This position is located at the Grand Junction, CO, VHCS. The primary purpose of the position is to serve as the facility's Safety and Occupational Health Specialist for Grand Junction Veterans Health Care System and Community Based Out-Patient Clinics (CBOCs) that treats 17,000 Veterans spanning 125,000 square miles and. The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist is an integral member of a Safety and Health program ranging from fire safety to radiation safety and industrial hygiene.

Duties

Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to: Responsible for conducting safety inspections for comprehensive safety, fire prevention, fire protection, and/or fire inspection programs for the medical center and its Community Residential Care Program to maintain compliance with safety codes, standards, and regulations. Inspects and surveys to assure that the area inspected conforms to applicable standards, as dictated in VA manuals, National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) Standards, the life Safety Code, National Fire Codes, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, and other applicable safety regulations. Reviews and conducts investigations of accidents resulting in injury, property damage, and/or fire. Monthly, quarterly, and annual accident reviews and reports are prepared by the incumbent. Conducts safety and fire protection orientation classes for all employees. Conducts training classes for supervisors in fire, safety, accident prevention and reporting, etc., and conducts safety promotional programs for all services as scheduled. Reviews and evaluates completed Safety staff actions (memos, reports, studies, fact sheets, information papers) for overall quality of the document, appropriate levels of coordination, consistency, logic, soundness of recommendations, and compliance with policy. Maintains organizational charts, lucid charts, Vizio charts, manning spreadsheets, pay charts and schedules, assesses the distribution and utilization of program staff, and offers recommendations for improving efficiency and effectiveness. Gathers data and performs analysis and interprets policy and procedural information in order to give advice and guidance and make decisions or recommendations on management and technical issues involving personnel, resources and /or systems. Investigates alleged adverse incidents involving regulated materials, machinery. or other items that have an impact on employee/patient safety or occupational health, including thorough reporting of findings, related data, illustrations, analysis, and recommendations. Ensures that fire drills are conducted throughout the facility according to VA and local policies, assists management in developing a comprehensive Disaster Plan, and conducts disaster drills. Conducts monthly and quarterly safety and occupational health committee meetings within WCHCS standards. Develops information papers and correspondence on wide variety of administrative functions. Conducts administrative inspections of workplaces for hazards and occupational safety and fire code violations. Conducts administrative inspections of patient care areas for hazards and Life Safety Code violations. Other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center 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-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD13475A 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, 12/26/2023. 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-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9.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. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS (IOR) BASIC REQUIREMENTS: You must meet one of the following Education or Experience Requirements: 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 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. The Individual Occupational Requirements above, you must possess the required specialized experience, education, or combination of experience and education as identified below:GS-5 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: GS-5 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must meet 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree and General Experience - 3 years, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4 GS-7 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must meet 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement and Specialized Experience to at least GS05 GS-9 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must meet one of the following: EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-7) which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist. Specialized experience includes: Experience supporting promotional and educational functions, reviewing safety policies and procedures, and carrying out required administrative functions in support of the safety program; using data techniques to identify and analyze safety and occupational health data and problems sufficient to recommend necessary changes that solve complex problems and challenges; following policies, directives, regulations, operating procedures, information flow, and prevailing safety and occupational health practices in government agencies and in the private sector sufficient to evaluate and recommend adoption of new or enhanced approaches. OR EDUCATION: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-9 level which is two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist. OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Applicants may also combine graduate education and experience to qualify at this level. GS-11 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Must meet one of the following: EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience participating in the resolution of difficult safety surveillance program issues; supporting promotional and educational functions, reviewing safety policies and procedures, and carrying out required administrative functions in support of the safety program; using data techniques to identify and analyze safety and occupational health data and problems sufficient to recommend necessary changes that solve complex problems and challenges; following policies, directives, regulations, operating procedures, information flow, and prevailing safety and occupational health practices in government agencies and in the private sector sufficient to evaluate and recommend adoption of new or enhanced approaches; conveying policy and concepts to technical and nontechnical managers, project partners, and other germane parties through written and oral communication. OR EDUCATION: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-11 level which is the completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree which provided the knowledge skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist. OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Administration and Management Analysis and Problem Solving Attention to Detail Technical Competence Communications Computer Skills Technical competence Customer Service Quality 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: Most work is performed in an office or workplace setting, and the work is sedentary in nature. There may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items, occasionally carrying moderate weight items, but no specific physical demands are required to perform the work.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 VA Western Colorado Health Care System 2121 North Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501 US
• Name: Christina Dirkach
• Phone: 479-305-6540
• Email: [email protected]