Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Full Job Description

See below for important information regarding this job.

To qualify for a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position.

To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector.

Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement.

Creditable specialized experience includes: Ability to Apply safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on, or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.

Ability to apply Industrial Hygiene & Safety Principles: Serving as a technical authority on complex safety and occupational health issues by applying practical knowledge of industrial hygiene, safety engineering principles, and environmental regulations (e.g., OSHA, NIOSH, ACGIH) to anticipate, identify, evaluate, and control workplace hazards.

Ability to Conduct Hazard & Exposure Assessments: Performing exposure assessments, and environmental monitoring for physical, chemical, and biological stressors.

This includes calibrating, operating, and maintaining industrial hygiene equipment (such as air sampling pumps, noise dosimeters, and direct-reading instruments).

Ability to Develop Technical Recommendations: Recommending and validating effective engineering controls, administrative controls, and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Ability to Manage Occupational Health Programs: Implementing, and evaluating key occupational health programs, such as Hearing Conservation, Respiratory Protection, Hazard Communication, or a Chemical Hygiene Program and evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.

Providing Advanced Technical Training: Developing and delivering technical training to supervisors and employees on complex occupational health topics, including interpreting safety data sheets (SDS), respiratory fit-testing, ventilation requirements, and the health effects of workplace exposures.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Physical Demands: Work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities.

May require lifting of moderately heavy items, such as record boxes and supplies.

This requires above average agility and physical dexterity to manipulate, access, or view desired components or locations.

Work Environment: Work involves frequent inspections and on-site visits of depot and industrial facilities at both CONUS and OCONUS locations which involves regular and recurrent exposure to hazards and discomforts such as moving machine parts, irritant chemicals, acid fumes, physical stresses, high noise levels, adverse weather conditions, varying terrain, and high temperatures.

Protective equipment and clothing is needed as required by the assignment. Major Duties:

• Serves as a non-supervisory safety specialist performing complex safety and occupational health issues, with a focus on industrial hygiene, to anticipate, identify, evaluate, and control workplace hazards.
• Ensures implementation of safety program requirements to prevent the accidentals loss of resources and recommends measures to eliminate or control hazardous practices and conditions which may cause mishaps.
• Executes the planning, monitoring, and ongoing evaluation of the organization’s Safety Management System and Safety Programs.
• Assists with comprehensive industrial hygiene surveys, exposure assessments, and special environmental monitoring tasks using a variety of instruments to determine potentially unsafe exposures to physical, chemical, and biological stressors.
• Conducts Hazard analysis/characterization and program assessment of DLA operational procedures to ensure compatibility with safety standards.
• Recommends, validates, and coordinates the implementation of effective engineering controls, administrative controls, and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including determining respirator capabilities.
• Evaluates key industrial hygiene programs, such as Hearing Conservation, Respiratory Protection, Hazard Communication, and Chemical Hygiene.
• Calibrates, operates, and maintains a variety of industrial hygiene monitoring and sampling equipment.
• Provides technical safety training to supervisors and employees on complex occupational health topics, including ventilation requirements, indoor air quality, interpreting safety data sheets (SDS), and the health effects of workplace exposures.