Life Safety Specialist

Life Safety Specialist - UPMC Hamot | Erie, PA

Make Safety Matter—Every Day.
UPMC Hamot is seeking a dedicated Life Safety Specialist to help protect what matters most: our patients, visitors, and employees. If you thrive in a structured healthcare environment, enjoy working independently while collaborating with diverse teams, and want to play a critical role in regulatory compliance and workplace safety, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact—close to home.

• Predictable schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• No scheduled weekends (on-call weekends only for rare emergent safety situations)
• Local travel only: Approximately 25% travel to hospital-based clinics, departments, and surgery centers—all within Erie County
• Mission-driven work: Support a high-reliability healthcare organization committed to safety, quality, and continuous improvement

The Life Safety Specialist assists the Manager of Life Safety by providing comprehensive life safety and regulatory compliance support across UPMC Hamot, the UPMC Hamot Surgery Center, RHS physician office locations, Imaging Center, and Great Lakes Home Health. This role is integral to the daily operations of employee and patient safety programs and plays a key role in process improvement initiatives.

You will help shape safety policies, conduct risk assessments, lead training efforts, and ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, accreditation, and insurance requirements.

Join UPMC Hamot!

At UPMC Hamot, safety is not just a requirement—it’s a commitment. Join a respected healthcare system where your expertise protects lives, supports caregivers, and strengthens the community you serve.

This position assists the Manager of Life Safety as the life safety and regulatory compliance support for the Hospital, the UPMC Hamot Surgery center, RHS physician office locations, Imaging center, and Great Lakes Home Health, and daily operation of employee safety. Develops safety policy, organizational implementation, procedural guidelines and program quality assurances. Responsible for routine recognition, evaluation and control of safety and health hazards in the work place. Assures compliance with all government, accreditation and insurance requirements related to safety of personnel. Responsible for Process Improvement and related management engineering function.

Responsibilities:

• Supports the continued development and sustainability of the UPMC Hamot Safety Program for the hospital and associated locations.
• Performs environmental safety tours of all areas as required. Identify potential safety problems, suggest corrective action, and monitor compliance. Summarizes results of inspections and resolutions and periodically present to the Safety Committee
• Supports the fire safety program to include monthly fire drills, modification of the fire-safety program to address areas of weaknesses, annual fire extinguisher program and special annual training programs on confined spaces, powered industrial trucks, and hazardous materials including use of SDSs, respiratory fit testing, and lockout/tag out.
• Conducts safety training programs for Hospital and ancillary employees
• Participates in development/revision of new or existing policies / standards and best practices.
• Prepares and delivers presentations and reports to the EOC Safety Committee.
• Remain current with technology, regulatory requirements, and related training, obtaining CHSPO certification with-in 5 years of employment.
• Build and maintain strong collaborative partnerships with staff and leadership/management.
• Supports the Hazard Communication Program through chemical inventory updates, SDS acquisition, and contractor interfacing. Resource for the disposal of all chemical hazards.
• Supports compliance with the NFPA Life Safety Code. Facilitates and participates in review by the Department of Health Division of Safety Inspection.
• Assists and participates in safety inspections by the City of Erie's Fire Bureau.
• Supports compliance with Joint Commission's Environment of Care Standards. Supports the on-going collection of information about the Environment of Care to identify problems and opportunities for improvement. Assists in the completion of Joint Commission's Statement of Condition. Participate in Joint Commission Life Safety tours.
• Supports the Hospital and all offsite locations compliance with OSHA regulations. Monitors compliance with numerous OSHA programs including lockout/tagout, confined space, fire response time, machine guards, ladders and protection of raised surfaces, hazardous materials, respiratory protection and the General Duty Clause. Post the OSHA Form 300 Log as required.
• Supports the Emergency Preparedness plans.
• Supports the safety programs at the satellite facilities including periodic fire and disaster drills. Assists new department and satellite facilities in developing safety programs.
• Assists Director and Infection Control with the development of ICRA plans for proposed construction activities. Monitoring contractor compliance with established IRCA plans. Issue and monitor contractor compliance with the burn and ceiling permit process. Evaluate construction plans for compliance with fire alarm and suppression requirements to maintain existing levels of compliance.
• Support the ILSM evaluation and documentation of compliance for all conditions that pose a risk to the safety of our employees, patients, and visitors.
• Assists in purchasing personal protective equipment and other safety equipment as needed
• Coordinates and supervises other safety programs as assigned; serve as technical consultant to administration, clinicians, staff and researchers regarding environmental safety management issues.
• Keeps abreast of new regulations and proposed changes related to the healthcare field and proactively prepares to meet any new standards. Involved in inspections and preplanning for regulatory agencies.
• Performs process improvement planning data gathering and analysis activities to ensure optimum safety and operational effectiveness. Assists in routine recognition, evaluation and control of safety and health hazards in the workplace.
• Effectively works independently
• Ensure compliance with all OSHA, EPA, DOT, NFPA, AIA and company policy procedure requirements.

Bachelor's degree in safety or related field preferred. Equivalent experience may be substituted.

Work independently and use professional judgment. Experience in one or more of the functional areas such as occupational safety, environmental, auditing, regulatory compliance, etc. or academic equivalent preferred but not required. Ability to compose technical information, prepare manuals, policies, procedures and scripts. Diversified and thorough knowledge of state and federal regulatory programs. Ability to work and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with employees at all levels of the organization and from other organizations. Proficient with computers and other modern office equipment. Ability to take direction from a variety of people and processes and work as a member of a team. Strong problem-solving capabilities.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

• Act 34

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran