Summary The incumbent serves as the Industrial Hygienist at the VA Saginaw Healthcare System and works directly under the Chief, Facilities Management Service. Assures the Industrial Hygiene program is in compliance with standards set by VHA, TJC, OSHA, and· other regulatory agencies. Consults and reviews VA publications, guidebooks, OSHA documents and regulations, the Federal Register, EPA regulations, and other pertinent documents to ensure compliance with all government mandates. Responsibilities Duties include, but are not limited to: Responsible for the planning and implementation of a comprehensive industrial hygiene program at the VA facility and off-site locations. Assists the Chief, Facilities Management, in the development of industrial hygiene goals, policy, and procedural documentation for a facility. Coordinates industrial hygiene activities with regional representatives and supports the development of integrated planning for all facilities within the healthcare system. Develops, implements, maintains and coordinates the comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Program which includes, but is not limited to, the following programs: Asbestos Management, Hearing Conservation, Hazard Communication, Waste Anesthetic Gases, Personal Protective Equipment, Emergency Eyewash and Shower Program, Indoor Air Quality, Lead, Formaldehyde, Water Intrusion/Mold/Moisture Management, Respiratory Protection Program, Hazardous Drugs, Ergonomics, Confined Space, Hazardous Materials Management, Research Safety, Water Safety, environmental issues and other program elements related to Industrial Hygiene. Conducts surveys of working conditions to determine the nature and magnitude of hazardous exposures and the effectiveness of existing control measures. Documents qualitative exposure assessments and initiates quantitative exposure assessments where necessary. The incumbent interprets results of the examination of the work environment in terms of the ability to impair health, the nature of health impairment, medical center nuisance, and/or damage, and presents specific conclusions to appropriate interested parties, such as management and health officials. Participates with or may lead required healthcare system committees (Environment of Care, Hazardous Drug, Chemical Hygiene, Construction Safety, Infection Control, etc.) to ensure that consistent and appropriate industrial hygiene practices and measures are followed. Prepares policies, rules, regulations, standards, and procedures for the healthful conduct of work in the medical center and satellite facilities. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist - Direct Hire Authority/PD92854A Physical Requirements: The incumbent is frequently required to make site surveys requiring prolonged standing, walking, climbing, bending, stooping, stretching, reaching, and other physical movement. Since the incumbent is often exposed to high-stress situations, fire situations, construction sites, and hazardous materials, physical coordination, balance, manual dexterity, good eyesight, and general overall good health are required. The incumbent must be able to wear a negative or positive pressure respirator. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period (OR INSERT "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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENT: 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 (Transcripts Required); 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 (Transcripts Required); 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. GS-11 GRADE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 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: Able to perform job hazard analysis and other analytical techniques sufficient to perform accident investigation, ergonomics, determine causal factors, and recommend procedures for elimination or confinement of the hazards. Experience with Industrial Hygiene sampling equipment and methods of obtaining required analysis. Experience in investigating occupational health problems that arise to determine probable cause and recommend measures to protect employees from recurrence. Experience in healthcare work processes, procedures, equipment, facilities, materials, and activities sufficient to anticipate and control hazards, to evaluate and determine causal factors contributing to accidents and resulting hazardous working conditions. Management of Industrial Hygiene programs, such as asbestos, hearing conservation, hazard communication, waste anesthetic gases, emergency eyewash and shower, indoor air quality, lead, water intrusion/mold/moisture, respiratory protection, hazardous drugs, confined space, hazardous materials, and other program elements related to Industrial Hygiene. OR Graduate Education: Completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; (Transcripts Required) OR Combination of Education and Experience: When combining education with experience, the applicant's total qualifying education will be determined as a percent of the education required for the grade level. The applicant's experience will be determined as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. The total of the two percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for the grade level. (Transcripts Required) To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-11. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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. Additional Information Under 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. 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 an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
