Workers’ Compensation & Safety Specialist

This team member must be located within 40 miles of the Blue River Pet Care corporate office (1 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606).

This team member must be able to travel an average of 30% via car/plane.

The Safety & Worker’s Compensation Specialist plays a pivotal role in fostering a safe and compliant work environment across all Blue River Pet Care locations. This position is responsible for administering the organization’s workers’ compensation program and leading workplace safety initiatives across veterinary clinics and support facilities. This role ensures compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations while promoting a culture of safety in environments involving animal handling, medical procedures, pharmaceuticals, and laboratory work.

The position partners with operation, clinic leadership and HR to reduce workplace injuries, support injured employees, manage regulatory reporting, and implement safety programs specific to veterinary clinical settings.

• Manage/oversee full lifecycle of workers’ compensation claims including injury reporting, claim submission, investigation, and closure
• Liaise with third-party administrators, monopolistic states, insurance carriers, medical providers, and legal counsel
• Investigate workplace injuries including animal bites, scratches, lifting injuries, sharps exposures, and slips/falls
• Track and monitor claim status, reserves, and claim costs
• Coordinate return-to-work and modified duty programs for injured employees
• Provide guidance to clinic managers and employees on workers’ compensation procedures and reporting requirements
• Maintain workers’ compensation records and documentation according to regulatory requirements
• Identify injury trends across clinics and recommend strategies to reduce risk and claim cost

• Develop and implement workplace safety programs, protocols, and policies tailored to veterinary clinic environments
• Conduct safety audits and risk assessments across veterinary clinics and support locations to mitigate potential safety risks
• Partner with clinic leadership to address hazards such as animal handling and restraint, needle stick and sharps injuries, lifting and ergonomic risks, chemical exposure (cleaners, medications, anesthetic gases), radiation exposure from imaging equipment and laboratory and biological hazards
• Promote proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Lead incident investigations for workplace accidents, injuries, near‑miss incidents; document findings and ensure corrective actions are implemented
• Create and maintain safety policies, emergency procedures, and clinic safety manuals
• Create and facilitate a safety committee to promote safety culture across locations
• Develop and deliver new hire and annual safety training programs for veterinary clinic staff. Coordinate training on topics such as safe animal handling and restraint, radiation safety, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and pharmaceutical handling
• Provide safety guidance and coaching to clinic managers and supervisors
• Maintain accurate safety records, including incident reports, training records, and compliance documentation
• Stay current on evolving safety standards and regulations, ensuring continued compliance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable OSHA regulations including standards related to veterinary medical environments.
• Maintain OSHA logs and documentation including OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 forms.
• Oversee reporting of recordable workplace injuries and illnesses.
• Manage OSHA inspections, documentation requests, and regulatory inquiries.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA programs such as:
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Radiation safety requirements
• Sharps safety and disposal
• Monitor regulatory updates and communicate changes to leadership and clinic teams.

• Track and analyze workplace injury data, OSHA recordables, workers’ compensation costs and lost‑time injuries
• Develop reports and dashboards for leadership on safety performance and worker’s compensation data
  
  Use data…