Safety Contractor Specialist

Job Summary

The Contractor Safety Programs (CSP) group is comprised of Contractor Safety and the Quality Management Program (QMP). CSP reviews, monitors, and evaluates contractors performing work for CenterPoint Energy from a Safety and Quality perspective and oversees conformance to applicable regulatory requirements and CenterPoint Energy policies and procedures. Our objective is to promote a safety culture that protects human life and assets, while enhancing the quality of work, and mitigating risk.

The contractor safety specialist will monitor, review, and evaluate contractor safety performance. Perform contractor field safety evaluations, track contractor incidents, and respond as needed. Will manage and continuously review and update the contractor safety written program and safety scorecard criteria. Responsible for coordinating and hosting the annual Contractor Safety Summit. Communicates observation trends and provides recommendations, and reports as necessary to the Contractor Safety Programs Manager. Verifies timely implementation of corrective and preventative safety actions by contractor, including effectiveness of the action. Communicates, presents, coordinates, and collaborates with internal/external contacts on contractor safety oversight findings and activities.

Essential Functions

• Monitor, review, evaluate, and report on contractor safety performance.
• Maintain the contractor safety management system and manage the contractor safety program.
• Review, update, and communicate contractor safety scorecard and metrics.
• Effectively communicate and apply general understanding of industry safety regulatory requirements and company policies and procedures.
• Establish a metric and conduct contractor safety field observations, report trends or concerns.
• Establish contacts with contractor safety leadership and build rapport with crews.
• Establish project safety elements and expectation of contractors onsite as needed.
• Respond to contractor incidents, gather and retain required documentation, and participate in depositions as needed. Interface with regulatory agencies as needed.
• Provide feedback and present to internal/external contractor safety management and risk oversight groups.
• Participate and collaborate in contractor orientations, roundtables, regional meetings, industry conferences, continuous improvement initiatives.
• Responsible for the oversight of contractor safety and for providing Safety & Health input.
• Receives, researches, and responds to requests for information all while understanding the sensitivity and critical nature of the information and to what extent it should be shared.
• Oversee third-party field safety representatives as applicable.
• Plan and host the annual Contractor Safety Summit.
• Develop and maintain standard work instructions (SWI) for the role.
• Conduct safety cross training to internal cross collaborative groups.
• Assist with the onboarding, ongoing support of Contractors, and offboarding.
• This position will require travel, some of which may be overnight.

Education Description

Bachelor’s degree preferred from an accredited college or university with safety, health, or technical emphasis or in lieu of education, requires at least eight (8) years of experience managing safety practices in natural gas/electric utility industry or technical field.

Experience

Minimum three (3) years in energy delivery, safety management, or related industry experience. Prefer knowledge of gas/electric utility and/or power generation protocols and regulations.
Required certification: Associate Safety Professional (ASP), or Certified Utility Professional (CUSP), or Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST) or Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) or Certified Occupational Safety Specialist (COSS) or able to obtain within twelve (12) months of employment. 
Preferred courses: OSHA 30-hour, NIMS 100, 1910.269 (Electric), Taproot Investigation.

Working Conditions

• Able to work indoors in normal office environment and outdoors with occasional exposure to all weather and noise conditions during outdoor job site visits.
• Required to travel to other work locations, field offices, and job sites with some overnight travel.
• Able to work either alone and/or at locations other than normal work location.
• Able to be highly dependable and reliable, including punctual and regular attendance.
• Able to work in fast-paced environment with a high volume workload and frequent, short deadlines that may require more than a 40 hour work week to meet established deadlines, including working nights and/or weekends as required.
• Able to support Emergency Operating Plan.