Aps 6 - Hazardous Chemical Safety Advisor - Onsite

$85,607 - $97,790 (plus Super)
- Fishermans Bend - VIC

**The Role**
The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) Safety Team is looking for an experienced Chemical Safety Specialist who is knowledgeable and passionate about Chemical Safety, and wanting to work as part of an integrated team. That team will provide the safety capability that enables Defence Science and Technology research.

You will work as part of the team of other safety specialists, occupational safety professionals and safety advisors. You will provide complex advice and assistance to DSTG researchers on Hazardous Chemical Safety and compliance issues. This will cover the full Chemical lifecycle from purchase, research use, storage, and disposal.

Your Chemical Safety knowledge and expertise will be used to oversight the management of the onsite Chemical and Fuel Drum stores. You will contribute directly to the provision of a safe working environment for scientists, engineers, and technical experts focused on providing Defence with Science and Technology (S&T) capability.

You will have the opportunity to demonstrate your passion, commitment and experience in Chemical Safety through the delivery of professional and increasingly complex safety advice and assistance to S&T stakeholders. You will be part of the Regional Safety team based at Fishermans Bend in Victoria and will have strong linkage across DSTG and into broader Defence.

Your commitment to upholding and contributing proactively to the ongoing management and oversight of Hazardous Chemicals, will include those elements of the Defence and DSTG Safety Management System (SMS), including the use of the ChemAlert system.

In this role you will:

- Coordinate and manage Hazardous Chemical storage areas located on the DSTG Fishermans Bend site and linked remote sites. This will include the storage of fuels, gas cylinders and all chemicals identified as hazardous.
- Work as a Hazardous Chemical Safety Advisor, oversighting the elements within the DSTG Safety Management System supporting Hazardous Chemical research safety, assurance and compliance.
- Consult with key stakeholders to provide support to Science and Technology (S&T) staff for Safety Data Sheet (SDS) conversion requests, and the development of SDSs for research chemicals.
- In response to incidents relating to Hazardous Chemicals, provide advice on make safe and recovery actions, and assist as required during incident investigations.
- Provide succession and backfill support to ensure consistent access for S&T staff.
- Communicate proactively with S&T colleagues by:

- highlighting safety issues for their attention;
- assisting with requests for safety guidance and assistance;
- sharing your knowledge while influencing for positive safety outcomes.
- Demonstrate an understanding of, and how to comply with, the Hazardous Chemicals legislative obligations.

Should you demonstrate the appropriate qualities and passion, we will give you the opportunity to continue to learn and grow as a hazard specialist with an established career pathway and associated training and development.

**About our Team**
WHS is about supporting our people and ensuring their health and safety in the workplace inclusive of physical and psychological health and safety. To achieve this, our DSTG People Pillar in the More Together Strategy commits us to nurturing a respectful, adaptive, safe and inclusive culture where people feel valued and can thrive. The Chief Defence Scientist (CDS) has committed DSTG to creating the right behaviours and culture for safety, “it is what we do that matters”. The Enabling WHS Capability team (Safety team) works collaboratively across DSTG to support the achievement of this commitment.

The Safety team engages with researchers from all areas of DSTG and partner to achieve better safety outcomes for Defence research work through the delivery of professional safety advice and assistance.

In a recent review of our enabling safety capability model, the safety function was divided into two streams comprising Safety Operations, and Safety Strategy and Assurance. The streams work closely and cooperatively together, but with some distinct accountabilities.

Safety Operations is delivered through two regional teams based in Port Melbourne, Victoria and Edinburgh, South Australia. Current vacancies are for safety advisors based in Port Melbourne, with some necessity for travel to other regional sites in the ACT, NSW and TAS as well as regional Victoria.

The Strategy and Assurance team leads the ongoing development of the DSTG Safety Management System (SMS) and is responsible for the development and implementation of the Group safety assurance framework.

The Operations team is responsible for supporting researchers to implement the SMS in a consistent way across their specific programs of work. It does this through the provision of professional health and safety advice and assistance, through reach back to hazard specialis