Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist in Fort Wayne, Indiana at Press-Seal Gasket Corporation

PURPOSE OF POSITION

The Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining environmental, health, and safety programs that promote a safe workplace while ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations across multiple facilities.

This position serves as the organization's primary resource for environmental compliance, workplace safety, regulatory reporting, workers' compensation administration, and continuous improvement initiatives. The EHS Specialist partners with leaders across all facilities to identify risks, implement corrective actions, deliver employee training, and foster a culture centered on safety, accountability, and operational excellence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

· Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, state, local, and company environmental, health, and safety regulations.

· Develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve EHS policies, programs, and procedures.

· Maintain environmental permits and regulatory compliance documentation.

· Prepare and submit OSHA logs, required regulatory reports, and environmental filings within established deadlines.

· Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies and external EHS consultants.

· Monitor changes in environmental and safety regulations and recommend policy updates as needed.

SAFETY INSPECTIONS, RISK ASSESSMENT & INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

· Conduct routine inspections and audits of all facilities to identify environmental, health, and safety risks.

· Develop inspection schedules, audit protocols, and corrective action plans.

· Investigate workplace injuries, illnesses, property damage incidents, and near misses.

· Perform root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions.

· Monitor completion of corrective actions and verify long-term effectiveness.

· Analyze safety trends and recommend improvements to reduce workplace risk.

· Support accident prevention initiatives and proactive hazard identification throughout the organization.

· Complete JSAs for each cell as required.

TRAINING & SAFETY CULTURE

· Develop, coordinate, and deliver environmental, health, and safety training programs.

· Conduct training on OSHA requirements, emergency response, hazard communication, PPE, lockout/tagout, ergonomics, and other regulatory topics.

· Partners with managers and supervisors to reinforce safe work practices and accountability.

· Promote employee engagement through safety meetings, awareness campaigns, and continuous education.

· Assist leadership in building and sustaining a proactive safety culture.

· Assist in training on JSA findings, updated safety protocols of all cells and orientation safety

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS & RECORD MANAGEMENT

· Maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and hazardous chemical inventories.

· Maintain records related to hazardous waste disposal, employee exposure monitoring, environmental permits, inspections, and compliance activities.

· Ensure all EHS documentation remains accurate, current, and audit ready.

· Prepare quarterly and annual EHS performance reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

· Maintain administrative documentation supporting environmental and safety programs.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION & EMPLOYEE HEALTH

· Coordinate employee medical treatment related to occupational injuries and illnesses.

· Administer workers' compensation claims in partnership with Human Resources and insurance providers.

· Coordinate return-to-work and transitional duty programs.

· Monitor injury trends and recommend initiatives to reduce incidents and associated costs.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT & OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

· Participate in and lead Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives that improve workplace safety, environmental compliance, and operational efficiency.

· Utilize safety metrics, audits, and trend analysis to identify opportunities for improvement.

· Partner with department leadership to implement best practices that reduce risk and improve performance.

· Support organizational initiatives that strengthen operational excellence across all facilities.

LEADERSHIP & COLLABORATION

· Partner with managers, supervisors, and employees to ensure consistent application of EHS policies and procedures.

· Provide guidance and technical expertise on environmental, health, and safety matters.

· Participate in cross-functional teams supporting safety, quality, environmental, and operational initiatives.

· Promote accountability and ownership of safety responsibilities at every level of the organization.

· Perform other duties as assigned in support of company objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

· Bachelor’s degree in occupational safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Health & Safety, or a related field required.

· Five (5) or more years of environmental, health, and safety experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.

· Professional certifications such as ASP, CSP, CHMM, CPR, First Aid, or AED are highly desirable.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

· Comprehensive knowledge of OSHA, EPA, and applicable environmental, health, and safety regulations.

· Strong understanding of incident investigation, root cause analysis, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance.

· Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.

· Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

· Ability to influence and build positive working relationships across all organizational levels.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).

· Experience utilizing EHS software systems and environmental monitoring equipment is preferred.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position regularly works in both office and manufacturing environments. Employees may be exposed to heat, cold, dust, fumes, noise, moving mechanical equipment, uneven walking surfaces, and outdoor weather conditions while conducting inspections or supporting operations.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This position will have daily walking, standing, sitting, and occasional lifting up to 20lbs. This position may have to deal with heights off the ground 10-20 feet.