Anyone work as facility safety manager

I currently work for a warehouse in inventory control. The safety specialist position has opened and I'm considering applying for the position. The former safety specialist retired after 13 years. One of the operations supervisors grabbed the position when it was listed as a temporary seasonal opportunity. He has decided to return to supervision stating that the position is too boring. I've been on the company safety team and have brought several important issues to their attention. One of which that I know of saved their butt.

My background is in quality and food safety management in a food manufacturing facility. After 20 years I left this world due to long hours (7 / week) and not being fairly compensated. The stress of dealing with customer audits, USDA, and a management team that didn't appreciate when I saved their arse was the final straw for me. Eventually, this took a toll on my health as well. 

Has anyone held a safety position in manufacturing or warehousing that could give me some insight into the problems pitfalls of the position. I'm told I don't need to have medical / cpr training although the opportunity would be available to me. 
Thanks in advance for the advice.
 

I spent almost 20 years in the security business, mostly corporate, and while safety is obviously a different job, they're related. I would give you two things to think about.

One, it would be useful to know what the supervisor who held the job briefly meant by the word "boring." In security, we had repeated instances of ex-cops who came into the business thinking they knew everything and promptly fell on their faces, because when the security operation is working perfectly, nothing happens. The essence of the security job is the exact opposite of hitting the lights & siren and blasting off to fight crime. If that supervisor comes to work for the fun of getting his hands dirty and wrangling a team of workers, I can see why safety might not be his best fit. OTOH, it might be yours.

Two, if you're serious about maintaining and improving safety where you work, make sure management is on board with the resources and support you will need to train, re-train, upgrade, practice, rinse & repeat. Anything less will be hugely frustrating.

That's Homer Simpson's job, isn't it?  

(Sorry, back to your regular programming.)

How many employees?

Be prepared that you will become the front lines for ALL safety documentation and communication with OSHA.  Expect a LOT of paperwork, constant training and documentation, and ongoing dealing with OSHA guidelines, rules, and interpretations (most of which make almost no sense). 
 

Has your facility been previously cited for violations?  Have there been recordable incidents?  Then your job gets harder. 
 

You are nobody's friend. Including the boss. 
 

Will the boss give you unlimited authority to shutdown operations with safety deficiencies?  (Including kicking HIM off the premises if necessary)

One more thing that is really important. If you ever have an OSHA inspection, you will not have the privacy rights that other employees have.  You will be considered a member of management, and your statements to OSHA officials will be open to other management members listening. Employees can speak privately to OSHA inspectors.  Management can not. 
 

Are you ready for that?  Then you may be a good fit. 

You will become the facility (or corporate if covering all facilities) dick.

You will be blamed for people getting written up, suspended without pay, prevented from getting raises, denied workman's comp and fired. The people who berkeleyed up and failed to abide by safety requirements to cause the incidents will be seen as the "good guys" and you will be the "bad guy". 

In some organizations, the safety manager is actually the one who has to write the documentation to "recommend" the disciplinary action (even though it is probably already determined by company policy) and when the supervisor tells the employee how their case is being handled they put it on the safety manager for writing it up that way.

Not a job I'd want.

My wife is the environmental, health, safety, and maintenance manager for a manufacturing plant.  What I hear her talk about is closely in line with what SVReX just posted.   Lots of paperwork and OSHA stuff, including you need all the certifications.   The sort of place it is makes a huge difference, he plant makes aerospace cables and wire and is pretty clean by nature, and the rest of her leadership team is pretty supportive, but it has taken her a lot of effort to change the safety culture for the better.  

Paperwork. Procedures. Documentation. No one will like you, you cost money and don't add to productivity.  OSHA audits. Insurance company audits.  And yes sometimes boring.  But no drama and almost no stupid deadlines.

In my experience, management ideally wants someone who will not make waves, be their lapdog, and take the hit when something goes wrong. The last few people I know who did that job were essentially useless, but handpicked by management because they would be willing to be the fall guy in exchange for the gravy position, and decent money. The one guy that really cared, was gung ho, and wanted to do the right thing didn't last long. YMMV

I've been a safety, environmental, equipment, maintenance and tool supervisor for almost 2 years at a rail service yard.  I will echo was has been said above, you will be no one's friend, but everyone needs you and needs you to do your job well.  It's lonely and you will be the whipping boy for all safety issues, all of which are out of your control because you can't "make" everyone comply.  But, do your best and it is very fulfilling.  I actually carry a lot of this home and learn how to do things I do on my own time more safely.  Get your OSHA 10 hour or 30 hour class done on your own now, if your company doesn't provide that themselves.  Those little cards are worth a fortune if you move to a different company later in life.

In reply to Peabody :

That's what I have seen the most of. 

As to the manager that found it boring - he either was not doing his job correctly (either from not knowing, or not wanting to know) or missed being a let to bully his workers, just because he was their boss. I suspect both. 

Thank you for your responses. This is pretty much what I was expecting to hear but I needed the information to make my decision.. As the food safety manager, doing my job correctly meant I was always the bad guy. Of course, I would pay heavily if I dropped the ball. I think I'm done with that responsibility even though there was a time when I enjoyed the challenge. 
 

 I think this forum and the people on here are a helpful and sometimes therapeutic place to be. Thanks for that!

Bob