Industrial hygiene is concerned with the recognition, evaluation and control of those environmental conditions or stresses arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health, significant discomfort, or inefficiency. Industrial hygienists in the VA perform a variety of functions related to the identification, evaluation, and control of occupational health hazards and to the promotion of healthful and safe working conditions.
Summary
Industrial hygiene is concerned with the recognition, evaluation and control of those environmental conditions or stresses arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health, significant discomfort, or inefficiency. Industrial hygienists in the VA perform a variety of functions related to the identification, evaluation, and control of occupational health hazards and to the promotion of healthful and safe working conditions.
ALL US CITIZENS.
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (COVID-19 - VA 004) in-accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3304(a)(3) and 5 CFR 337.205(b)(1)-(4).
Duties of Industrial Hygienist include but are not limited to:
Applies knowledge of industrial hygiene concepts, principles and practices
Develops, implements, maintains, and coordinate comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Programs involving subtances including, but not limited to, the following: Asbestos Management, Ethylene Oxide Safety, Hazard Communication Standard, Waste Anesthetic Gases, Hazardous Drugs (including antineoplastic drugs), Hazardous Materials Management.
Performs on-site inspections of the existing facility and new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes and standards and investigates employee reports of unsafe and unhealthy working conditions.
Develops and provides training and educational programs in accordance with applicable OSHA/VHA standards and to prevent occupational disease at the medical center and satellite facilities.
Conducts surveys of working conditions to determine the nature and magnitude of hazardous exposures and the effectiveness of existing control measures
The employee develops facility industrial hygiene policies, programs, and procedural documentation
Utilizes appropriate sampling techniques and procedures and may oversee the work of contractors engaged to perform specific monitoring.
Interprets results of the examination of the work environment in terms of ability to impair health, nature of health impairment, medical center nuisance and/or damage, and presents specific conclusions to appropriate interested parties, such as management and health officials
Provides consultant and technical assistance on industrial hygiene program matters for the professional, scientific, and administrative services
Develops, implements, maintains, and coordinates comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Programs involving staff protection including, but not limited to, the following programs: Hearing Conservation, Personal Protective Equipment, Emergency Eyewash and Shower Program, Respiratory Protection Program, Ergonomics, Confined Space, and Research Safety
Develops, implements, maintains, and coordinates comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Programs involving the environment including, but not limited to, the following programs: Indoor Air Quality, Water Intrusion/Mold Management, Water Safety (Legionella), environmental issues and other program elements related to Industrial Hygiene
Prepares appropriate text and precautionary information for materials and products to be used by workers and the public
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8am-4:30pm (may need to occasionally work nights or weekends) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD097660 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified applicant Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
Qualifications
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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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:
Basic Requirements for 0690 Series: The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (external link) at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science.
OR
A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene.
OR
Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (external link) (ABIH). *** Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.
Evaluation of Education All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum.
Evaluation of Experience Qualifying experience involves the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, you must also qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to recommending changes to critical safety and/or industrial hygiene programs; interpreting and applying safety/health/industrial hygiene policies or laws; performing safety and industrial hygiene risk assessments; performing inspections/audits; conducting sampling tests to evaluate occupational hazards; and conducting training on safety and/or industrial hygiene programs.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Education and Training
Planning and Evaluating
Safety Engineering
Technical Competence
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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: Physical demands include office functions which typically involve computer work, filing, and paperwork. The remainder of the incumbent's time is involved in performing inspections and risk assessments throughout the entire Kansas City VA HCS, off-site locations and off-site programs. This includes\ required access to all areas (including mechanical rooms, crawl spaces, attics, etc.). Due to the 11/25/2022 13:45 EST Page 4 of 6 wide range of locations required to be inspected by incumbent, this position involves the frequent walking back and forth between buildings and driving to off-site locations. This person spends additional time outdoors in conjunction with construction projects. These routine inspections require physical exertion such as extensive walking and prolong bending, stooping, crouching, climbing and standing to observe activities, construction sites, storage areas, and leased spaces to name a few. Off campus inspections involve the requirement to travel by motor vehicle throughout the Midwest. Must be able to lift equipment that can weigh up to 35 pounds. There may be some walking or bending during infrequent walk-through inspections of worksites.
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/.
Education
Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.
Additional information
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
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.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.
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.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/08/2022 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11744876.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Kansas City VA Medical Center
4801 Linwood Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64128
US
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/08/2022 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11744876.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Kansas City VA Medical Center
4801 Linwood Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64128
US
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
