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
Duties
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.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for more information. You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12903552 Click here for Evaluation details. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses. Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity. Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position. Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualification requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies. Click here for Evaluation details. USA Hire You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are category B or higher will be considered well-qualified. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. When Occupational Safety and Health Administration completes its hiring, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be shared with additional federal agencies. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.