Environment Safety Officer

Navajo Preference Employment Act In accordance with Navajo Nation and federal law, TCRHCC has implemented an Affirmative Action Plan pursuant to the Navajo Preference in Employment Act. Pursuant to this Plan and corresponding TCRHCC Policy, applicants who meet the necessary qualifications for this position and (1) are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, or San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe will be given preference in hiring and employment for this position, (2) are legally married to enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, or San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and meet residency requirements will be given secondary preference, and (3) are enrolled members of other federally-recognized American Indian Tribes will be given tertiary preference.

Overview

POSITION SUMMARY This position is responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of a multi-faceted, comprehensive environment control, and occupational health and safety program to provide protection for patients, staff and visitors of Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation (TCRHCC). The incumbent is responsible for a wide variety of Environment of Care programs including emergency, hazardous material/waste and Life Safety management programs in order to maintain a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors, and meet Acute Care Hospital accreditations requirements, plus the requirements of other applicable federal, state and local regulatory agencies.

This incumbent will perform work in accordance with established policies, procedures and practices, and is given wide latitude for the use of independent judgement per direction from the Chief Quality Officer.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Healthcare, Administration, Healthcare Engineering or an applicable healthcare related field Experience: Must have at least two (2) years of experience performing in the healthcare environment, to include the development and implementation of a comprehensive safety program, with practical knowledge of the concepts, principles, methods and techniques of environmental health safety in a healthcare environment.

Certification: Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) within one (1) year of employment as the Safety Officer. Other Skills and Abilities: A record of satisfactory performance in all prior and current employment as evidenced by positive employment references from previous and current employers.

All employment references must address and indicate success in each one of the following areas: Positive working relationships with others Possession of high ethical standards and no history of complaints Reliability and dependability regarding commitment, and time and attendance Practical knowledge of the concepts, principles, methods and techniques of environmental health, radiation protection, food protection and institutional environmental health Excellent verbal and written communication skills, to include the ability to persuade and elicit cooperation from others Excellent organization and record keeping skills Ability to utilize computer hardware and software to research issues, create and maintain safety related reports, accomplish communication needs, and perform data analysis and presentation Completion of and, above-satisfactory scores on all job interviews, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the interviewees and TCRHCC that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job Successful completion of and positive results from all background and reference checks, including positive employment references from authorized representatives of past and current employers demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC a record of satisfactory performance and that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job Successful completion of fingerprint clearance requirements, physical examinations, and other screenings indicating that the applicant is qualified to be employed by TCRHCC and demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job Submission of all required employment-related documents, applications, resumes, references, and other required information free of false, misleading, or incomplete information, as determined by TCRHCC.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EFFORT The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical: The work involves prolonged periods of sitting in an office setting operating a personal computer and frequent movement throughout the hospital.

Distant travel may be required for site reviews, program development and execution, and training Mental: The incumbent serves in a consultative and leadership role for addressing issues related to a wide variety of Environment and Care Programs, positively advocating for the Service Unit Environment: Position may require prolong work in outdoor weather conditions; extreme cold; or extreme heat.

May require frequent work near moving mechanical parts, fumes, or airborne particles. This position requires infrequent exposure to wet, humid conditions; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; risk of radiation; and, vibration. Typical noise level in position is moderate.

Responsibilities

Directs, implements, evaluates, and continuously improves the organization‑wide Environment of Care and Occupational Safety and Health Programs to support the safe delivery of quality patient care and minimize risk to patients, staff, visitors, and contractors across all TCRHCC facilities. Conducts routine and ongoing EC risk assessments and safety inspections of work areas and physical environments; collaborates with department leaders to identify deficiencies, implement corrective actions, and mitigate safety risks in accordance with TJC standards.

Manages the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Program (EC.02.02.01), including the Hazard Communication Program, ensuring compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements for the safe handling, storage, use, and disposal of hazardous materials and waste. Supports development, implementation, and evaluation of the Emergency Management (EM) Program, addressing all hazards and all phases of emergency management—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery—including coordination of off‑site disaster recovery operations and documenting exercises and after‑action improvements.

Integrates EC, EM, Life Safety, Fire Safety, Security and Utilities management programs through Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) framework by developing metrics, trend performances, identifies opportunities of improvement and ensures corrective actions. Provides and coordinates organization‑wide safety education and training, including New Employee Orientation and annual mandatory education, to ensure staff knowledge of EC, EM, and Life Safety responsibilities and organizational safety policies.

Ensures compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements, including TJC, CMS, OSHA, EPA, FDA, NFPA, and applicable state and local regulations related to EC, Life Safety, and EM. Plans, schedules, and evaluates Life Safety and fire safety activities, including fire drills, fire response training, and Physical Environment/EC rounds for all campuses, outpatient clinics, and satellite sites, in accordance with TJC occupancy and Life Safety Code requirements.

Chairs and oversees the Safety Committee, ensuring multidisciplinary participation; prepares agendas, maintains meeting minutes, validates data presented, and tracks actions, outcomes, and performance improvement initiatives consistent with QAPI expectations. Conducts proactive and trended risk assessments across clinical and non‑clinical environments; identifies actual and potential safety risks, prioritizes findings, and develops and monitors corrective action plans to reduce risk and improve environmental safety performance.

Monitors, trends, and analyzes safety, injury, and security incident reports through the organization’s incident reporting systems (e.g., I‑Star, RL6); recommends policy, process, and system improvements based on data analysis and performance trends. Advises and supports leadership and management staff in the consistent enforcement of safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements, promoting a culture of safety and continuous readiness.

