Junk removal safety and compliance manager job description
A junk removal safety and compliance manager keeps lifting, driving and cleanout hazards from hurting crews or customers. The manager runs the injury log, safety training, protective gear rules, heat plans and DOT driver files for every branch, and leads the review when someone gets hurt or a truck crashes.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, waste collection companies · BLS, May 2025
[Director of Operations or Chief Operating Officer]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
Responsible for developing, implementing, and enforcing OSHA, DOT, and environmental policies across our junk removal operations to ensure a safe work environment and regulatory compliance. Acts as a key leader in driving continuous safety improvements, auditing procedures, and investigating operational incidents. Supports the overall objectives of the company by protecting employees, customers, and assets through proactive safety management.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Implement and maintain OSHA, DOT, and environmental policies across all operational sites.
Conduct regular safety audits and inspections to assess compliance with internal and external regulations.
Investigate incidents and near-misses, document findings, and develop corrective action plans.
Facilitate employee training programs focused on safety procedures and regulatory compliance.
Collaborate with management to drive continuous improvements in safety protocols.
Ensure all safety documentation is up-to-date and readily available for regulatory inspection.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor daily operations to ensure adherence to safety standards and procedures.
Review and update safety protocols and training materials as regulations evolve.
Communicate with team members to address safety concerns, provide guidance, and reinforce policy adherence.
Prepare and present safety performance reports to management on a regular basis.
Coordinate with external regulatory agencies during scheduled audits or after incidents.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Compliance Rate: 100% adherence to OSHA, DOT, and environmental standards.
Incident Reduction: Achieve a 20% decrease in workplace incidents year-over-year.
Audit Score: Attain a minimum of 95% compliance during internal and external safety audits.
Training Completion: Ensure 100% of employees complete mandatory safety training each quarter.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, or a related field.
Minimum of 3 years of experience in safety management, preferably in the junk removal or home services industry.
Strong knowledge of OSHA, DOT, and environmental regulations.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Detail-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working in the junk removal, waste management, or home services industry.
Familiarity with incident investigation techniques and corrective action development.
Prior involvement in developing and leading comprehensive safety training programs.
Proven track record of successfully reducing workplace incidents and improving safety performance.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 lbs.
Work in varied environments including outdoor sites and potentially hot or cold conditions.
Frequent standing, walking, and exposure to operational noise and vehicle traffic.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional travel between operational sites may be required.
Flexible availability to support after-hours incident investigations or safety meetings.
Occasional on-call duties in cases of urgent safety concerns or incidents.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range: $70,000 - $90,000 per year, depending on experience.
Annual performance bonuses based on safety metrics and regulatory compliance achievements.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) plan with company match.
Additional fringe benefits including paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on a collaborative and growth-oriented culture that empowers our team members to drive transformative change.
We believe in continuous improvement, valuing innovation and proactive approaches to safety and operational excellence.
Our inclusive environment fosters professional development and community engagement, ensuring every employee has the resources to succeed.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Junk crews lift, drive and work inside other people's homes all day, spread across many trucks and branches. The safety program has to reach each crew where it works, not just one building.
The yearly injury summary goes online
Each branch keeps an OSHA 300 log of recordable injuries. A company executive, such as an officer or the top manager at the branch, certifies the yearly summary, which goes on the wall by February 1 and stays up through April 30. OSHA names waste collection as an industry that must file online: branches with 20 to 249 people send the summary by March 2, and branches with 100 or more also send the log and incident reports. Check your company's industry code first. Source: eCFR: Recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses (29 CFR Part 1904).
Reports have to be easy to make
OSHA requires a reasonable way for workers to report injuries, and a process that would put off a reasonable worker doesn't count. Workers must be told they have the right to report and can't be punished for it. So the template's goal of fewer incidents has to come from fixing causes, like a bad carry down a narrow stair, not from fewer reports. Source: eCFR: Recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses (29 CFR Part 1904).
Driver files sit with safety
When a truck counts as a commercial motor vehicle under FMCSA rules, the company keeps a qualification file for each person who drives it. Put one person in charge of those files, and at this size the safety manager is the natural owner. Audit them on a calendar, since the driving record check and review come due every year and medical cards expire. Keep each file while the driver works for you and for three years after. Source: eCFR: Driver qualification files (49 CFR 391.51).
Protective gear starts on paper
OSHA requires a hazard assessment of the work and a written certification that it was done, with the date and who did it. For junk crews the result often calls for gloves against broken glass and sharp metal, eye protection when tearing down sheds, and sturdy footwear. The company pays for required gear. Plain steel-toe footwear and everyday prescription safety glasses are the exception when workers may wear them off the job. Source: eCFR: Personal protective equipment, general requirements (29 CFR 1910.132).
Heat rules come from the states for now
OSHA proposed a federal heat rule in August 2024 and held hearings in 2025, but no final rule is in force. Some states have their own. California's outdoor rule calls for water, shade once it passes 80 degrees, training before the work starts, and a written plan in English and the language most workers speak. The safety manager writes a plan that meets each state's rule. Source: California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3395: Heat illness prevention in outdoor places of employment.
