Summary
This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief of Operations, Superintendent, Capitol Building (CB). As a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist you will develop safety program requirements, perform safety inspections and instruction and carry out environmental health monitoring. You will serve as a technical expert on safety and occupational health, providing information on existing program policies and requirements.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
See Requirements section of this announcement for information on who may apply.
Duties
Tour of Duty: Monday through Friday, 6:00 am to 2:30 pm
Safety Policy and Procedures Formulation
- Develops trade focused safety policies, methods, approaches and/or technology applicable to unique AOC project management requirements.
- Updates components of the safety and occupational health program for the CB.
- Examines workforce statistics, researches occupational data, identifies populations and trends, obtains information on agency and contractor capabilities, develops work plans, briefs managers, writes specifications and scope-of-work statements and makes recommendations regarding accident and illness prevention.
- Provides instruction to staff on safe work practices, emphasizing statistically relevant accident trends.
- Evaluates training needs, develops training materials and provides classroom formal and work site instruction.
- Conducts program compliance reviews to reinforce attention to safety requirements.
- Serves as a Contracting Officers Representative, monitoring safety deliverables, contractor performance and provides review and comment and technical reports.
- Develops the safety requirement portion of Contractor Scopes of Work.
- Monitors and provides technical direction for hazardous material removal or abatement, including asbestos and lead.
- Tests suspected materials.
- Determines approach.
- Designs and or consults on abatement plans; including scope and cost, coverage of equipment, unique situations and environmental exposure to hazards.
- Monitors certifications of employees performing hazardous tasks; assists with the identification and purchase of appropriate personnel protective equipment.
- Maintains state of the art safety strategies and assesses cost/benefit issues related to implementing safety programs, policies and procedures for major projects.
- Reviews and analyzes specifications, blueprints, submissions and other technical data on construction and renovation projects for completeness and technical accuracy and develops reviews and reports on the safety and occupational health issues presented by these projects.
Conducts Safety Reviews
- Plans, coordinates and conducts occupational health and safety inspections, audits, surveys, tests and evaluations of AOC facilities and operations including construction and renovation sites.
- This may include: office space, shops, steam, chilled water and co-generation facilities, oil and coal handling, trenching, scaffolding, grounds operation and maintenance, equipment storage and kitchen and other work areas.
- Applies and interprets applicable regulations, standards and guidelines.
- Identifies problems and deficiencies and takes appropriate action to correct situations which are dangerous to life and health.
- Informs supervisors of situations requiring immediate action, informally resolves problems on the scene, writes reports, makes recommendations and follows-up to determine compliance.
- Inspects and surveys building spaces and employee worksites on a recurring basis to identify and evaluate conditions which may be hazardous to workers' safety and health.
- Conducts Job Hazard Analysis.
- Performs safety and occupational health tests for hazardous substances such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, natural gas, propane, ozone, volatile organic compounds, asbestos, lead and others.
- Establishes standards by which to judge program effectiveness and plans for evaluation of compliance with those standards for a major agency organizational component.
- Analyzes existing health and safety program evaluation criteria procedures and guidelines and develops innovative new procedures.
- Evaluates, modifies and improves existing test technologies including methods, concepts and procedures.
- Develops and implements test initiatives and test technologies that address program compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations.
The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist responsible for utilizing a thorough knowledge of and compliance with applicable AOC and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules and regulations to ensure that work progresses in a safe manner and to initiate or take corrective action on unsafe conditions in managed areas.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
- You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
- You must be able to pass a drug test.
To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:
- A citizen of the United States;
- A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
- A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
- A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
- A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States
Qualifications
You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
1. Specialized Experience
Experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, candidates must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Managing occupational safety and health programs (e.g., hazardous materials management, construction safety, and safety training); 2) Reviewing, updating and creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in compliance with safety standards (e.g., 1926 OSHA Standards, 29 CFR 1910); 3) Creating, reviewing, editing and updating Job Hazard Assessments to ensure workplace safety; and 4) Conducting safety inspections and audits of facilities to develop corrective actions for maintaining a safe work environment.
--OR—
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.
Education
In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for the 0018 series.
Fulfillment of the Individual Occupational Requirements is demonstrated by:
Education
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.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education:
Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.
Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.
You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing if selected.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.
The Architect of the Capitol offers offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.
Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:
Hazardous Materials - Knowledge of hazardous materials and waste and their uses, interactions, dangers, production, handling, storage, and disposal.
Accountability - Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules.
Compliance - Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy.
To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application.
Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments.
Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC’s Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.
For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection.
If Veterans’ preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form).
Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offer
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page.
NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs “Saved Documents” feature.
If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.
Next steps
You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.
You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings’ to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
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