Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Summary

This position serves as a Safety and Occupational Specialist in the Safety Section of Engineering located in the Department of Veterans Affairs, at the Hampton VA Health Care System (HAMVAHCS), under the direct supervision of the Safety Manager and the Chief Engineer. This position is responsible for performing work in support of Safety, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental, Fire Safety, and Emergency Management programs for a medical center engaged in a diversity of programs.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Serves as a staff advisor to the Safety Manager and assists in providing guidance, technical assistance and advice to all levels of medical center management for effective application of the program. Plans, organizes, and administers a series of comprehensive inspections of the medical center inpatient care areas, laboratory areas, engineering shops, administrative offices, as well as community homes, nursing homes, medical foster homes, residential board, and care homes. Provides reports on compliance and violations of safety and protection mandates, in compliance with the guidelines and regulations developed by Veterans Affairs Central Office (VACO), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Joint Commission (JC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and other agencies. Issues notice of unsafe working conditions to management when inspection findings warrant and recommend methods for hazard abatement and the correction of unsafe conditions or practices. Investigates and analyzes accidents and safety reports from services and evaluates the causal factors and environmental conditions that lead to accidents. Conducts and monitors safety; occupational health, JC, emergency management, and fire protection training for all staff as required by VA, JC, and OSHA regulations; evaluates and reports on safety related training performed station wide. Performs other duties as assigned. A current, valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your current, valid state-issued Driver's License. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD02532A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/29/2026. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) Requirement: An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the Safety and Occupational Health Management Series 0018. To qualify for this occupational series, applicants must have one of the following listed below: 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, Specialized experience: 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 the above IOR, applicants may qualify based on their experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-07: Applicants must have one (1) full year of specialized experience related to this position. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal Service. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of safety and occupational health principles, methods and standards applicable to conventional construction projects; skill in the interpretation of design criteria sufficient to review building plans, drawings and sketches for compliance with applicable safety standards. Specialized Experience GS-09: Applicants must have one (1) full year of specialized experience related to this position. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal Service. Examples of