Industrial Hygienist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Jefferson Barracks (MO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Industrial Hygienist at the US Department of Veterans Affairs conducts surveys, evaluates health hazards, and coordinates with safety staff to promote safe working conditions. Work includes surveys and coordination with other health and safety specialists.

Education and training programs are administered, design plans for hazard control are reviewed, and investigations of causative agents for occupational illness are conducted.

Qualifications

• Education in industrial hygiene or related field and/or ABIH certification.
• Ability to identify, evaluate and control occupational health hazards.
• Familiarity with exposure assessment, design review and training delivery.

Responsibilities

• Conduct surveys and coordinate with health and safety specialists.
• Administer industrial hygiene programs and review hazard-control designs.
• Investigate causative agents for occupational illness and provide education and training.

Skills

Industrial hygiene knowledge

Exposure assessment

Hazard control principles

Education

Bachelor or higher in industrial hygiene or related field

Engineering/Physical/Life science with chemistry coursework

ABIH certification (optional with note)

Job description

The Industrial Hygienist performs a variety of functions related to the identification, evaluation, and control of occupational health hazards and to the promotion of healthful and safe working conditions. Work includes surveys; coordination with other health and safety specialists; administration of industrial hygiene programs; review of design plans for hazard control; investigation of causative agents for occupational illness; and the provision of education and training programs.

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

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements

The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education 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) (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.

In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirements you must meet the following specialized experience and/or education or combination to qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level.

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level 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. NOTE: Transcripts Required. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

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.