SummaryThe Safety and Occupational Health Specialist serves South Texas Veterans Healthcare System (STVHCS). Serves as an expert in safety, occupational health and ergonomics, life safety, and fire protection in the STVHCS. Responsible for developing policies, goals, and plans for execution of activities; evaluating programs, and providing advice to field activities, private contracting companies, and other Agencies which have participating or related programs.
DutiesHelp
- Independently performs inspections/evaluations of full scope of workplaces and occupations at Audie L. Murphy Campus, outpatient clinics, and other Veteran placement facilities.
- Studies the results of inspections, determines compliance/need for correction, develops corrective plans of action.
- Provides technical advice to employees at all levels to ensure facility compliance to a multitude of federal, state and local regulations.
- Utilizes a number of measurement techniques and instruments to assess environmental exposures. Performs air quality and safety assessments upon request.
- Works with Engineering and Environmental Management Services on a comprehensive workplace EOC program. Shares data and cooperatively develops solutions.
- Applies accident investigation and root cause analysis to track and identify trends.
- Investigates accidents, incidents, and potential hazards that fall within the scope of safety and occupational health.
- Schedules, performs, documents monthly fire extinguisher checks, suppression system and extinguisher inspections, alarm tests and drills.
- Tracks ergonomic requests, performs evaluations, maintains equipment, advises customers of scope and limitations of ergonomics program.
- Maintains environment of care (EOC) program Performance Logic (PL) database. Gives guidance to management users of PL. Manages and reports data from PL database.
- Organizes/directs weekly Environment of Care Rounds through main campus and outpatient clinics and offices; maintains rounds database; reports findings, compliance and remediation.
- Completes work quickly and accurately using VistA/DHCP, Microsoft Office products, and various other data/information retrieval systems.
- Develops and conducts general, life safety, and work-site-specific training programs for employees.
- Develops and organizes events and educational activities, such as Safety Month fairs, seasonal safety posters, ergonomic safety training, etc.
- Develops data and graphical reports for presentation in several Safety and Health Care System meetings/boards/councils.
- Performs back-up support to other specialists (fire safety, general safety, industrial hygiene) as needed.
- Supports Safety Specialists in the facility's Lock Out/Tag Out program, Confined Space program, and Ergonomics program.
- Represents Safety Service in external committees (such as Patient Safety and Internal Readiness), for safety issues, including reporting.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety and Occupational Health Specialist/PD671-03053-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
RequirementsHelp
Conditions of employment- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/07/2026.
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-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.
Safety and Occupational Health Specialist series has Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that must be met. One of the following Education/Experience/Certificates must be met to qualify for this series:- Education: I possess undergraduate and graduate education with a major study 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) 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: 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 and working 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 IOR, you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education s described below:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: must be knowledgeable with the occupational health standards and its intent to determine and initiate corrective action for instances of noncompliance; evaluating and applying methods and equipment to the practice of ergonomics and occupational health, particularly in dealing with problems not readily resolved by standard methods; analyzing facts and principles to resolve occupational health, safety, and ergonomic issues; AND has sufficient knowledge of NFPA, OSHA, VA, The Joint Commission (TJC), and EPA regulatory codes to apply these standards to control hazardous situations in existing facilities as well as new construction areas, which supports continued survey readiness.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Compliance Inspection
- Problem Solving
- Risk Management
- Technology Application
- Communication
- Compliance
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.
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/.
EducationNote: Education can only be used for IOR section. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional informationUnder the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
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.
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 qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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