Collaborates with Employee Health and Human Resources to support employee injury management, workers’ compensation processes, exposure follow‑up, and return‑to‑work initiatives, aligning with OSHA and TJC requirements. Ensure proper PPE is worn at all times while on duty including but not limited to, face mask, gloves, gown, isolation gown, NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator or higher, if available), and eye or face shield.

Complete all donning and doffing tasks in a safe acceptable method and discard of used PPE accordingly. (see CDC website for most current updates) Complete task training for all routine cleaning and decontamination processes for all surfaces contaminated by a communicable disease to ensure a high level of patient, visitor, employee, and external customer satisfaction.

Performs other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Directs, implements, evaluates, and continuously improves the organization‑wide Environment of Care and Occupational Safety and Health Programs to support the safe delivery of quality patient care and minimize risk to patients, staff, visitors, and contractors across all TCRHCC facilities. Conducts routine and ongoing EC risk assessments and safety inspections of work areas and physical environments; collaborates with department leaders to identify deficiencies, implement corrective actions, and mitigate safety risks in accordance with TJC standards.

Manages the Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Program (EC.02.02.01), including the Hazard Communication Program, ensuring compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements for the safe handling, storage, use, and disposal of hazardous materials and waste. Supports development, implementation, and evaluation of the Emergency Management (EM) Program, addressing all hazards and all phases of emergency management-mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery-including coordination of off‑site disaster recovery operations and documenting exercises and after‑action improvements.

Integrates EC, EM, Life Safety, Fire Safety, Security and Utilities management programs through Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) framework by developing metrics, trend performances, identifies opportunities of improvement and ensures corrective actions. Provides and coordinates organization‑wide safety education and training, including New Employee Orientation and annual mandatory education, to ensure staff knowledge of EC, EM, and Life Safety responsibilities and organizational safety policies.

Ensures compliance with accreditation and regulatory requirements, including TJC, CMS, OSHA, EPA, FDA, NFPA, and applicable state and local regulations related to EC, Life Safety, and EM. Plans, schedules, and evaluates Life Safety and fire safety activities, including fire drills, fire response training, and Physical Environment/EC rounds for all campuses, outpatient clinics, and satellite sites, in accordance with TJC occupancy and Life Safety Code requirements.

Chairs and oversees the Safety Committee, ensuring multidisciplinary participation; prepares agendas, maintains meeting minutes, validates data presented, and tracks actions, outcomes, and performance improvement initiatives consistent with QAPI expectations. Conducts proactive and trended risk assessments across clinical and non‑clinical environments; identifies actual and potential safety risks, prioritizes findings, and develops and monitors corrective action plans to reduce risk and improve environmental safety performance.

Monitors, trends, and analyzes safety, injury, and security incident reports through the organization’s incident reporting systems (e.g., I‑Star, RL6); recommends policy, process, and system improvements based on data analysis and performance trends. Advises and supports leadership and management staff in the consistent enforcement of safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements, promoting a culture of safety and continuous readiness.

Collaborates with Employee Health and Human Resources to support employee injury management, workers’ compensation processes, exposure follow‑up, and return‑to‑work initiatives, aligning with OSHA and TJC requirements. Ensure proper PPE is worn at all times while on duty including but not limited to, face mask, gloves, gown, isolation gown, NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator or higher, if available), and eye or face shield.

Complete all donning and doffing tasks in a safe acceptable method and discard of used PPE accordingly. (see CDC website for most current updates) Complete task training for all routine cleaning and decontamination processes for all surfaces contaminated by a communicable disease to ensure a high level of patient, visitor, employee, and external customer satisfaction.

Performs other duties as assigned. NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Healthcare, Administration, Healthcare Engineering or an applicable healthcare related field Experience: Must have at least two (2) years of experience performing in the healthcare environment, to include the development and implementation of a comprehensive safety program, with practical knowledge of the concepts, principles, methods and techniques of environmental health safety in a healthcare environment.

Certification: Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) within one (1) year of employment as the Safety Officer. Other Skills and Abilities: A record of satisfactory performance in all prior and current employment as evidenced by positive employment references from previous and current employers.

All employment references must address and indicate success in each one of the following areas: Positive working relationships with others Possession of high ethical standards and no history of complaints Reliability and dependability regarding commitment, and time and attendance Practical knowledge of the concepts, principles, methods and techniques of environmental health, radiation protection, food protection and institutional environmental health Excellent verbal and written communication skills, to include the ability to persuade and elicit cooperation from others Excellent organization and record keeping skills Ability to utilize computer hardware and software to research issues, create and maintain safety related reports, accomplish communication needs, and perform data analysis and presentation Completion of and, above-satisfactory scores on all job interviews, demonstrating to the satisfaction of the interviewees and TCRHCC that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job Successful completion of and positive results from all background and reference checks, including positive employment references from authorized representatives of past and current employers demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC a record of satisfactory performance and that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job Successful completion of fingerprint clearance requirements, physical examinations, and other screenings indicating that the applicant is qualified to be employed by TCRHCC and demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job Submission of all required employment-related documents, applications, resumes, references, and other required information free of false, misleading, or incomplete information, as determined by TCRHCC.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EFFORT The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical: The work involves prolonged periods of sitting in an office setting operating a personal computer and frequent movement throughout the hospital.

Distant travel may be required for site reviews, program development and execution, and training Mental: The incumbent serves in a consultative and leadership role for addressing issues related to a wide variety of Environment and Care Programs, positively advocating for the Service Unit Environment: Position may require prolong work in outdoor weather conditions; extreme cold; or extreme heat.

May require frequent work near moving mechanical parts, fumes, or airborne particles. This position requires infrequent exposure to wet, humid conditions; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; risk of radiation; and, vibration. Typical noise level in position is moderate.