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Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
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Summary

This position is with the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This position is located within Region 6, in the Baton Rouge Area Office.

  • This position is in the bargaining unit.

  • Additional selections may be made from this job announcement.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/10/2023 to 10/06/2023
Salary
$46,696 to - $107,680 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 12
Location
Baton Rouge, LA
2 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DH-23-BOS-OSHA-12083276-SJQ
Control number
742535900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does NOT apply. Veteran's preference does not apply.

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Duties

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

GS-07:

  • Participate 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-09:
  • Assists in conducting and/or participates in opening and closing conferences with management officials, employees, and employee representatives reviewing hazards or unsafe working conditions.
  • Conducts specific (targeted) outreach activities and provides information on OSHA legislation, regulations, and compliance activities to a variety of different audiences.
  • Assists in planning and conducting portions or limited inspections or compliance reviews in establishments and worksites.
  • Assists in conducting monitoring and evaluation by analyzing select portions of plan changes, programs, procedures, inspections, citations, and reports to determine compliance with approved occupational safety standards and programs.
GS-11:
  • Conducts occupational safety and health inspections within a variety of agricultural, construction, general industry, and maritime business establishments to ensure employer compliance with federal OSHA standards.
  • Conducts investigations involving one or more fatalities, injuries, serious accidents, or other unsafe conditions.
  • Prepares for inspections to become familiar with work processes, operations, and standards applicable to the workplace to be inspected.
  • Conducts opening conferences with management officials and employee representatives concerning the nature and purpose of the inspection, the procedures which will be followed, and employee discrimination rights.
  • Participates in Agency efforts to obtain warrants and to subpoena witnesses and documents, if necessary.
  • Analyses injury and illness data and reviews establishments' occupational safety and health programs.

GS-12

  • Conducts closing conferences with management officials and employee representatives. Discusses proposed citations for OSHA standards that have been allegedly violated, abatement dates, and employer and employee rights and responsibilities
  • Processes inspections utilizing the OSHA Information System.
  • Proposes fiscal penalties.
  • Assists agency attorneys in the preparation of contested cases for hearing before administrative law judges; testifies under examinations conducted by attorneys representing the agency and the employer.
  • Provides technical assistance to employers, employees, labor organizations and business associations to achieve safe and healthy working environments.
  • Provides training to new employees and peers.
  • Conducts interviews, reviews documents, and researches various sources of information such as equipment manuals, consensus standards, interpretations of standards, court decisions.
  • Identifies violations and hazards, and recommends abatement methods common to the work processes and operations.
  • Documents inspections to support a legally sufficient case.
As the empoyee progresses, the assignments will become more difficult and complex with less supervision.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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

Qualifications

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

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

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.
In order to qualify for this position, applicants must meet the IOR and either the specialized experience OR substitution of education for specialized experience described below:

For the GS-07:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 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 position. 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: One year of graduate-level education or Superior Academic Achievement 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. Information regarding S.A.A. can be found in OPM's General Schedule Qualification Policies.

For the GS-09:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 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 position. Examples of specialized experience include:
  • Experience with 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: Two years of graduate education or a Master's 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.

For the GS-11:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 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 position. 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.
  • Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
  • Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.
OR

Substitution of experience:
Three years of progressively higher level related graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in safety or occupational health or related fields.

For the GS-12: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11. Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Prepares for inspections by conducting reviews of available and pertinent records, including case files of previous inspections to become familiar with work processes, operations, and documents accident scenes, identifies conditions related to cause and result and assures that appropriate intermediate or permanent action is taken to remove any danger of recurrence.
  • Conducts workplace analyses and reviews establishments' occupational safety and health programs to determine the hazardous conditions that may have contributed to the injury or illness.
  • Assures that appropriate technical and personal protective equipment is available and is in proper operating condition.

Substitution of experience: No substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 level.

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

This position is being filled through the Direct Hire Authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applications do NOT apply. Veteran's preference does not apply.

This position is inside the NCFLL bargaining unit.

Career Level Promotion: There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and the supervisor's recommendation to the next grade.

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high-performing and diverse workforce in which employee 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 can participate and contribute to their full potential.

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

Telework Position: 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.

Under the authority of direct hire recruitment, evaluation factors are a tool to gauge one's proficiency in relevant competencies, but will not be used to determine who will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. All candidates who have provided a complete application, and meet the minimum qualification requirements will be referred for consideration. Please review evaluations details here.

Click here for Evaluation details.

You may preview questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12083276

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, and other lived experience, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings.

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