Safety and Occupational Health Specialist position is located at the Tuscaloosa, Alabama VA Medical Center. The incumbents responsibilities will include the development of well researched recommendations for occupational health, safety, and fire protection programs.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Serves as a safety and occupational health specialist who plans, schedules, and conducts difficult inspections in establishments and worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering hazardous work processes and materials, and unsafe environmental conditions, involving a substantial number of employees. Conducts safety surveillance audits and inspections on a frequent basis according to the required standards and regulations and depending on the degree of hazard. Obtains immediate corrective action of conditions, which are of imminent danger to life or limb. 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. As required, investigates or assist investigators in investigating accidents/mishaps, obtains witness statements, photographs the accident scene, records circumstances and extent of injuries, estimates cost of property damages, and prepares a report of findings which includes recommendations to correct unsafe acts or conditions which caused the accident. Plans, develops, and implements 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. Promotes safety campaign and education materials; selects appropriate medium (i.e., lecture, campaign, safety meeting, posters, video, e-learning, brochures, training assembly, etc.) for use in promoting safety; ensures that safety standards are published in appropriate training manuals; and establishes necessary safety committees. Provides necessary administrative support for the assigned safety program or program segment. Maintains records of all area training; notifies supervisors when training is due; schedules training to include all shifts; and conducts training when requested or required. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm Telework: Evaluated at the at the discretion of the supervisor for Ad-hoc purposes for travel and emergency disasters. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occup Hlth Spec/PD111350

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/13/2025. Safety and Occupational Health Management Series, 0018 Individual Occupational Requirements - 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: SpecializedExperience: Experience GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. 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. 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, Education GS-11: (Applicants may substitute education for the required experience Copy of Transcript required). To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. 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 GS-11: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to Ph.D. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationOrganizational AwarenessSafety Engineering 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: Most work is performed in an office or workplace setting, and the work is sedentary in nature. There may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items, occasionally carrying moderate weight items, but no specific physical demands are required to perform the work. Work Environment: The regular and recurring work is carried out in an office or workplace environment. The work is usually performed in a well-lighted, heated, and ventilated space. Normal safety measures prevail. The work occasionally requires special safety precautions such as utilizing safety gear or following particular safety procedures. 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.

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 Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center 3701 Loop Road East Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 US
• Name: D'Andre Flint
• Phone: 404-219-3292
• Email: D'[email protected]