Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Summary

This position will serve as a Safety & Occupational Health Specialist for any region within the Dept. of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

• This position is inside the bargaining unit.
• The full performance level of this position is at the GS-12 grade level.
• A writing sample may be included as part of the interview process.
• This announcement will be used to fill 102 vacancies

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Duties

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Major Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

GS-07:

• Participate as a member of an inspection team led by a higher-graded specialist and assist in the planning of and/or conduct a limited segment of a major investigation or a small investigation where the exposure and type of hazard and unsafe working conditions is predictable in advance.
• Researches and studies records and files covering mishaps, injuries, and equipment maintenance data.
• Audits employer occupational safety and health injury records, safety plans, and program documentation.
• Assists in the documentation of conducted portions of investigations to help support a legally sufficient case. Takes photographs and videos of apparent violations of occupational safety and health standards.
• Assists in preparing for opening and closing conferences and outreach activities. Responds to requests for information on OSHA policies, regulations, and programs.

GS-09:

• Assists in conducting and/or participates in opening and closing conferences with management officials, employees, and employee representatives reviewing hazards or unsafe working conditions.
• Conducts specific (targeted) outreach activities and provides information on OSHA legislation, regulations, and compliance activities to a variety of different audiences.
• Assists in planning and conducting portions or limited inspections or compliance reviews in establishments and worksites.
• Assists in conducting monitoring and evaluation by analyzing select portions of plan changes, programs, procedures, inspections, citations, and reports to determine compliance with approved occupational safety standards and programs.

GS-11:

• Conducts occupational safety and health inspections within a variety of agricultural, construction, general industry, and maritime business establishments to ensure employer compliance with federal OSHA standards.
• Conducts investigations involving one or more fatalities, injuries, serious accidents, or other unsafe conditions.
• Prepares for inspections to become familiar with work processes, operations, and standards applicable to the workplace to be inspected.
• Conducts opening conferences with management officials and employee representatives concerning the nature and purpose of the inspection, the procedures which will be followed, and employee discrimination rights.
• Participates in Agency efforts to obtain warrants and to subpoena witnesses and documents, if necessary.
• Analyses injury and illness data and reviews establishments' occupational safety and health programs.

GS-12

• Conducts opening conferences with management officials, employees, and employee representatives concerning the nature and purpose of the inspection and the procedures which will be followed.
• Conducts closing conference with employer, reviewing hazards identified and violations cited.
• Conducts specific (targeted) outreach activities and provides information on OSHA legislation, regulations, and compliance activities to a variety of different audiences.
• Conducts investigations of accidents which may involve one or more fatalities, a large number of injuries or serious accidents, or other unsafe conditions.
• Plans, schedules, and conducts inspections either individually-determined, as assigned or based on complaints received from employees and/or union representatives, in establishments and worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering Hazardous work processes and materials, and unsafe environmental conditions.
• Inspects worksites, machine and equipment operations, environmental conditions, work practices, protective devices and equipment, and safety procedures.
• Reviews safety activities for evidence of compliance with prescribed safety requirements.
• Proposes fiscal penalties.
• Assists agency attorneys in the preparation of contested cases for hearing before administrative law judges; testifies under examinations conducted by attorneys representing the agency and the employer.
• Conducts interviews, reviews documents, and researches various sources of information such as equipment manuals, consensus standards, interpretations of standards, court decisions.
• Identifies violations and hazards, and recommends abatement methods common to the work processes and operations.
• Documents inspections to support a legally sufficient case.

As the employee progresses, the assignments will become more difficult and complex with less supervision.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Requires a valid driver's license and ability to operate a motor vehicle.
• Requires drug test prior to appointment at the GS-11 and GS-12.
• Requires medical exam and must maintain physical requirements.
• You will be required to lift items weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Requirements listed in the Education Requirements section and the Specialized Experience to qualify for Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, as described below.

Education

For information about the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), please see Education section of this announcement.

Minimum Qualifications:

For the GS-07 level:

Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the individual occupational requirement, applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, in the Federal or Private Sector. Specialized Experience is described as experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience are as follows:

• Applying a general knowledge of OSHA or related safety and occupational health standards or codes to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.
• Analyzing or evaluating new and existing safety inspection jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of 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.

or

Education: One full year of progressively higher-level graduate education.

or

Superior academic achievement in a bachelor's degree program. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

1. Class standing Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on completed courses.
2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

a. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or

b. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

3. Election to membership in a National Honor Society - membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

or

A qualifying combination of education and competencies as described above.

For the GS-09: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

• 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.
• Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of 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.

OR

Substitution of Experience: Two years of graduate education or a Master's degree 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.

For the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

• 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.
• Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
• Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.

OR

Substitution of experience: Three years of progressively higher level related graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in safety or occupational health or related fields.

For the GS-12: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11. Examples of specialized experience include:

• Applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve unusual and often complicated technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.
• Analyzing or evaluating new and existing safety inspection jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of 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.
• Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards, or

Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.

No substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 level.

Education

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

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.

OR

Experience

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): 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.
• 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.

OR

Certificates : Certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or Certified Health Physicist (CHP), or similar certification that included successful completion of a written examination meets the requirements for GS-5. Applicants may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

Recruitment incentives may be offered at management's discretion.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Candidates who are referred and/or interviewed but not immediately selected will be included on subsequent certificates after each cutoff, continuing this process until all selections are finalized or the vacancy announcement officially closes. For these candidates, final disposition notices will be sent after the closing date of the announcement.

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.