The VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) is a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Tertiary Care healthcare facility serving more than 85,000 unique Veterans and over 800,000 outpatient Veteran visits each year in Oregon and Southwest Washington, with 292 combined inpatient beds. The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist works with supervisors, union officials, and safety and occupational health committees to eliminate or control hazardous operations or conditions.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: The incumbent of this position is responsible for safety program planning and implementation. Employee will complete regulatory program documentation and lead facility self-assessments, inspections and other safety-related investigations for VAPORHCS facilities, CBOCs, other extended programs within the VAPORHCS. He/she is responsible for assuring a safe work and patient care environment through interaction with service chiefs, department heads, supervisors and employees and by keeping abreast of changes in standards, laws and regulations that may affect work practices in the care environment. The incumbent provides advice and information on occupational safety and life (fire) safety matters to top hospital officials, service chiefs and first line supervisors. He/she collects pertinent fire safety and health information and presents authoritative detailed reports used in informing the Medical Center Safety and Risk Management Committee (SRMC) of occupational and fire safety reports/standards/requirements, regarding fire code compliance related issues. He/she interprets and adapts safety directives, regulations, and suggestions as required by a variety of regulatory authorities, for hospital officials as they relate to hospital activities. Cooperates with and acts as advisor to both medical and administrative officials in review of safety requirements set by the Joint Commission (JC) of hospitals in the area of occupational and fire safety, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA) and Veterans Healthcare Administration, (VHA). Some areas of responsibilities are as follows: The employee administers safety and occupational health programs to assure compliance with applicable standards and requirements. They are responsible for drafting, revising and maintaining of all Occupational Safety policies to ensure they are accurate and identify any changes to policies and regulations. The employee advises senior level management officials on the implementations needed within the assigned area on the status of the safety and occupational health programs and recommends changes in the design of work programs to meet new safety and occupational health standards. The employee periodically, confers with safety and occupational health specialists external to the facility to identify hazards related to new laboratory equipment or other areas and to become familiar with evolving techniques and protective devices for controlling or eliminating potential safety hazards. The employee independently schedules surveys of VA buildings and offices to identify and evaluate risks involving a wide variety of work environments; determines the extent to which mechanical and physical conditions comply, and makes decisions regarding adherence to established safety policies and procedures. The employee directs investigations of accidents, analyzing precipitating factors and accident cause data in order to develop specific methods for prevention. He/she also consults with specialists from related occupations concerning work process modifications and recommends corrective or remedial safety measures. Employee is responsible for implementation and maintenance of the Environment of Care rounds and program and the implementation of the medical centers construction safety program, that includes the JC Statement of Conditions (SOC's) program. The employee trains other employees and lower grade occupational safety and industrial hygiene staff, providing instruction on a variety of subjects, including chemical, biological, or physical safety topics. He/she adapts various available media to fit special and unique training requirements and participates in the development of novel or innovative safety training and promotion activities. The employee participates in the facility Safety, Accident Review Board (ARB), and/or Environment of Care (EOC) committees. 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 - 4:00pm 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/PD21466A, PD21467A, and PD21468A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 03/27/2024. 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. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Basic Requirement: All applicants must meet the basic requirements as listed below: 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. 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. 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. You may qualify based on your specialized experience and/or education as described below: For GS-7: 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: knowledge of safety and occupational health principles, methods and standards, regulations, policies, and procedures; knowledge of construction practices related to flooring, roofing, foundations, and interior electrical wiring of medical facility structure sufficient to identify actual and potential hazards; knowledge in reviewing building plans, drawings, and sketches for compliance; and experience in collecting information pertaining to fire safety and health information. OR, Education: See Education Tab. (TRANCRIPTS REQUIRED) Combination: See Education Tab. (TRANCRIPTS REQUIRED) For GS-9: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience in interpreting and adapting safety directives, regulations, and making recommendations for improvement; experience in administering safety and occupational health programs to assure compliance; and ability to advise senior level management officials on the implementations of health and safety programs. OR, Education: See Education Tab. (TRANCRIPTS REQUIRED) Combination: See Education Tab. (TRANCRIPTS REQUIRED) For GS-11: 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: knowledge of safety and occupational health principles, practices, standards, and abatement measures related to diverse hospital care; knowledgeable of training techniques pertaining to health and safety; and analyzing safety design features and specifications and experience in developing new methods and procedures. Education: See Education Tab. (TRANCRIPTS REQUIRED) Combination: See Education Tab. (TRANCRIPTS REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Compliance InspectionEducation and TrainingSafety EngineeringTechnical Competence 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. 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. Work will require regular driving for extended periods of time. 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

For GS-7:

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed at least one (1) full academic year (18 semester hours), of graduate level education in an accredited college or university. OR
  • Superior Academic Achievement: This provision recognizes students who have achieved superior academic standing as evidenced by one of the three methods described below. It is to be used to determine eligibility for applicable GS-7 level positions of persons who have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum related to the position.
    • Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
    • Grade-point average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
      1. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
      2. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
      3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society - Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies .
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Only education beyond a bachelor's degree or 120 credit hours (i.e., beyond the third year is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement). One full academic year of study/30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience may be used to qualify applicants at grade GS-7. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned. Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-7.

For GS-9:

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed:
  • a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR
  • 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
  • an LL.B; OR
  • J.D. in a related field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position; OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Applicants must have successfully completed graduate level education with a major appropriate to the position (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. For example, 6 months of experience at GS-7 plus 1 year of graduate-level education may qualify you for this GS.

For GS-11:

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed
  • a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR
  • 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
  • an LL.M. if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position; OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Applicants must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the two years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. For example, an applicant has 9 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9 and 2 1/2 years of creditable graduate level education. The applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience and 50 percent of the required education, i.e., the applicant has 1/2 year of graduate study beyond that required for GS-9. Therefore, the applicant exceeds the total requirement and is qualified for the position.

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

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.

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 VA Portland Health Care System 3710 Southwest US Veterans Hospital Road Portland, OR 97239 US
• Name: John Buan
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X59964
• Email: [email protected]