The purpose of this position is to plan, organize, implement and execute the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS), Construction Safety Program, including its geographically separated sites. The complexity of the medical facilities supported by this position requires expert application of technical solutions in the construction safety field over a wide variety of directives, regulations and activities.

Duties

Major duties include, but not be limited to: The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist manages implementation of construction safety programs and reduces the potential for injuries and illnesses to patients, employees, and visitors from unsafe construction activities conducted by contractors and VA employees, including operations and maintenance crews, permanent construction crews, and temporary purchase and hire staff. Construction activities include CTVHCS renovation or construction projects performed by employees or contractors and enhanced-use lease projects within structures fully managed by CTVHCS, or within the purview of CTVHCS authority. The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist directs all construction safety program activities and recommends and implements interim life safety measures (ILSM) as needed. Reviews architectural and engineering drawings for new building construction, historic building preservation, and alterations to complex and varied medical facilities; recommends changes as necessary to obtain compliance with standards and minimize risks to human life and damage to property. Examines pertinent contract clauses, interpreting terms, specifications and technical requirements and determines compliance by contractors with these criteria which may include the implementation of specific, new measures eliminating and controlling hazards to employees, visitors, patients, contractors, equipment and materials. Analyzes contractor and employee construction mishap data to determine trends including type of mishaps and equipment involved, and frequency and severity of mishaps. Manages or coordinates various aspects of life safety compliance such as suppression system inspections and repairs, fire extinguisher inspections/maintenance and fire alarms. Ensures all fire alarm and suppression systems are inspected and maintained to ensure NFPA compliance and the safety of CTVHCS personnel, visitors and patients. Coordinates changes and ILSM requirements with safety and engineering personnel to ensure training and information is provided appropriately during construction, repair, testing or unexpected deficiencies in the systems. Ensures fire extinguishers are inspected and replaced as needed. Ensures new or renovated systems receive the appropriate level of review and approval from the Authority Having Jurisdiction. Coordinates fire alarm/suppression systems design, testing and deficiencies with safety and engineering staff and tracks them to ensure correction. Maintains documentation showing compliance and provides the information for periodic reviews and surveys. Coordinates infrastructure inspections and repairs to ensure other life safety components remain in compliance and coordinates needed corrections. Elevates issues to ensure resource allocation and rapid resolution of significant problems. The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist provides technical consultation and support to Engineering Service and onsite contractors, including assistance and support for developing, planning and implementation of the Construction Safety Program for CTVHCS. This position provides authoritative consultative support for request for guidance on construction safety, general occupational safety & health. Plans, schedules and conducts inspections throughout the health care system, in VA owned and leased worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering hazardous work processes and materials, and unsafe environmental conditions, involving substantial numbers of employees. Provide 29 CFR 1926 construction safety training to all applicable staff. Incumbent validates 29 CFR 1926 training for all commercial construction personnel. CSO develops informational guides and training to provide guidance regarding specific program requirements; Safety and Occupational Health Specialist ensures all Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM) are implemented on all construction work in accordance with JCAHO, Environment of Care standards. Assists the Emergency Preparedness Committee by providing guidance on controlling fire safety and providing sufficient access and egress capabilities with safe temporary measures used to treat, house, or transport patients during emergencies. Employee serves as a technical expert in the hospital incident command system regarding life safety and occupational safety, especially while using modified or temporary facilities. Work Schedule: Compressed Tour consisting of 9 hour days and one 8 hour day per pay period. Tours beginning as early as 0700. Compressed/Flexible: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD01518O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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, 11/27/2023. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR Experience: Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): 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. 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: 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond as described above. Note: Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Safety Engineering Civil Engineering Health Risk Analysis Fire Management Information Management 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: The position requires working in a standard office environment and walking to and through other areas of the facility while conducting inspections and/or surveys. Work requires considerable walking, bending, climbing stairs or ladders, and standing. Work requires moderate lifting. Incumbent will exhibit safe work habits at all times. Work requires sporadic exposure to thermal extremes and inclement weather. Incumbent must be able to work under pressure and still maintain poise and composure. 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

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

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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 Central Texas Health Care System 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive Temple, TX 76504 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]