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Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is within U.S. Dept. of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Region 3 and will report to one of the following Area Offices: Philadelphia, PA,  Wilkes Barre, PA or Wilmington, DE.

  • This is not a virtual position.
  • Position is inside the bargaining unit.
  • Requires pre-employment physical and a valid drivers license.
  • A writing sample may be required as part of the interview process.
  • Additional selections may be made from this announcement, if approved.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/19/2022 to 02/01/2022
Salary
$38,503 to - $61,227 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Locations
few vacancies in the following locations:
Wilmington, DE
Philadelphia, PA
Wilkes Barre, PA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
75% or less - , for on site investigations and compliance reviews.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12 - GS-12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DE-22-BOS-OSHA-208
Control number
631559700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to U.S. Citizens; Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) eligibles in the local commuting area.

Duties

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Be a part of Department of Labor (DOL)!  

Join the mission to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees while improving working conditions, advancing opportunities for profitable employment and assuring work-related benefits and rights!  This position conducts work place inspections and assesses employee exposure to health hazards as part of OSHA’s mission to ensure that workers are provided with safe and healthful workplaces. Your work has an immediate positive effect on employee’s lives!

OSHA's Mission:   With the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.  Join our team!
Federal employment has many benefits! 

The salaries listed for this vacancy announcement are from the 2022 General Schedule Base Pay Rate.  To view the locality pay tables for each location, please use the following links:

Philadelphia, PA pay table: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2022/PHL.pdf

Wilkes Barre, PA pay table: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2022/PHL.pdf

Wilmington, DE pay table:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2022/RUS.pdf

Duties  include, but are not limited to, the following:

GS-7:

  • Participates 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-9:

  • Assists in planning and/or independently conducting portions or limited inspections or compliance reviews in establishments and worksites.
  • Identifies areas in need of immediate corrective action or conditions which are of imminent danger to life or limb.
  • Assists in investigating mishaps resulting in fatalities or injuries and serious incidents.
  • Studies records and reports of occupational safety and health mishaps, injuries, and illnesses.
  • Compiles and prepares a variety of recurring reports as directed by the specialist's supervisor.
  • Inspects worksites, machine and equipment operations, environmental conditions, work practices, protective devices and equipment, and safety procedures.
  • Utilizes the automated enforcement system to calculate penalties assessed to employers based on the gravity, severity, and probability of occupational safety and health violations.
  • Assists in conducting and/or participates in opening and closing conferences with management officials, employees, and employee representatives reviewing hazards or unsafe working conditions cited or observed, advising employers of their legal responsibilities to providing an occupationally safe worksite, and of their legal right to appeal inspection findings.
  • Conducts outreach activities and provides information to a variety of audiences on OSHA legislation, regulations and compliance activities.
  • Assists Department of Labor attorneys in the preparation of evidence for contested cases.
  • Writes complete and legally sufficient case files documenting all inspection procedures, interviews, sampling, identified hazards, and corrective actions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Requires a valid drivers license and ability to operate a motor vehicle.
  • Requires a medical examination and must meet physical requirements.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Appointment to this position will require a background investigation.
  • This position requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • Subject to drug test prior to appointment at GS-11 and GS-12 grade levels.
  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • You will be required to lift items weighing up to 25 pounds.

This position requires an initial medical examination and reoccurring medical examinations throughout employment in this position, as a condition of employment. If you refuse the medical examination, do not submit required medical documentation, or do not meet the medical requirements of the position, the tentative job offer will be rescinded and you will not be extended a final job offer or may be removed from Federal service. The legal authority to conduct medical examinations is found under 5 CFR § 339.301 - Authority to require an examination.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations.  As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law.  If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.  

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

Qualifications

The Safety and Occupational Health Series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

In order to qualify for this position, applicant must meet one of the following Education, Experience or Certificates 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: 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

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.

In addition to meeting one of the above Education, Experience or Certificates requirements above, applicants must also meet the following specialized experience requirements: Applicants must meet either the specialized experience OR substitution of education for specialized experience described below:

FOR THE GS-07: 

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the positions. Examples of specialized experience include:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.

OR

Substitution of Experience GS-07: One year (1) of graduate-level education or Superior Academic Achievement. Information regarding S.A.A. can be found in OPM’s General Schedule Qualification Policies.

FOR THE GS-09:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the positions. Examples of specialized experience include:

  • General knowledge of OSHA or related safety and occupational health standards or codes.
  • 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.
  • Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of 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.

OR

Substitution of Experience GS-09: Two years of graduate education or a Master's degree in safety or occupational health or related fields that included at least 24 semester hours in the following disciplines: safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, toxicology, public health, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, engineering, and industrial psychology.

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 course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs.  Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor’s Telework Program.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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.

Categories

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 qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Interpersonal Skills/Customer Service: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences. Provides information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations.

Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Communication: Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Technical Competency: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

The information you provide on your resume may be verified by a review of your work experience, employment start/end dates/hours worked and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)


To preview questions please click here.

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