordinate with management and employee representatives in evaluating safety procedures in employment facilities such as manufacturing workplaces, construction, communications, electric, gas, and sanitary services, wholesale trade, retail trade, agriculture, finance, insurance and real estate, business, professional, repair, health services, recreation, and other services, as well as State Government, local government, and municipal jurisdictions. Employees evaluate employer effectiveness in implementing management control systems, training, and safety committees for protection of employee safety as required by statute. OSHA Safety Consultants are often called upon to render advice and assistance in unconventional situations involving safety and risk hazards where the severity of the hazard must be weighed against operational priorities. Specialty roles exist that relate to the Carolina Star Program and standards officers. Work is performed under the general supervision of a technical supervisor and is evaluated through periodic conferences, observation of work, and written reports.

Safety Consultants identify apparent and potential occupational safety hazards, and potential causes of occupational injuries, illness, fatalities, and catastrophes and relate the findings to applicable state safety standards, provide sound recommendations to eliminate or control these hazards and analyze and provide recommendations on the overall effectiveness of the employer's safety programs. This includes case file management, time management, investigative processes and techniques, technical/legal interpretation, engineering controls and design of systems and methods for correcting any safety hazards observed by the consultant. Safety Consultants develop abatement plans, recommend engineering controls, and determine the technological feasibility of construction, fabrication, process modification, materials substitution, and equipment replacement as abatement alternatives in achieving the desired level of safety performance in the work site. Safety Consultants counsel subject employers in the interpretation of applicable federal and state standards and in the development of tailored programs of occupational safety designed to achieve compliance. Counsel is made available to individual employers on a limited basis but is primarily oriented toward reaching larger groups of employers of similar type through trades associations, guilds, and other collective organizations.

The primary role of Star Consultants includes conducting occupational safety surveys, interpreting applicable state safety standards, developing occupational safety programs, and evaluating an employer's overall safety program management systems in all types of industries. Specifically, Star Consultants evaluate applications to determine initial eligibility for the Carolina Star Program established to recognize worksites that are self-sufficient in their ability to control hazards at the worksite. Employees serve as team leaders or members for on-site pre-approval reviews and visiting worksites to review safety programs; providing post-approval technical assistance to applicants to meet Star criteria; and reviewing inspection report files after an investigation following a catastrophe, fatality, or complaint at Star worksites. The primary role of standards officers includes reviewing federal OSHA standards and policies, writing and reviewing OSH division policies, publications, and training materials, record keeping obligations, and providing technical assistance and support to internal and external personnel. Work includes the development of safety programs with employers and employee representatives; coordination of the design and development of a plan which will help prevent injuries and ensure compliance with the Act. Positions propose variances in standards by on-site investigation of problem areas and discussions with industrial associations, plant management, and employees; prepares reports recommending adoption or refusal of proposed changes based upon findings; coordinates with standards engineers on questions of engineering technicality. Investigates occupational areas with high injury and fatality incidence and attempts to develop innovative safety programs which will reduce rates. In addition, they answer inquiries from the public and OSH employees, assist with internal and external training, and are involved in state-specific rulemaking and variance requests. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Bureau Chief and Supervisor and is reviewed through written reports and periodic oral Conferences.

Recruitment Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Intermediate knowledge of the interpretive application of federal and state occupational safety standards and regulations promulgated under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
• Intermediate knowledge of the operational procedures utilized in subject occupational areas
• Ability to provide consultative services on occupational safety to all levels of management, including collective organizations, with confidence, consistency, and tact
• Ability to maintain an overview of standards application on a state-wide basis in researching proposed variances, to develop well-founded recommendations in support or denial of such requests, and to prepare concise written documentation of field research and conclusions
• Extensive knowledge of all OSHA and consensus standards relating to occupational safety
• Ability to research and analyze to extract pertinent information from a variety of sources
• Ability to prioritize and efficiently respond to a large volume of professional and public inquiries and requests for technical and consultative assistance, training, and other outreach requests
• Ability to instruct others in the various policies and methodologies used in conducting occupational safety inspections, consultative surveys, and technical assistance provided to general industry, construction, and public-sector employers in North Carolina
• Ability to design training programs based upon conceptual exploration, needs assessment along with the ability to work effectively with others

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in occupational safety, industrial management or technology, industrial arts, industrial engineering, engineering operations, occupational safety and health, biology, public health, chemistry, or a closely related curriculum and five years of experience in occupational safety inspections; or Completion of an associate degree or two-year technical institute course in industrial safety and health technology, industrial management technology, manufacturing engineering technology, industrial engineering technology, or a closely related curriculum and six years of experience in occupational safety inspections; or High school and eight years of occupational safety experience including four years conducting safety inspections; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.