Industrial Hygienist

Description:

Serves as an Industrial Hygienist at the Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare Center (EOVAHCS) where duties include, but are not limited to the following: asbestos control and abatement, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hearing conversation, hazard communication, nitrous oxide, mercury, hazardous and infectious waste management, water testing and treatment, respirator program, and anti-neoplastic drugs. This is for the new facility James Mountain Inhofe VA Medical Center in Tulsa.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement that must be met in order to be considered:

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: Basic Requirements

The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. 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; 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; 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.

Note : All experience must be clearly annotated on your resume under your job history as applicable. If you are basing your qualification on education, you must provide a transcript from an accredited institution of higher learning. Failure to do may result in an unqualified rating

In addition to the Individual Occupation Requirement, you must also meet the specialized experience and/or directly related education below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Professional knowledge of industrial hygiene principles, procedures, standards, equipment, techniques, and methods.
• Knowledge to a full range of industrial and hazardous operations such as: clinical, research, nuclear medicine and
  radiological procedures; use and storage of hazardous drugs and materials, building construction; maintenance shops;
  generating plants; warehousing; grounds maintenance; hazardous waste handling and disposal; and various other medical
  center operations where there is exposure to hazardous materials and environments.
• Knowledge and skill in the use of a full range of industrial hygiene sampling techniques, instrumentation, analytical
  methods, and control measures utilized to identify and control industrial hygiene exposures.
• Knowledge of administrative practices to manage and direct an industrial hygiene program including planning and
  initiating surveys of work operations to identify and quantify hazardous conditions, and personal contact with medical
  center personnel to convey information and obtain corrective action.
• Knowledge and ability to prepare technical written and oral detailed plans, survey reports, corrective action, and follow up
  reports.

OR

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Education must be directly related to the position.

OR

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelors degree. (See requirements above)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Communication
• Health Risk Analysis
• Technical Competence

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.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements : The performance of duties requires long periods of walking, standing, crawling, kneeling and bending. Moderate lifting
and carrying of equipment, use of personal protective devices, and work in hazardous and confined spaces is required.
Use of all appendages, good vision, and hearing are necessary. Emotional and mental stability are required.

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/ .