Safety Specialist
IFAB Corp. Safety Specialist
Department: Safety / Operations
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina
Shift: First Shift
FLSA Status: Exempt or Non-Exempt (based on final company classification)
Reports To: Safety Manager
Position Summary
The Safety Specialist supports IFAB Corp.'s workplace safety, compliance, and environmental efforts in a first-shift, single-location manufacturing operation in Gastonia, North Carolina. IFAB operates a large metal fabrication business with capabilities that include press brakes, stamping, laser cutting, welding, coating, tube bending and cutting, machining, and assembly, which makes this role highly focused on practical manufacturing safety leadership.
This position partners with production, maintenance, quality, and leadership to maintain a safe work environment, reduce injuries, support workers' compensation follow-up, and strengthen day-to-day safety engagement on the floor. The Safety Specialist also leads safety committees and safety champions while contributing to environmental compliance activities that support the facility.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Support the administration and continuous improvement of IFAB's safety programs, policies, procedures, and training processes.
- Conduct routine safety inspections, floor audits, hazard assessments, and follow-up activities across the facility.
- Identify unsafe conditions and behaviors and work with supervisors and employees to implement corrective actions.
- Assist with incident investigations, near-miss reviews, root-cause analysis, and corrective action tracking.
- Manage workers' compensation follow-up activities, including injury reporting support, return-to-work coordination, and communication with internal stakeholders.
- Maintain safety records, training documentation, incident logs, inspection reports, and other compliance-related files.
- Help coordinate OSHA compliance activities and support required recordkeeping and reporting.
- Lead safety committees and engage designated safety champions to improve employee involvement and accountability.
- Deliver or coordinate new-hire safety orientation, refresher training, toolbox talks, and topic-specific safety communication.
- Support core manufacturing safety programs such as lockout/tagout, machine guarding, PPE, hazard communication, forklift safety, ergonomics, hot work, and emergency response.
- Participate in audits of equipment, work areas, and processes involving fabrication, welding, material handling, coating, and assembly operations.
- Work closely with operations and maintenance to promote safe practices involving presses, laser cutting equipment, welding areas, powered industrial trucks, and other plant machinery.
- Contribute to environmental activities such as chemical-management support, waste-handling practices, spill response readiness, and related compliance tasks as assigned.
- Track corrective actions to closure and report progress to the Safety Manager.
- Support special projects and other duties related to employee safety, compliance, and environmental stewardship.
Required Qualifications
- Associate degree or bachelor's degree in occupational safety, environmental health and safety, industrial technology, human resources, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
- Three to five years of safety experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and general manufacturing safety practices.
- Experience with incident investigation, corrective actions, and safety training.
- Experience supporting workers' compensation follow-up and injury case management.
- Strong communication, organization, and follow-through skills.
- Ability to build relationships with employees, supervisors, and plant leadership.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Ability to work on the production floor and wear required personal protective equipment.
Preferred Qualifications
- OSHA 30 certification.
- First Aid and CPR certification.
- Experience in metal fabrication, welding, machining, stamping, coating, or similar industrial operations.
- Experience participating in safety committees, employee engagement efforts, or safety-culture initiatives.
- Exposure to environmental compliance activities within a manufacturing setting.
Physical and Work Environment Requirements
- Ability to stand, walk, climb stairs, and move throughout the manufacturing facility for extended periods.
- Ability to work in an industrial environment with exposure to noise, heat, machinery, forklifts, welding operations, and metal fabrication processes.