Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Summary This position is located with the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Charleston, SC. In this position, you will inspect research facilities, interpret regulations and policies, review standard operating procedures (SOPs) and reports, and plan and organize safety training and education. Responsibilities Provides informal instruction to employees covering a variety of safety and occupational health subjects including chemical, biological and physical safety, and various laboratory safety needs and ventilation requirements. Establishes and maintains safety training and safety orientation for all new employees, including films, pamphlets, etc. Ensures that safety orientation and appropriate safety materials are given to student workers as well as Federal employees. Prepares and maintains accurate documentation / record of all safety-related matters to assure compliance with State and Federal regulations. Analyzes accident and injury reports, studying data to discover trends and mishap causes, and develop recommendations for eliminating or controlling the hazards detected. Reviews safety information from regulations and on computer Internet / World Wide Web; relates pertinent items to location staff. Coordinates Occupational Health Maintenance Program ensuring that individuals working with chemicals participate. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and / or education, as defined below. GS-09 Specialized Experience : Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are : Qualifying experience for GS-09 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience managing safety, health, or environmental management programs in an office or research laboratory environment; coordinating annual safety inspections for offices, laboratories, or equipment; and providing informal instruction to employees regarding health and safety procedures. OR Education : Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate 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; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR A combination of the graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. GS-11 Specialized Experience : Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are : Qualifying experience for GS-11 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-09 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience developing and coordinating safety, health, or environmental management programs in an office setting or research laboratory environment; initiating and coordinating regular inspection and maintenance of safety equipment, offices or laboratories; and developing and conducting routine training presentations related to health and safety for new or existing employees. OR Education : Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral 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; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR A combination of the graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Demands A significant amount of work is performed in an office environment. However, inspection of facilities frequently involves climbing ladders, working on roofs, etc., and crouching and crawling under structures. There may be need for the incumbent to lift and carry moderately heavy objects. Working Environment Although most work is performed in an office, on-site inspections involve exposure to hazardous chemicals, moving equipment, heights, closed spaces, etc. A fair degree of potential risk is involved. The incumbent is required to wear protective clothing / equipment at times. Education Please see above for education qualification requirement information. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) : Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP / RPL / ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP / ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP / ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. The final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at the time of job offer. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.