What are the responsibilities and job description for the Safety & Occupational Health Specialist position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
You will serve as Safety Specialist for the Safety Management Service - Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (HCS).
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 04/27/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation - but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year - it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade - as required by the announcement. In this instance - you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - managing safety or occupational health program elements; applying safety and occupational health laws - regulations - principles - theories - practices - and procedures - inspecting or surveying the workplace; interpreting architectural drawings - blueprints - and technical drawings; conducting drills - and providing safety training. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. - if related. OR - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.. AND: In addition to the specialized experience - this position has an Individual Occupational Requirement that must be met. 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. Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts when you apply. OR: 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. OR: 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 attach a copy of your certification with your application package. For more information on these qualification standards - please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Duties
You will serve as Safety Specialist for the Safety Management Service - Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (HCS).
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 04/27/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation - but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year - it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade - as required by the announcement. In this instance - you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - managing safety or occupational health program elements; applying safety and occupational health laws - regulations - principles - theories - practices - and procedures - inspecting or surveying the workplace; interpreting architectural drawings - blueprints - and technical drawings; conducting drills - and providing safety training. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. - if related. OR - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.. AND: In addition to the specialized experience - this position has an Individual Occupational Requirement that must be met. 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. Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts when you apply. OR: 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. OR: 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 attach a copy of your certification with your application package. For more information on these qualification standards - please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Duties
- Schedules - conducts - and documents a variety of activities to include but not limited to fire drills - environmental rounds and review construction and/or maintenance designs or projects to determine compliance with applicable standards and participates in the creation of fire plans (to include assisting in the Industrial Hygienist (IH) in baseline and annual industrial hygiene surveys) at the health care system and the CBOCs
- IH surveys include but not limited to: noise monitoring - air monitoring - performing illumination and ventilation surveys - personal protective equipment (PPE) - chemical inventory and matching material safety data sheets - sanitation and ergonomic issues
- Assists in conducting ergonomic surveys
- Prepares final report showing apparent violations and makes recommendations to control or eliminate hazardous conditions and applying abatement dates
- Investigates mishaps - lost time accident and fire incidents by obtaining statements from witnesses - photographs scene
- records circumstances of mishap and extent of injuries - estimates cost of property damage - prepares final reports of findings and advises and makes recommendations to supervisors and safety representatives on corrective actions of appropriate safety and occupational measures to control or eliminate hazardous operations processes or environmental conditions
- Schedules hazard abatement evaluations
- Conducts general and fire safety training classes for all employees - including special supervisory training classes
- Provides technical safety training to supervisors and employees
- Inspects privately owned contract facilities for compliance with current Life Safety Codes and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Assists the Industrial Hygienist and Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) Coordinator
- Assists attorneys in preparing evidence supporting agency's findings of safety and occupational health violations where employer contest results of inspection
- testify as witness under examination agency and employers attorneys
- Attends the Central Alabama Federal Safety and Health Council on a quarterly basis
- Work Schedule: 0800-1600
- Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD083080
Salary : $61,722 - $80,243