Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness & Response
To ensure the company is compliant with the requirements of the Fire Risk Reduction Rules 2007. Their responsibilities include;
Ensure that the facilities have been inspected for fire safety by the relevant authorities and a valid fire clearance certificate is issued;
Coordinate, record, and conduct fire drills twice a year and give recommendations for improvement;
Train employees on basic fire & first aid practices and emergency preparedness response;
Conduct regular inspections in the workplace and give recommendations to improve fire safety within the facilities to the EHS Manager;
Liaise with the service providers to ensure maintenance of the firefighting equipment and fire alarm systems are carried out and recorded;
Provide relevant information and fire safety signage including; a fire action plan and emergency contacts;
Accidents/ Incidents Management
Implement a system for reporting, and documenting all workplace incidents, accidents, and significant near misses; (Incident Management Protocol)
Investigate all workplace accidents and incidents and give recommendations to prevent a recurrence. Ensure the corrective actions/ measures from the accidents/ incident's investigation reports are implemented to prevent a recurrence;
Carry out analysis of workplace accidents and incidents and suggest improvement plans;
Facilitate employees who are injured at the workplace to get access to medical services.
PPE Compliance
To enforce PPE compliance;
Conduct a PPE profile to establish the most appropriate PPEs to be used based on the risks and tasks and guide the management upon purchase;
Conduct PPE audits to ensure that all employees including contractors and visitors have been provided with the appropriate PPEs and enforce PPE usage to all employees, contractors, and visitors across the sites;
Train employees on PPE usage and its importance.
Provision of welfare facilities (drinking water, lockers/changing rooms, first aid boxes, etc.)
Ensure all workplaces have an adequate supply of clean drinking water accessible to the employees;
Ensure employees have been provided with drinking water cups – disposable or reusable;
Ensure employees have clean and enclosed changing rooms for both males and females;
Ensure fumigation of the lockers is regularly conducted;
Ensure every employee has been provided with a staff locker including casuals and contractors;
Ensure the workplace has well-stocked first aid boxes;
Ensure there is the presence of resting bays.
Hygiene management.
Ensure a high level of hygiene is maintained in the washrooms, canteens, changing rooms, and kitchens to protect the health of the employees. Their responsibilities include;
Conduct regular walkabouts to check that washrooms, canteens, and kitchens are in a sanitary condition.
Washrooms have clean running water for handwashing, handwashing soap, hand dryers, tissue dispensers, sanitary bins in the ladies washrooms, and good lighting and ventilation;
Canteens have handwashing stations, handwashing soap, organic waste bins, a seating area, and ensure they are free from pest infestation;
Kitchens have dishwashing sinks with warm water, disinfectant baths, dishwashing soap, clean storage cabinets and ensure they are free from pest infestation;
Housekeeping management
Sustain good housekeeping in the factories by ensuring;
Workstations are neat and orderly;
Gangways and emergency exits remain free from obstruction;
Floors are well maintained and are free of slip and trip hazards;
Gangways/ Aisles are marked and spacing is adequate to allow the movement of the pallet trucks and forklifts;
The machine's layout and spacing are adequate;
Liaise with the cleaning service providers to ensure that the factories are deep cleaned regularly and audit the status of hygiene;
Storage facilities are well organized;
Compile housekeeping reports.
Ergonomic Hazards Management
Reduce ergonomic hazards within the workplace by ensuring that;
Employees are provided with lifting equipment e.g. pallet trucks, forklifts to reduce manual handling;
Ensure employees are provided with comfortable seats that have backrests and are height adjustable;
Ensure employees are provided with ladders for easy access to high shelves/ storage racks.
Electrical Safety
Ensure electrical safety is maintained in the workplace to prevent accidents, near misses, or fatalities. Their responsibilities include;
Train employees on electrical safety;
Ensure electrical appliances i.e. high-powered tools, electrical fixtures, and wirings are inspected every 6 months.
