Safety and Occupational Health Specialist
Job Description
Be a part of Department of Labor (DOL)!
This position is with the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) within Region 2.
- Selectee will be expected to report to location for which they are selected.
- Position is inside the bargaining unit.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:
- Communications and Media
- Interpersonal Skills
- Problem Solving
- Technical Competence
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.
Responsibilities
Major Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Independently conducts safety 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 or technically difficult operations which are covered by specific written guidelines.
- Assists in investigating incidents resulting in fatalities or injuries and serious accidents.
- Conducts research using modern technologies to prepare for onsite inspections or in response to requests for information.
- Prepares case files or assigned portions of case files to support apparent violations, recommended penalties and abatement dates.
- Documents case files with relevant documentation to support a legally sufficient case.
- Assists agency attorneys in the preparation of evidence supporting the agency's findings of occupational safety and health violations where the employer contests the inspection results.
As the employee progresses, the assignments will become more difficult and complex with less supervision.
Job Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must be at least 16 years old.
- Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
- Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
- Subject to drug test prior to appointment at GS-11 and GS-12 grade levels.
- Requires a valid driver's license.
- 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
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
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.
You must meet the "Individual Occupational Requirements" listed above and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, as described below.
For the GS-09: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07 in the Federal Service.
Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-09 includes: experience with OSHA or related safety and occupational health standards or codes; analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to identify hazards; inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards.
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 coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
Additional information
Final duty station will be set at time of hire, this will be further discussed during the interview. Salary reflects the Rest of U.S. Pay table, salary will be adjusted based on location at time of selection. More information on salary tables can be found here: General Schedule (opm.gov)
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.
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. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.
Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, 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
Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information
Click here for Telework Position Information
Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.
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.
