Job Description
Company Description
At Team Modern, our mission is Creating Better Experiences…The Modern Way. As a family-owned organization headquartered in Somerset, KY, our divisions serve customers across wholesale distribution, vending, equipment sales and service, and signs and graphics.
Our values – Optimistic Energy, Fairness, Teamwork, Customer Focus, and Gratitude – guide how we operate and how we care for our team members. Safety is foundational to protecting our team members and serving our customers. Team Modern is seeking an Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist to lead operational safety initiatives focused on injury prevention, warehouse safety, workers’ compensation management, and fleet safety.
Position Purpose
The EHS Specialist leads and supports operational safety efforts across Team Modern, with primary focus on industrial warehouse safety, ergonomics and injury prevention, workers’ compensation case management, and transportation safety.
This role prioritizes high-impact risk areas to reduce workplace injuries, control claims costs, ensure regulatory compliance related to operations, and strengthen a culture of safety across all divisions.
Key Responsibilities
Industrial & Warehouse Safety
- Develop and implement safety initiatives focused on warehouse operations, material handling, powered industrial equipment, and physical workflow safety.
- Conduct risk assessments and identify hazards within warehouse and distribution environments.
- Ensure operational compliance with OSHA, FDA, and USDA requirements related to product handling, storage, sanitation, and warehouse practices.
- Partner with operations leadership to implement practical safety improvements and corrective actions.
Ergonomics & Injury Prevention
- Conduct ergonomic assessments for physical positions across all divisions.
- Identify repetitive motion, lifting, and strain-related risks and recommend preventive measures.
- Analyze injury trends and implement targeted strategies to reduce frequency and severity.
- Collaborate with supervisors to improve job design, workflow, and equipment utilization to minimize injury exposure.
Workers’ Compensation & Claims Management
- Manage the full lifecycle of workers’ compensation claims, including reporting, documentation, and follow-up, in partnership with captive program resources and third-party administrators.
- Coordinate post-injury processes including drug screens, physician visits, work restrictions, and return-to-work programs.
- Drive initiatives aimed at reducing claim frequency, severity, and duration.
- Partner with HR and leadership to proactively address injury trends and high-risk behaviors.
Transportation & Fleet Safety
- Utilize fleet safety technology to monitor driving behavior and identify risk patterns.
- Lead driver safety training and coaching initiatives to reduce vehicle incidents and liability exposure.
- Develop and implement corrective action plans related to driving safety.
- Ensure compliance with DOT and FMCSA requirements as they relate to driver safety and operational risk.
Safety Training & Engagement
- Conduct and coordinate safety training programs focused on high-risk operational areas.
- Support onboarding and refresher safety training for physical roles.
- Promote proactive hazard reporting and near-miss awareness.
- Partner cross-functionally to reinforce a practical, solutions-oriented safety culture.
Values & Culture
- Model and promote Team Modern’s values of Optimistic Energy, Fairness, Teamwork, Customer Focus, and Gratitude.
- Adhere to all company safety policies and guidelines.
Ideal Candidate Profile
To excel in this role, the ideal candidate demonstrates strong operational safety knowledge, practical problem-solving ability, and the capacity to work independently while influencing leaders across divisions.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health & Safety, Industrial Hygiene, or related field preferred. Equivalent experience may be considered.
- Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of experience in industrial safety, warehouse safety, transportation safety, or related operational safety roles.
- Technical Knowledge & Experience
- Working knowledge of OSHA and DOT compliance requirements.
- Experience conducting safety audits, risk assessments, and inspections in operational environments.
- Experience managing or supporting workers’ compensation claims.
- Experience analyzing injury data and implementing prevention strategies.
Core Role Competencies
- Ability to work independently with minimal guidance while partnering cross-functionally to implement safety improvements.
- Demonstrated ability to guide leaders and teams toward practical compliance solutions, building engagement and ownership.
- Strong communication and training facilitation skills.
- Strong organizational and analytical skills with ability to prioritize high-risk areas.
- Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional safety certification.
- Experience in warehouse distribution environments.
- Experience utilizing fleet safety monitoring systems.
Working Conditions
Work is performed across office, warehouse, commissary, and transportation environments including temperature-controlled spaces such as coolers and freezers. Role requires facility walkthroughs and occasional lifting up to 30 pounds.
Schedule typically follows standard business hours with flexibility required to support off-shift operations when necessary.
Team Modern provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
