Safety Manager

Job Type: Location Type: On-site

 

Who we are

Established in 1926, Mutual Trading Co., Inc. was originally a small co-op organization for centralized purchasing of basic import foods to service the needs of the early Japanese immigrant society in Southern California. We’ve grown nearly 100 years old now, and command a premiere position among Japanese foodservice suppliers, as well as fill a key role as “Culinary Ambassador” promoting Japanese foods worldwide. Currently, we import, manufacture, and distribute over 7,000 Japanese foods, beverages, restaurant equipment and supplies.

Benefits

All paid Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance for employees and their dependents

Life Insurance and 401k Plan with company match

Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, and Holidays

Location: El Monte, CA

Hours: 8AM – 5PM, 1 hour lunch

Essential Functions

DOT Compliance and Driver Safety (60%)
• Monitor and enforce adherence to all Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations including Hours of Service (HOS), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, vehicle inspections, and driver qualifications.
• Ensure that the company maintains proper documentation, including but not limited to DOT compliance (such as driver logs, vehicle maintenance records, and inspection reports) and FMCSA compliance by monitoring and reporting CSA scores while leading corrective action plans.
• Perform Level 1 and Level 2 DOT inspections on vehicles, including driver logs, license records, vehicle maintenance, and safety equipment; ensuring all vehicles meet IFTA, IRP and state mileage reporting requirements.
• Conduct on-site inspections at various branches and affiliates to ensure vehicles are in compliance with DOT safety standards and recommend necessary corrective actions.
• Maintain records and oversee the use of GPS, ELD, dash cams (Samsara/DriveCam), and related safety technologies.
• Offer coaching and guidance to drivers to improve driving habits, reduce accidents, and ensure safety on the road.
• Develop and implement training programs to educate both new and current drivers on DOT regulations, safe driving practices, and company policies.
• Develop driver policy and fleet safety program for all branches across the states.
• Maintain a strong focus on accident prevention, defensive driving, and overall driver safety.
• Conduct periodic safety meetings and refresher courses for drivers to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Investigate accidents involving company drivers to identify root causes, recommend corrective actions, and ensure compliance with regulatory reporting requirements.
• Maintain detailed records of accidents, inspections, and corrective actions.
• Stay up to date on changes in DOT/FMCSA regulations and communicate these changes to the team.

Warehouse Compliance (30%)
• Develop, implement and manage occupational health & safety programs, policies and procedures for the company.
• Enforce site-wide compliance with OSHA and company safety protocols and administer OSHA logs and audit records.
• Maintain the Illness, Injury and Prevention Program (IIPP), emergency response plan, SDS.
• Conduct root cause analysis investigations for injuries, incidents, accidents and near misses to develop strategies to eliminate root cause or to minimize hazards.
• Deliver new hire orientations and job-specific safety training; review and update training modules to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Conduct routine safety audits, inspections, and hazard assessments.
• Provide recommendations and support for changes to internal policies and procedures necessitated by new regulations or our internal safety performance.

Continuous Improvement and other duties (10%)
• Identify opportunities to improve safety practices and compliance processes, make recommendations for enhancing safety culture and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with other departments, branches, and affiliate companies to ensure alignment of DOT, FMCSA, OSHA and other compliance and safety goals with overall company objectives.
• Lead weekly safety topic rollouts and collaborate on communication strategies to improve engagement.
• Partner with Human Resources, Administration and Operations teams to coordinate worker’s compensation and auto claims from initiation to closure, including investigating incidents, preparing injury reports, supporting the return-to-work program and providing preventive measures.
• Participate in weekly meetings.
• Attend Company events and functions outside of normal working hours.
• Other duties as required from manager.
• Obligation to answer to all management as requested.

Physical Requirements
• Able to travel extensively; this position requires frequent visit to branches and affiliates.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time
• Ability to type and use the computer for extended periods of time
• Ability to walk, talk, hear, smell, climb, balance, reach, bend, kneel, and lift and/or move up to 25 pounds frequently and 50 pounds occasionally.
• Able to stay in the freezer (temperatures between -50 and 28-degrees Fahrenheit) and cooler environment for inspection and observation
• Able to perform vehicle inspections, including physically checking equipment and safety systems.

Working Conditions

o Noise Level: Moderate and open busy area with loud noises

o Location: primarily based in HQ’s facility and frequent visit to warehouse, branches and affiliate companies.

Other Requirements
• Business level English required – Read/write/speak/listen.
• Business level Japanese or Spanish preferred.
• Able to work evening or weekends as needed.
• Able to lead and/or facilitate team meetings such as safety committee meetings.
• Maintain a positive and professional attitude.
• Able to work independently and make sound decisions based on compliance standards and safety priorities.
• Ability to interact effectively with drivers, management and regulatory agencies.
• Able to adapt to frequent changes in assignments and workload.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Safety Engineering/Management, Transportation Management or a related field.
• Minimum of 7+ years of experience in CDL/DOT/FMCSA compliance and transportation/warehouse safety.
• Relevant certifications (OSHA, CDL, CSP) are a plus.
• Strong knowledge of DOT, FMCSA, OSHA, CSA and other relevant regulations.
• Proven successful records in driving safety vision change and culture shift modeling.
• Must have a valid driver’s license to perform essential functions.

Knowledge and Skills
• Possess intermediate mathematical skills, including markups, discounts, combining/converting measurements, inventory counting, etc.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of Japanese foods and liquors preferred.

Disclaimers

This position description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related duties as instructed or requested by the department manager or other management as needed, subject to reasonable accommodation and business needs. The information contained herein is subject to change in the Company’s sole discretion, and no part of this document is to be construed as an express or implied contract of employment, nor does it alter the “at-will” employment status with the Company. Requirements are subject to accommodations with ADA, FEHA, and all other applicable federal and state laws. Please report any changes of essential job functions to the Human Resources Department.

Mutual Trading is an Equal Opportunity Employer.