Hybrid Safety and Occupational Health Specialist bei Department of the Interior

Not Required

Duties

Serves as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist for the Northern California Area Office (NCAO), California Great Basin Region. The incumbent is responsible for administering safety and occupational health directives and guidelines and provide training as developed and implemented by the Safety Manager, Deputy Area Manager and Area Manager. Facilities include nine dams, six hydroelectric powerplants, an area within a Superfund Hazardous Waste Cleanup Site, and associated tunnels, reservoirs, public visitation areas, etc. -Administers safety and occupational health programs encompassing hydroelectric power plants, water control and conveyance features, maintenance, and construction activities, including the personal protective equipment (PPE), medical surveillance, hot work, fall protection, walking and working surfaces programs. -Develops and disseminates accident prevention methods through dialog with foremen, supervisors, and safety committees. Participates in safety meetings (toolbox, Job Hazard Analysis, NCAO Safety Committee, etc.). -Investigates accidents to ascertain facts and determine cause. Generates reports and recommendations to prevent recurrence according to situation and applicable code interpretations from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and other safety regulations and guidelines. -Performs a variety of technical functions that involve the use of test equipment. Technical functions may include quantitative respirator fit testing, sound level dosimetry, sound level surveys, lighting surveys and exposure monitoring. Prepares documentation to communicate and/or illustrate findings and to discuss results with employees and managers. -Schedules and conducts routine safety inspections of dams, warehouses, offices, recreation sites, marinas, concessionaires, industrial areas and operations and maintenance activities to ensure work activities are conducted in accordance with safety and health regulations. -Oversees the participation of assigned employees to routine safety inspections in a manner that provides experience in techniques and procedures used to evaluate compliance with safety and occupational health standards. -Assists the Safety Manager and/or managers in non-routine inspections. -Initiates and conducts safety education activities for NCAO and other offices upon request, including OSHA required programs, Reclamation Safety and Health Standards (RSHS) and NCAO site-specific standards. Training topics include Hazardous Communications (HAZCOM), first aid/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), confined space entry, powered industrial vehicles, fall protection, hot work, electrical safety, defensive driving, and assisting Operations and Maintenance personnel with clearance procedures, lockout/tagout, PPE selection and use. -Develops and presents training on lifting, heat stress management, workstation ergonomics, medical surveillance, NFPA Life Safety Code and maintains NCAO Safety bulletin boards.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation. You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents). You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents). You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications). You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education). You must maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times as the position requires operation of government vehicles on government and public roads. Failure to maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times will result in removal from the position. You will be required to obtain a successful pre-employment physical examination by a licensed physician certifying your ability to perform the duties of this position. A physical exam may not be required if a comparable agency approved examination was performed within the last 12 months. The cost of the exam will be reimbursed by the agency. Travel is required approximately 50% of the time to field offices and facilities. Required to frequently lift, carry, and handle items weighing up to 50 pounds. Work may be performed at considerable heights up to 50ft. (i.e., ladders, climbing) Inspections may be conducted in confined areas and/or constructions sites.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the education and/or specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume. To qualify at the GS-11, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-09 level in federal service having demonstrated experience which includes assisting with developing and recommending safety and occupational health programs or policies to high level officials; interpreting, applying and/or knowledge of the development of safety and occupational health laws, regulations, policies, procedures or standings; evaluating existing safety programs or inspecting workplaces to determine possible hazards; utilizing safety and occupational health knowledge to reduce or control hazards; training individuals on safe practices and investigating work place accidents. OR Education: Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. with a major study in safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or Ph.D or equivalent doctoral 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 Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. 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; religious; 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. You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 09/03/2025.

Education

This vacancy announcement allows substituting education for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Applicants must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not-qualified for the position. You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer. Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.

Other Information

Your appointment may be subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period. Appointment of current, permanent Federal employees selected from this announcement also may be subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period. If you are serving a probationary period, your appointment will terminate the day before the anniversary date of your appointment (or sooner) unless your supervisor determines that finalizing your appointment would advance the public interest, meet the organizational goals and mission of the Department, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a Student Loan Repayment Benefit (SLRB). The decision to offer an SLRB will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: SLRB Program. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may request consideration for a Superior Qualifications Appointment. For information, visit: OPM Fact Sheet. Related non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). For additional information, please visit: Creditable Service for Annual Leave DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/ This position is designated as a MODERATE RISK Public Trust position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated Public Trust Suitability Background Investigation (T2S or T2RS or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov This is a bargaining unit position represented by Local 951 National Federation of Federal Employees. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.