Safety Manager

Key Responsibilities

People Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Safety Coordinators and other safety personnel within the assigned scope of responsibility, whether through direct reporting relationships or collaborative field support.
• Establish clear expectations for safety performance, professional conduct, priorities, and accountability across both safety staff and operational partners.
• Build the safety leadership capability of Superintendents, Foremen, and field crews through consistent coaching, training reinforcement, and real-time feedback.
• Conduct regular one-on-one engagements, field interactions, and structured development conversations to strengthen ownership of safety at all levels.
• Support professional growth and readiness for increased responsibility by providing mentorship, learning opportunities, and exposure to risk management and leadership practices.
• Promote a culture where safety leadership is shared, expected, and continuously developed throughout the organization.

Safety Execution

• Ensure consistent execution of safety programs across assigned projects, work areas, or business units.
• Oversee safety audits, field observations, and inspections to verify effective hazard identification and control.
• Ensure safety expectations are clearly communicated and reinforced with field leadership and employees.
• Identify gaps in execution and drive corrective actions to completion.
• Ensure required safety training is effectively delivered, documented, and maintained, and verify training compliance within assigned scope.

Field Engagement & Operational Partnership

• Serve as the primary safety subject matter expert for assigned projects, providing trusted guidance to Project Managers, Superintendents, and field leadership.
• Partner with operations to embed risk management into project execution, ensuring safety is integrated into planning, sequencing, and daily decision-making.
• Lead or actively contribute to project kick-off meetings, pre-task planning, and high-risk activity discussions by bringing expert insight on hazard recognition and effective controls.
• Ensure Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and control measures are not only developed and reviewed, but understood, implemented, and reinforced in the field, especially during short-term work planning.
• Provide proactive consultation to crews and leaders on safe work practices, emerging hazards, and corrective actions, strengthening operational confidence in risk mitigation.
• Build credibility through consistent field presence, technical competence, and practical problem-solving, becoming a valued and reliable partner in achieving safe production.

Incident Management & Prevention

• Lead and support investigations of incidents, near-misses, and occupational health events, ensuring thorough root cause analysis and meaningful corrective actions.
• Support injury and illness case management, including clear communication of work restrictions, recovery plans, and return-to-work options.
• Provide field-based insight to identify trends, recurring hazards, and systemic risks related to injuries, illnesses, and exposures.
• Drive proactive prevention strategies that reduce risk, strengthen controls, and support employee health and well-being.

Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Review leading and lagging indicators to assess safety performance within assigned scope.
• Provide clear, actionable insights and recommendations to senior safety leadership.
• Support implementation of regional or corporate safety initiatives.
• Promote continuous improvement by identifying improvement opportunities, reinforcing standards, and ensuring feedback and follow-through.

Additional Responsibilities

The responsibilities outlined in this guide reflect the primary expectations of the role. In addition, the Safety Manager may be asked to support:

• Special initiatives or projects related to safety priorities
• Complex, non-routine, or emergent health and safety issues
• Regulatory interactions or external inquiries, as needed
• Incident response or escalated situations requiring leadership presence
• Cross-functional efforts that support organizational safety objectives

Responsibilities may evolve based on business needs, organizational growth, and changing conditions.