The Occupational Safety and Health Specialist in the Sioux Falls VA HCS performs a variety of functions related to the identification, evaluation, and control of safety and health hazards and to the promotion of healthful and safe working conditions.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Assist with and/or performs various assessments and inspections necessary for the service such as PPE and pre-construction assessments, smoke/damper testing and fire and life safety inspections. Ensures compliance and documents inspections and conducts follow-up to verify abatement of noted health hazards. Serve as the Health Care System technical representative for Occupational, Life Safety and OSHA regulations for the service. Monitor contracts and scheduled work for fire suppression and protection systems as well as manage the reports and documentation from inspections along with interpreting findings. Manage the reports and documents from inspections and interprets findings for determining required repairs, abatement, and follow-up. Conduct education and training for the Health Care System staff and for other personnel on specific occupational, life and fire safety program requirements. Responsible for developing, planning, implementation, and management of the comprehensive occupational safety and fire protection programs at the Health Care System. Accumulates information and material required for analysis and evaluates the interpretation of data for use in formulas/equations. Review construction drawings and provide technical expertise for determination of location and adequacy of eye washes, fire extinguishers, fire suppression and detection systems, as well as emergency egress and exit routes, and occupational, life and fire safety requirements. Coordinate safety and fire protection activities with regional representatives and supports the development of integrated planning for all facilities within the VISN. Directs the development of facility occupational, life and fire safety policies, programs, and procedural documentation; work involves developing policy and guidance. Other duties as determined. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD23516A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/06/2023. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. Basic Requirement - Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) In order to meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for this occupation, candidates must possess Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or 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. OR, You may qualify based on your experience at the GS12 level as described below: Experience - Specialized Experience: Experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. 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. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement above, you must also meet the Specialized Experience below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Implementing Safety and Occupational Health principles, practices, regulations and standards; Understanding of the process of accident/injury causes for investigating occupational hazards; Expertise in evaluating Safety Data Sheets as well as skill in the use of sampling instruments; Analysis skill in evaluations and technical report writing; Providing solutions and recommendations to management for safety and health problems encountered and concerning programs; Evaluation and investigation skills regarding safety programs to report compliance. Typically incumbent is recognized as being an expert in broad practice of life and fire safety and OSHA standards. (This experience must be well documented in your resume or application package). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accident InvestigationHealth Risk AnalysisPersonnel Security and SafetySafety Engineering 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Investigations and surveys involve moderate physical exertion, including carrying equipment, climbing, standing, walking, and bending, as well as use of personal protective devices and occasional work in confined spaces. Working Conditions: The work involves exposures to all the hazards and discomforts including chemicals, noise, dust, aerosols, fumes, and operating equipment. Protective clothing or equipment, including respiratory protection, may be necessary. Much of the work is performed in an office setting, although exposure to industrial hazards is expected multiple times weekly during walk-through surveys conducted individually or conducted as part of a larger study. Work is self-directed at this level. The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. 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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Royal C Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital 2501 West 22nd Street Sioux Falls, SD 57105 US
• Name: Tracy Casady
• Phone: 402-995-4028
• Email: [email protected]