Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Summary

Employee will serve as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist located at the East Orange, NJ VA facility. The primary purpose of this position includes the responsibility for the day-to-day administration and execution of the facility safety and fire prevention program, including preparation of all policies, reports, safety, occupational health and fire prevention-related correspondence.

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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***

The primary purpose of this position includes the responsibility for the day-to-day administration and execution of the facility safety and fire prevention program, including preparation of all policies, reports, safety, occupational health and fire prevention-related correspondence. Duties will include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Ensures that inspection and testing of all fire protection equipment and systems is accomplished in accordance with codes and policies.
• Ensures that inspections of fire extinguishers throughout the facility and testing of the fire alarm system are conducted on an ongoing basis and directs overall program.
• Investigates lost-time accidents and fire incidents.
• Prepares analyses of accident and injury trends for review and action by the facility Safety Committee.
• Reviews all accident reports for completeness, accuracy and adequacy of corrective actions.
• Conducts accident investigations and checks and analyzes accidents, illnesses, hazardous conditions and code deficiencies for the purpose of informing management and meeting report schedules. Accident investigations consist of visiting the accident scene and interviewing staff and visitors as needed, investigating the cause of the accident, and making recommendations on how they can be prevented.
• Compiles reports on accident statistics.
• Schedules hazard evaluations of any identified hazards and reviews all reports of hazards for completeness, accuracy and adequacy of corrective actions.
• Conducts general and fire safety training classes for all employees, including special supervisory training classes in fire and occupational safety.
• Designs and executes an employee awareness program in safety, and informing services of employees trained.
• Schedules, conducts and documents fire drills and emergency preparedness drills in all areas of the facility.
• Acts as co- chair of Emergency Preparedness Committee and follows up on deficiencies found during Emergency Preparedness Drills.
• Conducts workplace inspections throughout the facility and storage areas.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved.

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.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not 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

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum qualification requirements to qualify for this Safety and Occupational Health Specialist GS-11 position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires one full year of specialized 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. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience includes:

• 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.
• Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
• Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
• 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.
• 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.

NOTE: Resume(s) must clearly support the qualifying experience to receive credit. We will not make assumptions regarding experience. For additional position details, please review the announcement duties section. OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completed 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. Education must include a Major study in 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 OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education (in excess of 2 years) and experience as described above may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

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

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:

The work involves the frequent performance of surveys and on-site visits to areas within the Medical Center complex and off station to laboratory and maintenance shops necessitating prolonged periods of walking, standing, bending, stooping, climbing, reaching, and lifting moderately weighted items. May be required to lift and carry moderately heavy objects occasionally. May have to enter a hazardous environment (with safety precautions observed and attired in personal protection equipment such as respirators, coveralls, etc.) when conducting inspections and/or testing and monitoring.

The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist normally performs duties in an office environment that is well ventilated as well as hazardous areas where he/she is frequently exposed to mechanical hazards ranging from power tools to operating machinery and chemical and biological hazards while performing laboratory and maintenance shop survey. Must adhere to safety and environmental protection policies and procedures and techniques. Consistently uses proper body mechanics, appropriate lifting equipment and personal protective equipment to prevent injury to self and/or patient on a daily basis. Anticipates potential safety hazards, takes action to promote a safe and therapeutic environment. May be required to work long and irregular hours during the course of emergency response or to accomplish mandated inspection and training requirements. The work environment involves frequent exposure to moderate risk situations, some discomforts, unpleasant working conditions, and adverse weather conditions, hot, cold, dry and wet. Safety or security precautions sometimes are necessary and the employee may have to use appropriate clothing or gear. This position may require travel in order to provide coverage at another campus, or to inspect/investigate conditions at an off-site location.

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.