Summary The Industrial Hygienist is responsible for the Industrial Hygiene Program which includes but is not limited to the following programs: respiratory protection, hearing conservation, indoor air quality, hazard communication, emergency decontamination preparedness, confined space, asbestos, lead and mold control and abatement, environmental monitoring, water testing and treatment, waste management, ergonomics and green environmental management. Responsibilities Duties include but not limited to: Performs various duties to assess work practices and environmental conditions for hazards to the health and safety of workers. Conducting studies of work operations and processes, examining work environments, analyzing findings, promulgating recommendations, and preparing various reports. Performs studies and surveys to determine compliance with various established criteria, evaluate exposures, and advise on control measures and changes in work procedures or schedules to comply with established health requirements, and provide information for evaluation purposes. Interprets results of studies for the work environment in terms of possible impairment to health , nature of health impairment, potential for Southern Arizona VA Health Care System facility damages, etc., and presents specific conclusions and recommendations to appropriate management and health officials. Prepares comprehensive and legally sufficient written reports of all monitoring activities performed that are subsequently incorporated into comprehensive reports prepared to assess the overall effectiveness of the industrial hygiene program. Ensures proper documentation of employee exposures in medical records. Conducts programs for the education of workers in the prevention of occupational exposures and diseases at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System facility from physical and chemical hazards (hazard communication program). Performs, verifies, reviews chemical inventories throughout the facility. Manages the hearing conservation program. Evaluates effectiveness of personal protective equipment used by employees through noise measurements, and provides training. Reviews departmental-specific personal protective plans and in conjunction with supervisory staff, conducts hazard assessments for correctness of protective items chosen. Conducts fit testing and training for employees requiring tight fitting respirator s, powered air purifying respirators and N95 respirators. Identifies and requisitions test equipment used in performing industrial hygiene tasks. Performs or arranges for proper calibration and maintenance of equipment. **** Recruitment/Relocation incentive may be authorized to high qualified applicants**** Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD10057A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process 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. Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/06/2024. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Basic Educational Requirement: 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; (A transcript is required to be part of your application) 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; (A transcript is required to be part of your application) OR, Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) (You are required submit a copy of this certification as part of your application). Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-11 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the federal service). Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Assess work practices and/or environmental conditions for hazards to the health and safety of workers; Perform analysis to determine nature and degree of toxic materials present; Perform, verify, review chemical inventories throughout the facility; Identify and requisition test equipment used in performing industrial hygiene tasks; Perform or arranges for proper calibration and maintenance of equipment; Conduct programs for the education of workers in the prevention of occupational exposures and diseases. OR, Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-11 level. 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, in addition to the Basic Education Requirement above. (A transcript is required to be part of your application) OR, Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level. (A transcript is required to be part of your application) 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. 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: Duties require 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/. 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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." Receiving Service Credit or 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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/.