Process Safety Engineer

BACKGROUND

The Los Angeles City Fire Department has an Exempt opportunity for one Process Safety

Engineer (7962) position. The Process Safety Engineer will be assigned to the Department's

Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau, Certified Unified Program Agency Division.


RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Hazardous Materials Supervisor and general direction from the Risk Management Prevention Program (RMPP) Manager, the Process Safety Engineer performs the following duties:


A PSE assists with the administration, development and implementation of the Certified

Unified Program Agency (CUPA) Program and any other environmental programs managed

under the CUPA section. A PSE is responsible for reviewing, auditing, and inspecting risk

management and safety plans; conducting audits and inspections of regulated stationary

sources to ensure compliance with the CalARP program; and reviewing regulations,

developing policies, protocols, and standard operating procedures to assist in the program's

implementation. It is distinguished from the Risk Management and Prevention Program

Specialist in that its primary focus is risk management associated with renewable and

petroleum refineries. The PSE is also responsible for participation in the development,

maintenance and administration of refinery community alerts, notification programs, and

Mandates.


With a specific focus on renewable and petroleum refineries, a Process Safety Engineer

(PSE) develops and evaluates the chemical release prevention program; reviews criteria,

quantitative standards, and guidelines for the California Accidental Release Program

(CalARP) to ensure implementation aligns with federal, state, and local laws and regulations;

serves as a technical advisor on highly hazardous materials management; participates in

community alert and notification efforts; and performs other related duties.


The duties of a PSE may include, but are not limited to:


• Conducting on-site inspections to audit and assess each stationary source's Accidental
Release Prevention Program;
• Identifying potential program deficiencies, and ensuring CalARP regulatory compliance;
• Reviewing each stationary source's Risk Management Plan (RMP) and Safety Plan, and
making recommendations for acceptance, or prepares a notice of violation, as
appropriate;
• Assisting stationary sources in performing source term calculations and vapor-dispersion
modeling;
• Coordinating with and/or participates as a team member in inspections of stationary
sources which are also subject to the Federal Accidental Release Prevention Program;
• Assisting subject facilities in developing an Accidental Release Prevention Program,
including preparing and conducting a Process Hazard Analysis;
• Participating in public meetings including presenting information pertinent to the CalARP
program;
• Participating in organizations that pertain to the prevention or mitigation of accidental
release of chemicals;
• Participating in the development, review and administration of community alert and
notification programs as it pertains to renewable and petroleum refineries;
• Developing new and reviewing existing policies related to the implementation of the
CalARP program;
• Conducting root-cause analyses following major chemical accidents or releases from
stationary sources;
• Conducting state mandated audits of the CalARP and assisting with Participating Agency
program performance evaluations;
• Conducting training workshops for CUPA staff;
• Serving as the bureau's subject matter expert on chemical process industry safety
programs to protect the public, environment, and emergency response personnel;
preparing clear, concise and technically sound reports;
• Assisting the RMPP Manager with the development and implementation of policies,
guidelines and training criteria for the CUPA program;
• Coordinating with federal, state, local governments, and the regulated business
community regarding regulatory compliance of the CUPA program and fire/life safety
issues;
• Providing technical support to staff in obtaining and evaluating data relating to the
CalARP program;
• Reviewing and approving documents relating to the CUPA and other environmental and
fire/life safety programs as directed;
• Providing CalARP program recommendations based on reviewed data;
• Attending training courses and seminars relating to the implementation and enforcement
of the CUPA program as directed;
• Attending public meetings and clearly communicating with members of the public utilizing
appropriate and precise scientific and engineering terminology to ensure complex
concepts are accurately conveyed and understood;
• Performing risk assessments and Off-Site Consequence Analyses; operating a
City-approved vehicle for travel to work sites; assisting management with state audits
and CUPA and Participating Agency evaluations; and being available on-call to respond
to incidents after hours, weekends, and holidays as required.


How to apply

TO APPLY


Electronic submittals are required. Interested candidates should submit a City application and resume to the Los Angeles Fire Department Human Resources Division. Please select "Process Safety Engineer - Exempt" on the submission form below.

Report of Availability:

Depending on the number of applications received, a screening process may be used to identify the most qualified candidates. Due consideration will be given to previous work experience and employment history. The evaluation of candidates for this position may be based on a review of experience and training as presented on the resume, an interview, and/or a performance exercise.


exempt employment


If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a "property interest" in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.

General Information About Exempt Employment


Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.

Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees


There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.