Conduct regular workplace inspections to identify any electrical hazards such as overloaded sockets, open cable trays, open electrical panels, poor cable management, etc., and implement corrective actions.
Machinery/Equipment Safety
Implement machine safety in the workplace to prevent accidents, near misses, or fatalities. Their responsibilities include;
Perform regular checks on machines/ equipment to ensure that moving machine parts are guarded, operator controls (m/c sensors, emergency stop buttons) are functioning properly and not bypassed
Ensure there is an existing preventive maintenance schedule and that machines are maintained as per the schedule and machine faults are repaired promptly;
Conduct regular training for machine operators on machine safety;
Contractor Management
Ensure that contractors are compliant with the Contractors Management Policy;
Issue permit to work and contractor management policy;
Conduct toolbox talks before commencing any work within the workplace;
Conduct regular checks to ensure that the contractor does not breach any of the EHS requirements;
Air Quality Management
Ensure indoor Air Quality and extremes of heat are conducive and not likely to cause adverse health effects to the employees. Their responsibilities include;
Regularly monitor the air quality within the workplaces and give recommendations for improvement where the quality is poor;
Ensure mechanical controls for improving Air Quality are implemented such as installing extraction units/mechanical vents in areas with poor air quality, installing ACs to control extremes of heat, and humidifiers/dehumidifiers (as applicable);
Enforce good housekeeping practices to improve the quality of air regular cleaning and dusting are done to reduce dust levels, etc.;
Ensure employees are provided with the appropriate PPEs (respirators, dust masks) and enforce PPE usage.
Chemical Safety Management
Implement the Chemical Safety Management Plan.
Ensure that the MSDS and SOPs files are available and have been posted in the chemical stations;
Train employees on Chemical Safety and enforce best practices;
Ensure employees are provided with the appropriate PPEs for handling chemicals and enforce PPE usage.
Ensure availability of spill containment equipment and train employees on use.
Waste Management, Recovery, and Recycling
To ensure the company is compliant with the requirements of the Waste Management Regulations 2006. Their responsibilities include;
Ensure the company has a licensed waste handler;
Ensure the contracted waste handlers are compliant and have all the required documents;
Compile and audit the waste management file, which shall contain an existing SLA, valid waste licenses, and waste tracking documents;
Ensure waste is segregated at the source;
Provide well-labeled waste bins;
Train employees on waste management; segregation, recycling, reusing, and disposal.
Employee Grievances and Engagement
Have regular communications with workgroups/employee representatives through toolbox talks, EHS Committee meetings, etc.
Encourage the use of the available communication channels, as mediums to express employee grievances and suggestions anonymously. i.e. suggestion boxes (placed in washrooms or CCTV-free areas) and the toll-free line.
Assist in addressing any concerns/ suggestions raised by the employees.
Develop recognition programs to reward employees who perform well in their jobs in liaison with the HR.
EHS Compliance
Ensure that all the statutory audits, licenses, certifications, inspections, medical examinations, and training are up to date;
Ensure that the company is compliant with national and local regulations. i.e. NEMA, County Government Laws, Water Resource Management Authority, County Water and Sewerage Company, etc.
Ensure that the EHS policy requirements are implemented across the companies.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelor's degree from an academic university in Occupational Health and Safety, Public Health, Environmental Science, Engineering, or related discipline.ORNEBOSH Certification OR British Safety Council International Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health.
Thorough knowledge of the OSHA 2007 and subsidiary legislation, and other relevant safety and environmental standards.
Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) experience in a manufacturing set-up.
Knowledge of Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) or similar risk assessment tools.
Competency in MS Office Applications.
Ability to collect, store, and analyze EHS data using tools like Microsoft Excel, Access, or Google Sheets.
Skill in using mobile devices for inspections, audits, and field reporting through apps or digital checklists (e.g., iAuditor, Form.com).
Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
At least 1 year of relevant experience in EHS.