Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Full Job Description

The Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (BPVAHCS) Safety and Occupational Health Specialist is assigned to the Office of Safety and Emergency Management in Bay Pines, Florida.

To qualify at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience in or related to safety and occupational health that has equipped you with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

This experience must be equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in Federal service.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Managing safety or occupational health program elements; Developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management; Applying 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; Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards; Developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses; Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards; Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards; Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards; Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects; Work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, and occupational health nurse.

NOTE: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

The major study must be in safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or a degree in other related fields that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours of study from among the following (or closely related) disciplines: safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, toxicology, public health, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, engineering, and industrial psychology.

NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combinations of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond the first year), as described above.

NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

Physical Demands: The work involves the frequent performance of surveys and on-site visits throughout the Healthcare system and maintenance shops necessitating prolonged periods of walking and standing.

Working Conditions: The specialist is occasionally exposed to mechanical hazards ranging from power tools to operating machinery and chemical and biological hazards while performing Healthcare System, Community Based Outpatient Clinic, and maintenance shop surveys.

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; religions; 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.

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:

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This position utilizes his/her own initiative with minimal supervision in planning, scheduling, and conducting periodic on site surveys for assigned organizations, to include but not limited to, accident prevention, occupational disease prevention, fire prevention, motor vehicle safety, construction site surveys, community nursing homes, and contract care facilities as they pertain to accepted safety, occupational health and fire safety protection standards.

Major duties and responsibilities include: Prepares and reviews safety instructions and guides that are relevant to current or planned contracts and center employees.

Reviews Healthcare System regulations, supplements, and pamphlets to ensure safety criteria is in compliance with accepted national standards.

Investigates accidents/incidents involving government property, employees, visitors, and patients and recommends corrective measures to prevent the occurrence of similar types of incidents in the future.

Prepares written reports of the investigations into Occupational Safety and Health incidents/problems identified on station and presents recommendations for the sound solution to these problems.

Inspects hoods, cabinets, emergency eyewash stations, tools and equipment. Develops training materials, publications and contributes to policy development. Performs FIT testing.

Acts as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) administering contracts, maintaining budget records and performance standards.

Reviews station project plans and makes recommendations to assure compliance with accepted national standards concerning Occupational Safety and Health, Fire Protection, and Industrial Hygiene.

Conducts fire drills on a regular basis as instructed by the Occupational Safety and Health Supervisor in accordance with veterans affairs (VA), and Joint Commission requirements.

Assists the Occupational Safety and Health Manager and other Section employees in the planning, development, and implementation of a comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Program; including such elements as environmental monitoring, record keeping, medical surveillance, personal protective equipment, waste disposal, investigations, and training, with limited assistance.

Serves as technical advisor to the Occupational Safety and Health Manager on a full range of Occupational Safety and Health issues and serves as a full or expo-facto member on designated committees, as assigned.

Develops technical guidance and organizational promotional materials, training tools and reports.

Instructs employees and contract employees, in a comprehensive training program highlighting areas of concern as identified by the Occupational Safety, Health and Fire Protection Committee, and Safety Officer.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday through Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm; Compressed/Flexible Tours Of Duty Available Upon Supervisory Approval Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved