The posting
Southworth International Group, Inc. (SIGI), located in Manila, AR, has an immediate opening for an experienced Safety Manager.
Southworth is the world’s largest manufacturer of ergonomic material handling equipment for vertical lifting and work positioning. Our products are designed to improve worker productivity while reducing the potential for worker injuries. Anywhere that workers are lifting and positioning items, handling pallets, working with parts in containers or transporting loads in a factory or warehouse, Southworth has a product to make the job faster, safer, and easier.
We realize that our success is a direct result of the efforts of our talented and dedicated employees. To ensure continued success, we take extra care to make sure that careers at Southworth are financially, intellectually, emotionally, and socially rewarding for all. We offer a generous time off policy, 401k match, affordable health and vision coverage, tuition reimbursement, development plans for career growth, and a fun engaged workforce!
The Safety Manager is responsible for developing, sustaining, and advancing a culture where safety is a core value throughout SIGI. The Safety Manager serves as the organization's safety leader, driving employee engagement, leadership accountability, hazard recognition, and proactive risk reduction across all SIGI locations. This role leads all Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) programs across SIGI manufacturing and office operations. This position provides hands-on safety leadership in a heavy equipment manufacturing environment that includes welding, fabrication, machining, painting, assembly, material handling, cranes, robotics, forklifts, industrial maintenance, and general office activities.
The Safety Manager partners with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Human Resources, and site leadership to maintain regulatory compliance, reduce workplace risk, strengthen hazard controls, manage required EHS documentation, and build a proactive safety culture across all SIGI facilities and the corporate office.
The position is based at SIGI in Manila, AR.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve region-wide EHS programs, policies, procedures, forms, and training materials
- Maintain compliance with OSHA requirements and applicable federal, state, and local environmental, health, and safety regulations
- Lead safety support for welding, machining, fabrication, assembly, painting, material handling, industrial maintenance, and heavy-equipment manufacturing operations
- Support and implement workplace audits, inspections, risk assessments, Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs/JSAs), ergonomic reviews, and corrective action follow-up
- Manage core safety programs, including Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Powered Industrial Trucks, Overhead Crane and Hoist Safety, Fall Protection, Confined Space, Hot Work, Hazard Communication, Respiratory Protection, PPE, and Emergency Preparedness
- Investigate injuries, illnesses, near misses, and environmental incidents using root cause analysis and corrective action methods
- Develop, assign, track, and verify corrective and preventive actions to ensure hazards are resolved, and controls are effective
- Partner with Engineering and Maintenance during equipment installations, layout changes, process changes, and facility projects to ensure safety requirements are reviewed before implementation
- Oversee the Management of Change (MOC) program for equipment, process, material, layout, and safety-system changes
- Oversee contractor and visitor safety expectations, including required communications, site rules, and safe-work requirements
- Develop, coordinate, and deliver safety training for employees, supervisors, managers, and leadership teams
- Maintain required EHS records, including training records, inspection records, incident documentation, OSHA logs, audit records, SDS information, and regulatory reports
- Monitor workplace exposure risks such as noise, dust, welding fumes, paint-related hazards, chemicals, and hazardous materials
- Lead emergency response planning, evacuation procedures, drill coordination, first-aid readiness, and incident preparedness activities
- Facilitate Safety Committee meetings, action tracking, employee engagement activities, and communication of safety priorities
- Analyze safety metrics, trends, leading indicators, and corrective action data to identify risk reduction and continuous improvement opportunities
- Support workers' compensation case coordination, return-to-work activities, and injury follow-up in partnership with Human Resources and leadership
- Coordinate hazardous waste, chemical inventory, Safety Data Sheet, and environmental compliance activities as assigned
- Perform other related duties as assigned
Qualifications - Skills and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health, Engineering, Industrial Technology, or a related field required
- 5+ years of progressive safety experience in heavy manufacturing, industrial equipment, steel fabrication, machinery, construction equipment, mining equipment, or related industrial environments
- Proven working knowledge of OSHA General Industry standards and industrial safety requirements.
- Experience supporting operations involving heavy machinery, automated equipment, welding and fabrication, material handling systems, overhead lifting equipment, industrial maintenance, paint operations, and production floor activity
- Proven experience conducting incident investigations, root cause analysis, risk assessments, audits, and corrective action management
- Develop practical safety programs, training materials, procedures, and job hazard analysis tools for manufacturing operations
- Solid communication, coaching, facilitation, and training skills with hourly employees, supervisors, managers, and senior leaders
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools and the ability to manage safety data, records, reports, and action trackers
Preferred Experience
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST), or equivalent certification
- Experience with ISO 45001 safety management systems or ISO 14001 environmental program administration
- Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Kata, or structured problem-solving experience
- First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor certification
- Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing locations
Key Competencies
- Safety leadership and floor-level engagement
- Regulatory compliance and recordkeeping
- Risk assessment and hazard control
- Incident investigation and root cause analysis
- Emergency preparedness and response planning
- Employee training and communication
- Corrective action management and follow-through
- Continuous improvement and problem solving
- Project support and change management
- Data analysis, reporting, and performance tracking
- Influence across departments
Success Measures
- Reduction in Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR)
- Reduction in Lost Time and Severity Rates
- OSHA compliance and audit performance
- Near-miss reporting and corrective action completion rates
- Safety training compliance
- Workers' compensation cost reduction
- Employee engagement in safety initiatives
- Continuous improvement in overall safety culture
We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer: You’ll receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.
We’re only hiring those authorized to work in the United States. We do not currently sponsor immigration visas.
SIGI does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies. Any unsolicited resume will become the property of SIGI.