How much junk removal safety and compliance managers make
The closest BLS group for junk removal safety and compliance managers is occupational health and safety specialists. Occupational health and safety specialists who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $40.72 an hour ($84,690 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $90,150 median for occupational health and safety specialists in all industries. About 310 of the 140,610 occupational health and safety specialists in that survey work for waste collection companies.
A salary plus a yearly bonus, as the template lists. Tie the bonus to audits, training and fixes made on time, never to a low count of reported injuries.
Waste collection companies
$84,690$84,690 median Middle half $74,640–$108,510 10th–90th $53,570–$130,540
All industries
$90,150$90,150 median Middle half $69,560–$111,690 10th–90th $55,000–$134,950
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Waste collection companies
$53,570
$74,640
$84,690
$108,510
$130,540
All industries
$55,000
$69,560
$90,150
$111,690
$134,950
BLS doesn’t publish pay for junk removal companies on their own. These figures cover waste collection, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run a safety program for crews who drive and lift for a living
Knows OSHA recordkeeping well enough to decide what goes on the log
Keeps DOT driver files complete and current
Looks into an injury or crash by asking what happened, not who to blame
Trains crews at the yard in short, hands-on sessions
Teach these on the job
Your trucks, ramps, liftgates and loading methods
Your job types, from single pickups to hoarding cleanouts
Your training platform and sign-off records
Heat rules in each state where you run branches
How your company splits truck and driver records with the fleet manager
The manager runs the program from an incident and training tracker, the OSHA forms and OSHA's online filing site, driver file software or folders, and the truck data you already collect. Tell candidates how many branches, trucks and drivers with DOT files they'd cover, since that sets the workload.
Junk removal safety and compliance manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Needlestick response
A loader is stuck by a needle during a hoarding clean-out. What happens next?
A strong answer: Washes the wound with soap and water, gets a medical evaluation right away under the bloodborne pathogens exposure plan, records it, pauses to reassess the site, and fixes sharps procedures and PPE.
Behavioral · Root cause investigations
Tell me about an incident investigation you led. What was the root cause, and what changed?
A strong answer: Goes past 'human error' to the system cause and names the fix that followed.
Use two or three years of your own logs and audits to set targets; the template's numbers are only a guide.
Compliance Rate
Score each branch each month on one checklist: OSHA log current, summary posted in season, PPE assessment signed, heat plan in place, driver files complete. Count missing or stale items.
Incident Reduction
Compare recordable cases per hours worked against last year's same months, alongside near-miss reports, which should go up as crews trust that speaking up is safe.
Audit Score
Score yard and job site audits on a fixed list: team lifts, straps, ramps, sharps handling, truck walkarounds. Count findings fixed by their due date too.
Training Completion
Track each worker's required courses by hire date and due date in your training records. Count late completions and follow up with the branch, not just the worker.
Career path
Field supervisorRuns crews in the field and sees where people get hurt.
Safety coordinatorKeeps training records and runs branch audits.
Safety and compliance managerOwns OSHA, DOT and heat programs for all branches.
Does OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard cover junk removal crews?
It covers jobs where contact with blood or other infectious material is reasonably expected, and cleanouts that turn up used needles can qualify. If yours do, the safety manager decides which job titles are exposed and writes them into the exposure control plan, reviews the plan every year, trains those workers at assignment and yearly after that, offers the hepatitis B vaccine within ten working days of assignment, and sets up follow-up after any needlestick.
How much does a junk removal safety and compliance manager make?
Occupational health and safety specialists who work for waste collection companies earned a median of $40.72 an hour ($84,690 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $74,640 and $108,510 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Which injuries have to be reported to OSHA right away?
A death from a work incident must be reported to OSHA within eight hours. An amputation, a lost eye or an in-patient hospital stay must be reported within 24 hours. Call the nearest area office or 1-800-321-6742, or report on OSHA's website; a voicemail or email to a closed office doesn't count. Truck crashes on public roads skip this report unless they happen in a construction work zone, though they still go on the log. Small employers with no log must still report.
Does a junk removal safety and compliance manager need an OSHA 30 card?
OSHA says its 10-hour and 30-hour outreach courses are voluntary and don't replace the training specific OSHA rules call for, though some states and cities require the cards. A 30-hour general industry card is a fair item to list as preferred. Proof that a candidate has trained crews, kept a log and led investigations tells you more.
How does the safety manager split work with the fleet manager?
The fleet manager keeps trucks inspected, repaired and road-ready. The safety manager owns the people side: driver files, yearly driving record reviews, crash investigations and driver training. Write down who checks each item, so nothing falls between them when a truck changes branches or a driver changes trucks.
What should a new junk removal safety and compliance manager do first?
Ride with crews at a few branches. Read every branch's injury log and look for patterns, such as back strains on stairs or cuts during shed teardowns. Check that each driver file is complete. Then pick the two hazards that hurt the most people and build training around them before writing new policy.
