The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System (OKCVAHCS) is a tertiary hospital which includes (15) outpatient clinics dispersed over a large geographic region spanning two states. The health care system supports and trains many residents, interns, and other trainees in a wide variety of medical specialties and healthcare occupations. This station has a Medical Center with approximately 200 operating beds, 15 off-site outpatient clinics, 8 off-site administrative spaces, and more than 2,600 employees.

Duties

The Incumbent serves as an Industrial Hygienist at the Oklahoma Health Care Center (OKCHCS) where duties may include but are not limited to the following: Asbestos control and abatement, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hearing conversation, hazard communication, nitrous oxide, mercury, hazardous and infectious waste management, water testing and treatment, respirator program, ergonomics, and anti-neoplastic drugs. Conducting studies of work operations and processes, examining work environments, analyzing findings, promulgating recommendations, and preparing various reports. Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing EPA standards, state laws, and VA regulations. Prepares comprehensive and legally sufficient written reports of all monitoring activities performed which are subsequently incorporated into comprehensive reports prepared to assess the overall effectiveness of the industrial hygiene program. Ensures proper documentation of employee exposures in medical records. Regularly inspects the medical center to identify potential occupational health hazards and the need for further investigative studies and surveys. Studies and surveys performed involve determining compliance with various established criteria, evaluating exposures, and advising on control measures and changes in work procedures or schedules to comply with established health requirements and providing information for evaluation purposes. Performs analysis to determine nature and degree of toxic materials present. Interprets results of studies for the work environment in terms of possible impairment to health, nature of health impairment, potential for medical center damages, etc., and presents specific conclusions and recommendations to appropriate management and health officials. Determines the need for, and effectiveness of, control measures and changes in work procedures. Recommends procedures that will be suitable and effective for the environment. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am - 430pm Telework: This position is not eligible for telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD14465 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, 06/27/2024. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. 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: Please provide your most recent non-award SF-50 for the current year and previous year, to assure proper time in grade calculations. Special Placement Factor: Evaluates existing and proposed new work processes or materials, particularly in experimental operations, to assure incorporation of adequate measures for prevention of occupational disease hazards. Performs ergonomic assessments existing and proposed new work processes to evaluate and make recommendations to alleviate ergonomic stressors. Investigates health problems which arise among workers, such as individuals having allergic or environmental reactions related to their work and determines corrective measures. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS Basic Requirements: The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; or A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene; or Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene(external link) (ABIH). Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you may qualify based on your experience/ directly related education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: conducting studies on work operations and processes, inspecting work environments, interpreting data, making recommendations, and generating various reports. Environmental circumstances include physical, chemical, and biological risks, as well as ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and other environmental agents, clinical research, knowledge of concepts, principles, methods monitor, control, abate, prevent pollutants. OR; Education: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Combination Education/Experience: A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene, AND 2 years of specialized experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: ChemistryCommunicationEnvironmental EngineeringHazardous MaterialsTechnical 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. 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 performance of duties requires long periods of walking, standing, crawling, kneeling, and bending. Moderate lifting and carrying of equipment, use of personal protective devices, and work in hazardous and confined spaces is required. Use of all appendages, good vision, and hearing are necessary. Emotional and mental stability are required. Work Environment: `The incumbent is frequently exposed to potentially hazardous conditions and materials such as noise, dust, asbestos, fumes, smoke gases, solvents, flammables, explosives, etc. Also, the incumbent is frequently exposed to equipment in operation and construction hazards. Temperatures encountered can be extremely hot or cold for periods of time. Per OSHA requirements, a beard is not permitted due to the usage of a respirator. The ability to operate a motor vehicle is necessary. 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

Evaluation of Education

All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum.

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

Contacts

• Address Oklahoma City VA Health Care System 921 Northeast 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104 US
• Name: Shaffona Zayas
• Phone: 3032028109
• Email: [email protected]