Summary The employee serves as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist reporting to the Safety and Occupational Health Manager. The employee assists the Supervisory Safety & Occupational Health Specialist in the coordination, development and implementation of the VA Safety and Occupational Health Program across VA Boston Healthcare System (VHABHS Hospital) organizational elements in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: The incumbent plans, develops and conducts or assigns all required NFPA, OSHA, Life Safety Code, Safety and Fire Protection/Prevention inspections of the entire Jamaica, Plain medical center including all buildings and grounds Plans, develops and conducts or assigns fire/safety training for the facility to include orientation and refresher training for all employees and specialized programs Plans, develops and conducts or assigns specific training required by federal law such as Hands-On Fire Extinguisher Training, Lock Out/Tag Out and other required safety training, as per VA guidelines. Prepares written reports of findings for accident investigation and determinations with recommendations of remedial corrective actions. Leads and conducts Environment of Care safety rounds to maintain compliance with Joint Commission Standards. Participates in developing and maintaining a master reference library on all safety and fire protection/prevention subjects Examines pertinent contract clauses, interpreting terms, specifications and technical requirements Evaluates contractors' safety and occupational health programs, content of safety directives and regulations Develops and prepares training and educational materials and conducts safety training to a variety of audiences, small and large groups Review design plans and contractor safety plans for future new builds and renovation projects Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday through Friday; 7:00 am to 3:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Requirements 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience includes applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, and practices to identify, evaluate, and control workplace hazards; conducting inspections and investigations of workplaces and work processes; developing or recommending corrective actions to eliminate or reduce hazards; analyzing accidents, incidents, and occupational illnesses to determine root causes and recommend preventive measures; advising management and employees on occupational safety and health requirements; developing or implementing safety policies, procedures, and training programs; evaluating compliance with established safety and occupational health standards; independently resolving technical safety issues; and recommending improvements to occupational safety and health programs and procedures. ~OR~ EDUCATION (Transcript Required) - Applicants must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. The Major study must be - 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~ COMBINATION (Transcript Required) - Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Both education/experience must be related to the position, as described above. Only graduate education in excess of a 2 full years or a Master's degree may be used to meet this requirement. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion related to frequent inspections and surveys requiring considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, reaching or similar movements. Occasionally, there may be a need to lift and carry moderately heavy objects. 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/. Education IMPORTANT: 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. 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 Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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/.
