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Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit: The Occupational and Environmental Safety Office (OESO) provides the focus for the administration of all safety programs for Duke University and Duke Health. OESO has the responsibility for developing institutional safety plans and policies; providing information and training to meet all regulatory requirements; providing technical consultation and guidance; conducting exposure and risk assessments; conducting safety audits; monitoring compliance with all safety policies; and investigating accidents, injuries, and reported unsafe conditions.
Specific to the Laboratory Safety Division: The Laboratory Safety Division coordinates the programs for evaluating, controlling, or eliminating both health and safety hazards in the laboratory environment. The Laboratory Safety and Health Specialist supports these programs and reports to the Operations Manager of the Laboratory Safety Division of the OESO.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Serve as a primary resource regarding health and safety within the laboratory environment.
Conduct laboratory safety audits in research, clinical, and teaching laboratories.
Communicate recommendations (verbal and written) for improvement to the laboratory regarding safety of laboratory staff.
Develop and provide various laboratory safety training programs; communicate to lab personnel the training and safety requirements for individualized work environments.
Communicate federal, state and local regulations accurately and effectively to ensure safety compliance.
Perform accident investigations and work with departments to correct safety hazards and develop preventative procedures.
Perform Job Hazard and/or Procedural Assessments and recommend measures to control exposures, including substitution of less hazardous materials, personal protective equipment (PPE), work practice changes, and engineering controls. Provide follow-up assessment of recommendations.
Make recommendations with respect to equipment purchase, engineering controls, workspace planning and work process planning.
Develop reports documenting observations, exposure monitoring results, and recommendations for OESO and Duke independently. Assist lower-level employees in developing reports and recommendations. Compile and present reports to management related to safety and health activities.
Provide solutions to a variety of problems where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors. Exercise judgment within defined policies and/or parameters in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions.
Review planned expansion, modifications, or closures of facilities which affect occupational safety and health. Contribute to the design of new laboratory facilities where hazardous materials will be used or hazardous processes will be located.
Serve as a member of the OESO spill response team, which includes response on weekends and after regular business hours on a rotating schedule.
Minimum Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Must have a basic knowledge of chemical and biological hazards in the laboratory environment.
Must be familiar with applicable laboratory safety regulations and guidelines, including OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen, Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemical in Laboratories, and Hazard Communication standards; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories; the NIH Recombinant DNA Guidelines; the International Transport Aviation Association and the Department of Transportation's Guidelines for shipping biological materials; CLIA and CAP standards and other OSHA regulations or CDC/NIH Guidelines as necessary.
Must communicate and work cooperatively with personnel in diverse positions, including professors, researchers, lab technicians, maintenance personnel, administrators, and regulators to apply regulatory requirements or guidelines to the unique environment of the research or clinical laboratory.
Creative problem solving to recognize and analyze needs and develop programs to address needs.
Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to locate and use appropriate technical resources in occupational safety and health.
Ability to lift and carry heavy materials and equipment.
Ability to climb/descend ladders and enter confined spaces to perform evaluations.
Physically able to serve on a HAZMAT spill response team, including ability to wear respiratory protection.
Education:
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Engineering or a related field.
Master's degree in Environmental Science, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Engineering or related field is preferred, but not required.
Experience:
3+ years of experience in lab safety and/or industrial hygiene with Bachelor's degree
2+ year of experience in lab safety and/or industrial hygiene with Master's degree
Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification:
Must have a valid driver's license.
Must have completed or be able to complete First Responder- Operations Level Training (29 CFR 1910.120) within 90 days of hire.
Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.
As a world-class academic and health care system, Duke Health strives to transform medicine and health locally and globally through innovative scientific research, rapid translation of breakthrough discoveries, educating future clinical and scientific leaders, advocating and practicing evidence-based medicine to improve community health, and leading efforts to eliminate health inequalities.
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For customer service issues, contact us at info@nahq.org or call us at (847) 375-4720. The team is available Monday-Friday from 8 AM-4:30 PM CT.
Important Information for CPHQ Recertification
The recertification process has been streamlined. Unlike previous years, you don’t need to list out your CE activities at the time of completing your application. Instead, you will be asked to attest to having met the requirements, further aligning with the honor-based system of recertification. In the event that your application is randomly selected for audit, you may be required to list your CE activities and submit supporting documentation.
