Industrial Hygienist

The Industrial Hygienist is assigned to the Safety and Emergency Management Service, as designated, within the VHA New York Harbor Healthcare System- New York/ Manhattan campus. The Industrial hygienist is concerned with the recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental conditions or stresses arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health, significant discomfort, or inefficiency.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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 Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene(external link) (ABIH)). *** Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. In addition to the Basic Requirements, Specialized experience includes: GS-11 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: 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication, Compliance Inspection, Hazardous Materials, and Health Risk Analysis 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 work includes frequent inspections of various spaces such as laboratories, mechanical spaces, boiler plants etc. and necessitates a good deal of walking, standing, bending, and climbing. 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/. 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.