Safety Technician

Summary

This position is located within Agricultural Research Service, Plains Area, National Biological and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, KS. In this position, you will perform different operational biosafety activities ensuring biocontainment laboratory facilities and equipment are in compliance with applicable biosafety regulations, industry standards, institutional policy and accepted best practices.

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Duties

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• Participates in the operational and preventive maintenance programs to coincide with biocontainment requirements, biorisk and occupational health and safety, environmental regulations, and operational procedures.
• Conducts gaseous (or alternative) sterilization/decontamination of contaminated equipment or biocontainment facilities.
• Monitors environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature and makes adjustments to enhance sterilization/decontamination efficacy.
• Conducts biological monitoring and assays results as a quality control measure to determine effectiveness of sterilization or decontamination procedures.
• Uses equipment, pre and post calibrates of this equipment, analyzes and interprets results obtained, and records and reports data collected.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and 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 period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

GS-07

Specialized Experience: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is: Assisting in the inspection, preventative maintenance, testing, or repair of HVAC devices or their controllers and working with biocontainment systems including smoke testing, HEPA and PALL filter certifications, and containment laboratory inspections.

GS-08

Specialized Experience: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is: Participating in performing operation, preventive maintenance, modification, repair, testing, or certification of containment systems including HVAC devices, Effluent Decontamination Systems (EDSs), HEPA filters or Biosafety Cabinets (BCSs) and performing sterilization or decontamination of equipment or rooms.

GS-09

Specialized Experience: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-08 which is directly related to the work of this position, and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is: Independently performing operational and preventive maintenance of biocontainment systems; Inspecting and certifying HEPA filtration, biosafety cabinets, and HVAC components for regulatory compliance; and assess items for decontamination needs and conducts smoke testing for containment integrity.

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 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 Demands:

• Work requires stooping, walking, climbing, working above shoulder height, or bending. In addition, the work requires an average degree of dexterity and strength with the movement and placement of equipment (up to 50 pounds with support). Some work may involve wearing of personal protective equipment, including a respirator (N-95 or PAPR), while entering infectious disease laboratories, engineering support areas, or animal facilities areas. Travel may be required.

Work Conditions:

• The work is performed in an office, infectious diseases laboratories, indoor and outdoor animal holding facilities, necropsy rooms, and building mechanical spaces. Temperature extremes are common; exposure to disagreeable odors, working around frightened, unpredictable, and ill-natured animals; and exposure to the risks and hazards of harmful biological, chemical, and physical agents are possible. Other hazards include electrical shock, working at heights, physical injury from tools and equipment, noise, and eye hazards, etc.
• Immunizations with vaccines may be required to enter facilities conducting work with human diseases.
• The incumbent is required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks or respirators, disposable personal protective clothing, hearing protection, eye protection, boots, gloves, and coveralls. When working in BSL-4, the incumbent must wear a full body encapsulated positive pressure suit.

Containment Work Requirements:

• Working in a high containment laboratory poses some degree of risk to human health. For the health and safety of the incumbent and to prevent the spread of diseases, immunization against diseases being studied at NBAF which are transmissible to humans is required where the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety and effectiveness under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended 21 USC 321-392.
• Investigational vaccines are those approved for human testing while they continue gathering additional safety and efficacy data in advance of full approval for commercial release. While immunization with FDA investigational vaccines is strongly encouraged, the incumbent will be advised that such immunization is voluntary.
• Individuals who are already vaccinated or do not wish to receive the investigational vaccines will be asked to sign a declination form, assuming the risk of working with the viruses without vaccination. See attached declination form.

Ongoing Health Status Monitoring:

• Psychological and physical health are monitored as part of a person review. For physical health monitoring, a baseline blood sample will be required for employees entering and working in the biocontainment facility. When enrolled in the serum monitoring program, in addition to physical and psychological examinations, the physical health status of personnel is monitored periodically using biologic and serological tests. Beyond regular monitoring programs, blood draws will be needed to monitor the specific medical surveillance examinations.
• Any medical condition which could create an unsafe environment for the individual or his/her coworkers, such as: Insufficient control of a medical disorder which could result in sudden loss of consciousness; and inadequate vision and hearing required for safety in a laboratory environment must be considered before a job offer and may be disqualifying.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Risk is reduced but cannot be eliminated with special safety precautions. Use of Safety protocols and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as respirators, disposable personal protective clothing, and eye protection, are used as needed. PPE is dependent upon the work performed and the laboratory space in which the work is performed.
• The incumbent is required to wear tight-fitting respirator when working in biological control areas; facial hair restrictions are to comply with proper operation of personal protective equipment. Approval to use a respirator requires a medical evaluation and fit test.

Decontamination/Body Requirements:

• The incumbent must have the ability to take a full-body shower with soap and shampoo one or more times per day without assistance.
• The incumbent must not have a skin condition which would prevent daily showering. Jewelry of any kind is not permitted inside containment.
• Body jewelry in piercings must have the ability to be removed prior to entering biocontainment or the piercing and jewelry must be completely sealed off from the working environment to protect the individual from contamination. No unhealed piercings are permitted inside biocontainment.
• External medical devices may not be permitted. External medical devices must have the ability to be removed prior to entering biocontainment or be sealed off from the working environment to protect the individual from contamination.
• Facial hair restriction are required to ensure the proper fit of tight-fitting respirators.

Education

No education requirements.

Personal Recognizance Quarantine (PRQ):

• Due to the contagious nature to livestock of Foot-and-Mouth disease, and other diseases under study at NBAF, Select Agent Regulations specify a personal quarantine for the incumbent entering biocontainment. As a condition of employment, all personnel entering biocontainment facilities at NBAF must not be in contact with specific susceptible animals for a period of five (5) days after leaving biocontainment. Currently, restricted species include cattle, sheep, goats, deer, other ruminants, and swine. Contact with horses, birds (agricultural and pet birds) and rabbits are normally permitted, but restrictions may be placed on staff working with or near-contagious agents affecting these species. Restricted livestock or other restricted animal may not be housed on the premises where the employee lives and where quarantine cannot be enforced. Incumbents who violate this requirement may be removed from employment or may be subject to other disciplinary action.
• Medical confidentiality will be maintained by the examining physician and only fitness (or unfit) for duty determinations will be indicated. As required, periodic fitness for duty physicals will be scheduled. In addition, medical clearance will be required if it becomes necessary to enter an area where an air purifying respirator or other respiratory protection is required.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

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 here.

This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer.

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.

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.