This position is located within the Safety Section at the VA New Jersey Health Care System in Lyons, NJ. The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist supports the delivery of quality health care in a cost effective manner by organizing, administering, coordinating, evaluating, and otherwise participating in a comprehensive safety, occupational health and fire protection program.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: Provides pertinent technical advice and assistance in the enforcement and operation of the Safety, Occupational Health, Construction Safety and Fire Prevention/Protection Program, and conducting inspections/implementing policies and corrective actions to comply with NFPA, TJC, OSHA, EPA, and VA regulations. Understands Laws and Regulations to assist with the medical center meeting all standards and requirements. Leads technical, administrative, or professional work involving managing, administering, operating or supporting services and programs related to the operation and safety of Federal Facilities. Leads periodic workplace inspections in assigned VANJHCS organizations, buildings, and grounds to locate any safety/fire hazards or potential hazards, and assists in developing TJC Statement of Conditions and plans for Improvement as necessary. Inspects areas where flammable material, compressed gases, and electrical equipment are stored and used. Conducts Fire Drills in accordance with NFPA and JCAHO requirements to ensure adequate training of all personnel in reading fire alarm code locations, evacuation procedures and the use of portable fire extinguishers. Recommends corrective actions to be taken to eliminate recurrence of false alarms and monitors the effectiveness of the corrective actions taken. Detects and eliminates common hazards such as excess trash accumulation, improper storage of flammable liquids, and blocked fire exits. Performs preliminary investigations into causes and origin of fires and serves as a liaison to outside agencies investigating accidents and fire incidents involving injuries and/or property damages throughout the VANJHCS. Perform other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-11 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Have one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of an Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: 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, at this level, experience also includes preparing safety guides and instructions; recommending changes to work programs to meet new safety and occupational health standards; and scheduling surveys to identify and evaluate potential risks in the work environment. 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. NOTE: 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. -OR- EDUCATION: Have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Major study must be in 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. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) -OR- COMBINATION: Have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience, as described above, which meets the total qualification requirement for the GS-11 grade level. Note: If you select this option, a copy of your transcripts is required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Your resume must indicate clearly the nature of your duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: CommunicationsComplianceProblem SolvingSafety EngineeringTechnical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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 Requirements: The work involves the frequent performance of surveys and on-site visits to areas within the Medical Center complex and off station to laboratory and maintenance shops necessitating prolonged periods of walking, standing, bending, stooping, climbing, reaching, and lifting moderately weighted items. May be required to lift and carry moderately heavy objects occasionally. May have to enter a hazardous environment (with safety precautions observed and attired in personal protection equipment such as respirators, coveralls, etc.) when conducting inspections and/or testing and monitoring. 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

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA New Jersey Health Care System 385 Tremont Avenue East Orange, NJ 07018 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]