This position is assigned to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, at the New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS), Engineering Service, Safety and Occupational Health Section. The primary purpose of the position is to assist in the development, coordination, implementation and management of safety, fire prevention, and occupational health programs at the NMVAHCS.

Duties

The incumbent independently conducts surveys and inspections at assigned areas to assess work practices and environmental conditions for safety and health hazards, and to ensure fire protection devices and safety equipment are working properly. Surveys work areas and inspects equipment for compliance with EPA, NFPA, OSHA, The Joint Commission, VA, and all other applicable regulations and codebooks, within established timeframes. Inspects contract nursing homes, halfway houses, homeless shelters, and other work areas in accordance with the latest edition of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, and other applicable codes; provide timely and accurate reports of these inspections. Inspects and tests fire extinguishing equipment, fire safety and fire suppression systems; coordinates and performs quality surveillance of related work completed by contractors. Inspects construction sites for compliance with VA, the Joint Commission and OSHA regulations with regard to exits and stairs, floor load capacity, aisle space, adequacy of sprinkling systems, safety features on storage tanks containing flammable and volatile liquids, and the adequacy of scaffolding erected to facilitate painting of buildings, etc. Assists with maintaining hazardous material inventories and documentation. Assists in the investigation of mishaps, analysis of causative factors, and incident data recording to include obtaining witness statements and photographs of scene; estimates property damage, preparing report of findings with recommendations to correct unsafe acts or conditions. Disseminates mishap prevention information as appropriate. Maintains required records of fire and safety inspections and tests. Maintains inspection and survey reports, deficiency trackers, trending analyzes, and other related files. Provides consultative services to supervisors and employees concerning potential hazardous operating processes or environmental conditions, and accident prevention in work settings. Assists with maintaining all facility Material Safety Data Sheets. Recommends and implements appropriate remedies by submitting work orders, purchase requests, or initiating contract services. Assists Safety Manager in developing, coordinating and implementing programs; prepares policies and procedures; revises safety instructions and guides. Conducts general safety training, industrial equipment safety training; identifies external training opportunities for additional training, using a wide variety of materials, publications, exhibits, protective devices, and visual aids; promotes safety campaigns through oral presentations at local safety committee meetings, posting safety displays. Conduct and document required fire drills. Serves as Program Coordinator for the eye wash and emergency shower programs. Assists with the Emergency Management System, especially those duties associated with the decontamination process. Assists with hazardous waste disposal including pick up from source sites. Serves as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for service contracts associated with safety and fire prevention. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 07:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety and Occupational Health Specialist/PD124550 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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, 11/24/2023. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 and for a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7.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. This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR). You must meet the following: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - Safety and Occupational Healthfields (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, 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. In addition to meeting the IOR above, you must meet the experience and/or education as described below: GS-7 Grade Level Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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; 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.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. OR, Combination: Have a combination of experience and education as described above that equates to one year of experience. My percentage of the required education plus my percentage of the required experience equal one hundred percent. GS-9 Grade Level Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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; Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards. Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards... OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D. OR, Combination: Have a combination of experience and education as described above that equates to one year of experience. My percentage of the required education plus my percentage of the required experience equal one hundred percent. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical ReasoningCommunicationsEducation and TrainingRisk 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 work requires regular and recurring physical exertion related to frequent inspections and surveys requiring considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, reaching or similar movements. Occasionally, there may be a need to lift and carry moderately heavy objects. The work may require some degree of agility and dexterity when, for example, it involves inspecting ships or construction sites. 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: 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 Raymond G Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast Albuquerque, NM 87108 US
• Name: Francisco Olmedo
• Phone: (562) 256-2012
• Email: [email protected]