This position is established to support the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) programs and functions at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC (MGVAMC) and the associated facilities.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Determine compliance with safety and occupational health laws and regulations. Conduct or participate in training or meetings with managers and employee representatives explaining purpose and scope of inspections or other pertinent environmental, safety, and occupational health regulations. Inspect worksite, machine and equipment operations, environmental conditions, work practices, protective devices and equipment, safety procedures, records and photographs apparent violations of standards for use as evidence of existing hazards. Inspect all sites, including construction, assessing for appropriate use and compliance with all applicable regulations in the areas of: scaffolding and aerial lifts, fall protection, fire prevention, cranes and heavy equipment, material handling and rigging, hand and power tools, welding and cutting, hot work processes, fire incident reporting, motor vehicle safety, safe walking and working surfaces, emergency eye wash stations, electrical safety, excavation and trenching, boiler safety, and compressed gas safety. Participates in key working committees, such as the Accident Review Board (ARB) and Construction Safety Committee. Reports timely, in concise professional terms; any vulnerabilities plus recommendations for correction, to the work site mangers, and to EHS supervisors. Supports the EHS supervisor, and other EHS program managers, in their duties and responsibilities. Independently completes work assigned relating to EHS duties. Performs other related duties as assigned. 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, 7:30am - 4:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: May be available after a six month observational period. 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. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD70455A and PD70456A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The performance of EHS duties, including inspection activities, require walking and standing, with intermittent bending, climbing, crouching, reaching and lifting of a variety of moderately heavy items, less than 45 pounds, such as large metal lids on storage containers.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/09/2024. 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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. 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. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). Applicants must meet the IOR AND the specialized experience for the grade level. The IOR for this occupational series is: Education IOR: 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. Transcripts 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. NOTE: Experience must be clearly outlined in your resume. or Certificates Certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or Certified Health Physicist (CHP), or similar certification that included successful completion of a written examination meets the requirements for GS-5. Applicants may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience. GS-7 Grade Level Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized Experience must demonstrate evaluating accident reports to identify contributory causes, the determination of minor safety and occupational health violations to prepare the appropriate supporting data, and the composition of safety and occupational health articles. Examples of specialized experience may include, but are not limited to: identifying hazards and assessing the potential for harm to employees or the environment to provide technical assistance to managers and supervisors necessary to achieve safe and healthful working conditions; inspecting all sites, or construction to assess appropriate use and compliance with all applicable regulations in the areas of scaffolding and aerial lifts, fall protection, fire prevention, cranes and heavy equipment, material handling, motor vehicle safety; inspecting work-site, machine and equipment operations, environmental conditions, work practices, protective devices, equipment and safety procedures. ACWA (the Administrative Careers With America) testing may be required at GS-7 grade level. GS-9 Grade Level Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized Experience must demonstrate analyzing safety and occupational health problems to identify the elements contributing to human or machine failure which may lead to injury or property damage to establish methods, practices and procedures, requiring only minor changes to control or eliminate potential or existing hazards. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: Conducting safety surveillance audits and inspections on a frequent basis according to the required standards and regulations and depending on the degree of hazard; Ensures corrective actions are initiated and consults with subject matter specialists and managers about changes in work processes and proposed methods to eliminate unnecessary risks and control hazardous conditions; plan, develop, and implement safety promotional and educational campaigns containing aspects of difficult issues that are designed to meet both general and specific goals of reducing accidental occurrences and meet unique local situations; develop and prepare supplements to guidelines developed by higher authority and initiate written procedures implementing technical safety standards, codes, and safety requirements for a variety of operations or activities within the serviced area. Maintain long-term historical safety records and notes trends or changing conditions that warrant revision of safety procedures. You may also qualify based on Education, please see requirements in the Education section below. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: ComplianceSafety EngineeringSelf 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. 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.GS-7 Grade Level

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 1 full year of graduate level education. OR I have superior academic achievement. NOTE: 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;

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond Graduate Education with a Major study of 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.

GS-9 Grade Level

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 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., if related. NOTE: 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. NOTE: 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;

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond Graduate Education, see above in question B. NOTE: If selecting a combination of education and specialized experience, the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.)

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4815 North Assembly Street Spokane, WA 99205 US
• Name: Stephenie Merrill
• Phone: 509-525-5200 X26794
• Email: [email protected]