Health and Safety Manager

Kern Energy is seeking a Health and Safety Manager who is responsible for overseeing and ensuring the implementation of effective health and safety policies, procedures, and practices within the refinery promoting a safe work environment, preventing accidents, and minimizing health and safety risks for all of Team Kern. The successful candidate will exhibit Kern’s core values of Teamwork, Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Connection.

Job Function

• Develop, implement, and maintain the company's health and safety program ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, as well as industry best practices.
• Conduct regular safety audits, hazard assessments, and risk analyses to identify potential safety concerns and evaluate the effectiveness of existing safety protocols.
• Develop and deliver safety training programs to educate employees on safety procedures and practices.
• Provide guidance and support to management and employees on health and safety matters, promoting a culture of safety and accountability throughout the organization.
• Investigate workplace incidents, accidents, and near misses; conduct cause analysis and develop corrective and preventative actions to reduce risk and prevent recurrence.
• Track and analyze leading and lagging safety KPIs to measure performance, ensure compliance, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of health and safety incidents, inspections, training sessions, and other related documentation.
• Serve as a designated Safety Officer within the Emergency Response Plan (ERP), providing safety leadership during emergency incidents, assessing operational hazards, recommending risk mitigation measures, and ensuring responder and personnel safety during emergency operations.
• Oversee contractor safety management in accordance with OSHA PSM requirements, including contractor selection, onboarding, safety orientation, and ongoing field compliance monitoring to ensure adherence to refinery safety standards, permitting systems, and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with emergency response teams to develop and test emergency plans and coordinate responses to incidents or accidents.
• Provide leadership and oversight of refinery safety programs, including Respiratory Protection, Confined Space Entry, Hot Work, and other high-risk work activities, ensuring effective training, compliance, auditing, and continuous improvement of safety performance.
• Liaise with government agencies, safety associations, and other stakeholders on safety matters and promote a positive health and safety image for the refinery.
• Manage the company's emergency response plan, including regular drills and training exercises.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Ensure that employees are trained in health and safety policies and procedures and that they understand how to identify and report hazards.
• The manager should maintain records of incidents, investigations, training, and other health and safety activities.
• Set goals and objectives to establish clear direction and performance expectations. Hold staff accountable to performance expectations.