This position is located within the Safety Services at the VA Memorial Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. The purpose of this position is to perform duties to support safety and occupational health staff in regulatory compliance, research, training, program development, accident prevention and safety surveys in a healthcare environment.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major duties include, but are not limited to: Creates layered and comprehensive approaches to identifying safety risks and preventing accidents before they happen within our construction safety round program. Develops a culture of safety where construction activities are occurring. Assumes lead role in the development of construction safety goals, policy, and procedural documentation. Applies safety science, industrial hygiene principles, engineering principles, practical concepts, and processes to maintain a safe and healthy worksite for staff, volunteers, visitors, contractors and the general public during construction and renovation-related activities. Performs risk assessments and work closely with architects and engineers to identify, mitigate, and prevent unsafe work conditions. Performs pre-construction risk assessments, review of contractor submittal and Interim Life Safety assessments. Develops plans for conducting specialized occupational safety and health training and promoting programs for instructing and motivating managers and employees in the prevention as well as correction of potential hazards. Conducts frequent evaluations and inspections at construction project sites throughout the medical center and offsite locations to ensure compliance with applicable standards regulations. Conducts investigations of accidents, analyzing precipitating factors and accident cause data in order to develop specific methods for prevention. Reviews engineering plans and specifications for new construction and modifications to facilities for compliance with occupational safety and health standards and makes technical changes as needed. Serves as the principal advisor to managers for justifying operational procedures, interpreting new legislation and/or federal regulations, and recommending the adoption or implementation of specific policies and procedure; and Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am until 4:30pm. 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-12 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) in Federal Service that has equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, GS-12. Qualifying 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. At this level, assignments would have been performed independently, with little or no supervision, only consulting with the supervisor when unusual problems are encountered. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Accident InvestigationHealth Risk AnalysisPersonnel Security and SafetySafety Engineering 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: 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. 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.

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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address Royal C Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital 2501 West 22nd Street Sioux Falls, SD 57105 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]