Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Full Job Description

The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center is currently seeking a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist.

This position oversees relevant areas, including industrial hygiene and fire safety, contributing to the attainment of the facility's overall safety and occupational health goals.

Duty location will include the main campus, Selma CBOC and store front clinics. Inspections are also, included in Medical Foster Homes and Community Residential Care.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/28/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.

An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.

In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to : Experience participating in the resolution of difficult safety surveillance program issues; supporting promotional and educational functions, reviewing safety policies and procedures, and carrying out required administrative functions in support of the safety program; using data techniques to identify and analyze safety and occupational health data and problems sufficient to recommend necessary changes that solve complex problems and challenges; following policies, directives, regulations, operating procedures, information flow, and prevailing safety and occupational health practices in government agencies and in the private sector sufficient to evaluate and recommend adoption of new or enhanced approaches; conveying policy and concepts to technical and nontechnical managers, project partners, and other germane parties through written and oral communication: .

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Major Duties:

Major Duties: Serves as a safety and occupational health specialist who plans, schedules, and conducts difficult inspections in establishments and worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering hazardous work processes and materials, and unsafe environmental conditions, involving a substantial number of employees.

Conducts safety surveillance audits and inspections on a frequent basis according to the required standards and regulations and depending on the degree of hazard.

Obtains immediate corrective action of conditions, which are of imminent danger to life or limb. Investigates hazardous conditions, equipment, practices, etc.

to identify and analyze the nature and severity of hazards and possible remedial actions (i.e., elimination, correction, or protection).

Ensures corrective actions are initiated and consults with subject matter specialists and managers about changes in work processes and proposed methods to eliminate unnecessary risks and control hazardous conditions.

Investigates or assist investigators in investigating accidents/mishaps, obtains witness statements, photographs the accident scene, records circumstances and extent of injuries, estimates cost of property damages, and prepares a report of findings which includes recommendations to correct unsafe acts or conditions which caused the accident.

Performs as an experienced specialist in safety work that involves a combined approached to unusual or complex safety and occupational health management issues.

Provides necessary administrative support for the assigned safety program or program segment.

Maintains records of all area training; notifies supervisors when training is due; schedules training to include all shifts; and conducts training when requested or required.

Creates and conducts area-specific safety hazard initiatives when needs dictate.

Maintains long-term historical safety records and notes trends or changing conditions that warrant revision of safety procedures.

Assists in the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling information used in safety databases.

Ensures data integrity, manages data input, and guides operations in the accuracy and conformity of established standards.

Works independently to establish workflow processes and implements necessary measures to assure quality control.

Determines data needs, data processing requirements, and technical expertise needed in support of data management of accident records.

Works with designing overall processing plans for accident records and the record systems to handle, control, operate, store, check, and retrieve data. Analyzes requirements and recommends solutions.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Safety and Occupational Health Specialist/PD111350 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized