Senior Health and Safety Consultant Ag and Vet

General Purpose

Health, Safety & Wellness (HSW) is committed to fostering a safe, healthy, and supportive environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors across our diverse teaching, research, agricultural, veterinary, and operational settings.

Reporting to the Manager, Agricultural and Veterinary Safety, the Senior Safety Consultant (Agricultural and Veterinary) provides professional health and safety leadership, consultation, and program support across the University's agricultural, veterinary, animal care, teaching, research, landscape, and horticultural operations. This position serves as a key resource in supporting regulatory compliance, hazard prevention, risk management, and continuous improvement of workplace health and safety programs. 

Duties & Responsibilities:  

• Conduct workplace inspections, hazard assessments, and risk assessments in agricultural, veterinary, animal care, teaching, and research environments.  

• Provide expert advice related to animal handling, zoonotic disease prevention, agricultural operations, farm equipment, field work, and research activities.  

• Develop, implement, and evaluate health and safety programs, procedures, and training initiatives.  

• Conduct compliance reviews, audits, and program evaluations to ensure adherence to legislative and University requirements.  

• Investigate incidents, injuries, near misses, and safety concerns and recommend corrective and preventative actions.  

• Deliver health and safety education, awareness initiatives, and training programs for faculty, staff, and students.  

• Support Joint Health and Safety Committees, supervisors, researchers, and operational leaders with hazard control and regulatory compliance.  

• Partner with workers, supervisors, bargaining unit representatives and Joint Health and Safety Committee members to advance workplace health and safety programs, resolve concerns, and ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and applicable collective agreements. 

• Represent the University during Ministry of Labour inspections, investigations, and meetings as required.  

• Serve as the primary Health & Safety liaison for assigned colleges, departments, research centres, veterinary operations, and agricultural facilities.

• Travel approximately 35% of the time to University campuses, research stations, and affiliated sites across Ontario, including Guelph, Ridgetown, Elora, Arkell, Simcoe, Bradford, New Liskeard, Winchester, Woodstock, and Alma to provide health and safety consultation, conduct assessments, support incident investigations, and facilitate engagement.

Requirements:  

The ideal candidate will possess: 

• Approximately six years of combined education, training, and progressively responsible experience, including experience conducting inspections, audits, hazard assessments, risk assessments, and incident investigations. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

• Experience working within agricultural, veterinary, animal care, research, laboratory, academic, healthcare, or similarly regulated environments.  

• Demonstrated knowledge of occupational health and safety legislation, regulations, standards, and best practices. 

• Exceptional communication, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and training delivery skills. 

• Excellent judgment, problem-solving, analytical, and relationship-building abilities. 

• A valid Ontario driver's licence and willingness to travel to University facilities across Ontario, including occasional overnight travel.