What are the responsibilities and job description for the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist position at Department Of Health And Human Services?
The primary purpose of this position is to manage occupational safety, health, and emergency management programs. Responsibilities include safety documentation, training and exercises, corrective actions, accreditation readiness, policy development, and program monitoring. The program covers the entire Service Unit, including off-site clinics and community programs.
A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021). EDUCATION: If you are substituting education for experience; You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.
Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation .
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ . RESPONSIBILITIES:
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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
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 (for GS-5 positions):
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.
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.
BASIC REQUIREMENT(S) :
In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks:
GS-11: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: p lans, implements, and evaluates the Service Unit's comprehensive safety and occupational health program to ensure protection of patients, staff, and visitors; conducts loss control and risk analysis surveys to identify unsafe conditions and recommends corrective actions; oversees safety activities including radiological health monitoring, hazardous materials and waste management, fire prevention, and evacuation training; conducting surveys to identify problems for employees resulting from ergonomic conditions
Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).
SALARY: 74678 EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other
A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021). EDUCATION: If you are substituting education for experience; You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.
Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation .
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ . RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develops, implements, manages, evaluates and recommends revisions of hospital safety and occupational health programs.
- Provides consultative assistance to supervisors in identifying changes needed in written safety policies and procedures, hazardous materials management and makes recommendations to Leadership.
- Anticipates, recognizes, evaluates and controls safety hazards in the workplace and patient care environment. Modifies or significantly depart from standard techniques in devising specialized operating practices concerned with accomplishing project safety and occupational health objectives.
- Coordinates the implementation of the facilities' emergency management program for internal and external disasters. Coordinates the Safety Program Framework processes for the Service Unit. Advises, organizes and brings together employees, products, clients, and other resources.
- Participates in monthly or annually in-service trainings to all employees on safety and occupational health for Indian Hospital Services in the form of a classroom, fair, or department setting.
- Develops and measures the methods to correct unsafe work practices as determined by reviews of accident/injury/incident reports, supervisor reviews and regulatory guidance. Evaluates employees' safety work practices, provides remedial training makes corrective recommendations as necessary.
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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.
INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
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 (for GS-5 positions):
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.
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.
BASIC REQUIREMENT(S) :
In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks:
GS-11: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: p lans, implements, and evaluates the Service Unit's comprehensive safety and occupational health program to ensure protection of patients, staff, and visitors; conducts loss control and risk analysis surveys to identify unsafe conditions and recommends corrective actions; oversees safety activities including radiological health monitoring, hazardous materials and waste management, fire prevention, and evacuation training; conducting surveys to identify problems for employees resulting from ergonomic conditions
Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).
SALARY: 74678 EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other