Industrial Hygienist

Summary

The position is located in the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Service and ensures the industrial hygiene elements of the Occupational Safety and Health program are implemented in accordance with standards set by the Veterans Health Administration, The Joint Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and applicable VA and VHA directives.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Inspecting medical facilities to identify potential occupational health hazards and the need for further investigative studies and surveys.
• Acquiring quantitative and qualitative data to prepare various comprehensive and legally sufficient reports to assess the overall effectiveness of the industrial hygiene program.
• Conducting studies of work operations and processes to determine compliance with various established criteria.
• Interpreting results of studies for the work environment in terms of possible impairment to health, nature of health impairment, potential for medical center damages, etc.
• Examining work environments for compliance with health and safety requirements.
• Preventing and eliminating environmental issues in the workplace that cause sickness, impaired health, or illness.
• Performing analysis of substances to determine the nature and degree of toxic materials present.
• Determining and recommending control measures and procedures that will be suitable and effective for the environment.
• Receiving and disposing of hazardous wastes and maintain appropriate records in accordance with existing EPA standards, state laws, and VA regulations.
• Evaluating environmental conditions to identify a variety of hazards including physical, chemical, and biological hazards; ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; and other environmental agents.
• Providing technical review of plans and specifications for new constructions, maintenance and repair, replacement, or modification projects; assuring all codes and standards are incorporated into the plan design so proper occupational health protection systems are maintained or provided . Making recommendations to correct all deficient design criteria noted, citing the appropriate code or standard.
• Updating and advising Occupational Health as to medical surveillance requirements for employees working with hazardous materials or in hazardous environments as determined by OSHA.
• Specifying appropriate signs and labels, approving overall facility controls, providing the correct laser safety training as needed, and designating both laser and incidental staff.
• Performing the Nominal Hazard Zone (NHZ) evaluation, making sure that appropriate control measures are in place as well as approving alternate controls.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

PLEASE NOTE: Salary range for Sacramento, CA: $88,037 to $114,454 Per Year. Salary range for Stockton, CA: $93,358 to $121,371 Per Year.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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.
  Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-11 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet one of the following requirements. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. (TRANSCRIPT AND/OR CERTIFICATION REQUIRED)

A. You must possess 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

B. You must possess 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

C. You must possess a Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)).

IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET ONE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one (1) year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower level in Federal service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the Industrial Hygienist position. Specialized experience includes planning and conducting industrial hygiene surveys and evaluations within a Health Care System to ensure compliance with environmental, occupational health, and safety standards; developing and documenting baseline and periodic industrial hygiene exposure assessments to identify hazards such as physical, chemical, biological, and radiological risks; operating appropriate sampling equipment and interpreting results; developing and delivering training on industrial hygiene topics. (THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE.)

~OR~

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: You must possess 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that is directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION)

~OR~

COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You must possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school graduate level education and qualifying specialized experience to meet the total qualification requirements at the GS-11 level. (THIS EXPERIENCE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY YOUR RESUME TO BE CREDITABLE AND COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION)

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

IMPORTANT: 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: 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:

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.