Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (Construction)

Summary

This position is with the U.S Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, located in the Westbury, NY area office. The position is inside the bargaining unit, and requires pre-employment physical and a valid drivers license. Additional selections may be made from this announcement if funding becomes available.

Responsibilities

Duties:

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 planning and conducting portions or limited inspections or compliance reviews (or independently conducts inspections of business establishments and worksites whose operations are generally characterized by the presence of moderately stable, low-risk processes or some higher hazards or unsafe working conditions. Studies records and reports of occupational safety and health mishaps, injuries, and illnesses. Conducts research of employers and their previous OSHA enforcement activity in advance of new inspections or investigations and to respond to requests for information. Utilizes the automated enforcement system to calculate penalties assessed to employers based on the gravity, severity, and probability of occupational safety and health violations. Writes complete and legally sufficient case files documenting all inspection procedures, interviews, sampling, identified hazards, and corrective actions. Assists Department of Labor attorneys in the preparation of evidence for contested cases. Assists in conducting or may conduct opening and closing conferences with management officials, employees, and labor representatives regarding enforcement findings and applicable occupational safety and health policies and regulations.

Candidate required to obtain the necessary security investigation level.

Travel Required

50% or less - Frequent travel including some extended overnight lodging, some evening and weekend work required to conduct official OSHA enforcement inspection and investigation activities and training purposes.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

12 - Future promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and supervisory approval.

Qualifications

The Safety and Occupational Health Series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

Education

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

General Experience: Experience in scientific or technical work that provided an understanding of the basic principles and concepts of the safety and occupational health field. Creditable general experience must have demonstrated the achievement of knowledge equivalent to the education described above.

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.

In order to qualify for this position, applicants must also meet the specialized experience requirements: Applicants must meet either the specialized experience OR substitution of education for specialized experience described below:

FOR GS-07: Applicants must also have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 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 positions. 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.

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.

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

OR

Substitution of Experience GS-07: One year (1) of graduate-level education or superior Academic achievement. Information regarding S.A.A can be found in OPM’s General Schedule Qualification Policies.

For GS-09: Applicants must also have year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 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 positions. Examples of specialized experience include:

General knowledge of OSHA or related safety and occupational health standards or codes.

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

OR

Substitution of Experience GS-09: Two years of graduate education or a Master's degree in safety or occupational health or related fields that included at least 24 semester hours in the following disciplines: safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, toxicology, public health, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, engineering, and industrial psychology.

Education

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 course work requirements for this position.