Why This Safety & Occupational Health Specialist-Technical Career Field (Tcf) Trainee Job Matters
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Safety & Occupational Health Specialist-Technical Career Field (Tcf) Trainee Job Overview
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/10/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement-(SF-50Submitted): Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. This position has INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) which is a basic requirement that must be met to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that cannot be waived. To meet the basic requirement for the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist Occupational series, applicants must demonstrate one of the following: Education:-Documentation Submitted 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. (Transcripts must be submitted with your application if you are basing meeting this requirement on education.) OR, 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. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), you must qualify with grade requirements below: GS-07: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: under supervision keep all equipment under control in the best possible condition and will keep aware of the latest developments in the fields of Occupational Safety, Health, Fire Protection and Industrial Hygiene. Reviews safety instructions and guides that are relevant to current or planned contracts and center employees. Prepares written reports of the investigations into Occupational Safety & Health incidents/problems identified on station and presents recommendations for the sound solution to these problems. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement if related. NOTE: A transcript must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Applications submitted without this information may not be considered. 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 GS-09: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. 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. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as: Experience managing Environment of Care (EOC) Program, coordinating safety inspections, and using Performance Logic software for effective monitoring and documentation of compliance activities. Demonstrates knowledge of regulations associated with an Occupational Health & Safety Management program, such as OSHA, NFPA, TJC, EPA, and NIOSH. Experience preparing reports and analyzing data to help leadership ensure Environment of Care compliance with VHA and regulatory standards, supporting a safe environment at the medical center and CBOCs. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related in a major course of study stated above. OR, Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education beyond 1 full year and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for GS-9. This may be computed by first determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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. Physical Requirements: The work is usually sedentary, but it requires periods of walking, standing, bending, or climbing, and employees may carry light items such as books, instruments, laptops, and other similar materials.