This position is located within the Environmental Health and Safety Service of the VA Healthcare System in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The purpose of this position is to recognize, evaluate, and control workplace environmental conditions or stresses arising in or form the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health, significant discomfort, or inefficiency.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Develops, plans, implements, and manages a comprehensive occupational safety and fire protection program at the Health Care System; Assumes a lead role in the development of occupational, life and fire safety and fire protection goals, policy and procedural documentation; Conducts in-depth surveys and evaluations of working conditions/environments to determine the nature and magnitude of hazardous exposures and control measures; Analyzes findings and recommends, devises and/or works with engineers and other disciplines to develop corrective action; Oversees the work of contractors engaged to perform specific monitoring; Participates in the review of plans for new or modified facilities, processes, and materials for the evaluation of the adequacy of hazards; Conducts education and training for the Health Care System staff and for other personnel on specific occupational, life and fire safety program requirements; Responds to all inquiries, deficiencies, or action plans regarding matters pertaining to the occupational, life and fire safety programs; Serves as the technical authority who ensures compliance with all safety and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements by employees and contractors while on VA facilities/grounds; Assists with the development and execution of an annual budget for the occupational, life and fire safety program; 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 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.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position all applicants must meet the following: Specialized Experience: Possess 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 this position. Qualifying specialized experience includes: (a) managing safety or occupational health program elements; (b) developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management; (c) 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; (d) developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards; (e) developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses; (f) analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards; (g) designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards; (h) 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; (i) training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects; (j) 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. Applicants should maintain FAC-COR II Certification. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position. Your experience must be fully documented in 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 VA Black Hills Health Care System 113 Comanche Road Fort Meade, SD 57741 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]