While you may participate in NAHQ learning opportunities (Learning Labs, JHQ articles, etc.), you can only claim CE credit once for each activity. Therefore, if you’ve previously earned CE from a NAHQ learning opportunity, you can’t claim it again, nor will you see the repeat CE appear in your “My Learning� tab. This includes activities used in previous recertification cycles.
Remember, if you’re recertifying during the grace period (1/1/24-1/31/24), you already had to earn your CE hours by Dec 31, 2023.
You still have time! Register today for a multi-day virtual event that addresses the most urgent and important issues facing healthcare today that offers a full schedule of educational sessions organized around NAHQ’s twice-validated healthcare quality competency framework.
We are excited to announce the release of the book “UNSTOPPABLE: Inspiring Stories of Perseverance, Triumph and Joy from Trailblazing Women in Healthcare“.
Be inspired by nine leading healthcare trailblazers, including our own CEO Stephanie Mercado, who empower us all with their vision and passions.
You’ll notice we’ve simplified the application process to recertify. You will not have to list your CE activities at the time of applying*. Simply attest that you met the requirements to complete the application.
*In the event of an audit, CPHQs may need to list activities and upload documentation in their NAHQ account.
Quality Education Resources
Join this informative session, “Quality Education Resources� Thursday, June 22 from 11-11:30 a.m. CT. You will learn about the range of NAHQ quality education resources available to you and hear directly from universities about the benefits they realized from implementing NAHQ’s content within their courses.
Maintain a Pulse on the Latest Quality & Safety Benchmarking Data
Learn more about NAHQ’s enhanced Quality and Safety Benchmarking Program, which provides timely insights to help U.S. hospitals and health systems create data-driven business cases for their quality and safety resourcing.
Understand the Variability Among Your Quality Team Through Workforce Accelerator
Join us Tuesday, May 2, at 11 a.m. CT, to learn more about the different options available to engage with NAHQ’s enterprise-wide solution, Workforce Accelerator®. Options range in size and scope and are designed to meet the various budgetary and timing needs of health systems as they embark on their quality journeys. Register today!
Healthcare Quality and Safety Workforce Report: New Imperatives for Quality and Safety Mean New Imperatives for Workforce Development
The National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ) has conducted groundbreaking research on the advancement of the quality and safety agenda and has published the results in a new workforce report. NAHQ’s Healthcare Quality and Safety Report answers the question: “Is today’s healthcare workforce doing the work that will advance critical priorities of quality, safety, equity, value, and system sustainability?� The answer is no.
Updated Maintenance Dates: Sunday, February 5, 2023
Maintenance is planned for Sunday, February 5, from 11 p.m.-4 p.m. CT. During this time, you will not have access to the “My Learning” section of your NAHQ account. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience.
NAHQ’s Organizational Membership Subscription will serve as a one-stop shop for healthcare quality and safety training and education. Attend the February 2, at 11 a.m. CT, info session to further understand the new offering that will continue NAHQ’s focus of “Quality in Action.�
NAHQ has published an updated version of the CPHQ exam content outline.
The new exam content will take effect on March 15, 2023. Candidates planning to take the exam before March 15, 2023, can access the current CPHQ exam content outline and related resources on our website.
Missed NAHQ Next? Don’t worry, you can purchase NAHQ Next on-demand and receive access to all content for 60 days from purchase. Benefit from actionable content that addresses issues head-on and features “how-tos” and results. Buy now and have the opportunity to receive 40+ CEs.
Healthcare Quality and Safety Workforce Report: New Imperatives for Quality and Safety Mean New Imperatives for Workforce Development
Member Briefing Workshop and Healthcare Quality Week Webinar
October 7, at 12 p.m. CT
NAHQ will host an exclusive member briefing workshop where NAHQ CEO Stephanie Mercado and NAHQ President-Elect Nidia Williams will review the workforce report in-depth and prepare you to discuss it with your team and leadership during Healthcare Quality Week.
October 17, at 12 p.m. CT
To kick off Healthcare Quality Week, (HQW) NAHQ will host a complimentary webinar with NAHQ leaders to discuss the report, its impact and how you can leverage the report to your advantage.
You still have time! Register today for a multi-day virtual event that addresses the most urgent and important issues facing healthcare today that offers a full schedule of educational sessions organized around NAHQ's twice-validated healthcare quality competency framework.