Industrial Hygienist

Veterans Health Administration • Minneapolis, MN

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Industrial Hygienist at the Minneapolis VA 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. Industrial hygiene is concerned with the recognition, evaluation, and control of those workplace environmental conditions or stresses arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health, significant discomfort, or inefficiency.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• 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 of Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Qualifying specialized experience includes recognizing potential health hazards associated with a variety of operations; investigating alleged or suspected occupational health conditions; utilizing a wide variety of sampling instrumentation; and identifying process changes that may reduce or eliminate hazards.
• Successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to the position.
• A combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first two years of graduate education.
• Investigations and surveys involve moderate physical exertion, including carrying equipment, climbing, standing, walking, and bending, as well as use of personal protective devices and occasional work in confined spaces.
• The work involves exposures to all the hazards and discomforts including chemicals, noise, dust, aerosols, fumes, and operating equipment.
• Protective clothing or equipment, including respiratory protection, may be necessary.
• Much of the work is performed in an office setting, although exposure to industrial hazards is expected multiple times weekly during walk-through surveys conducted individually or conducted as part of a larger study.
• Work is self-directed at this level.
• A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
• 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.
• 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.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

Nice To Haves

• The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest.
• As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran.
• This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community.
• This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Hazardous Materials Officer and responsible for initiation, development, administration, coordination and auditing of the Hazardous Materials Program.
• Apply appropriate sampling techniques and procedures and may oversee the work of contractors engaged to perform specific monitoring.
• Respond to any requests, directives, reports and/or inspections conducted by regulating/governing agencies.
• Maintain contact with external stakeholders (e.g. Federal Agencies, Community Partners, Standards organizations).
• Provide education programs designed to inform management, supervisors and employees of potential hazardous exposures, applicable directives and fire safety.
• Coordinate response to internal and external Safety/Industrial Hygiene audits, surveys, inspections and ensure corrective actions, plans, and preventive measures are initiated.
• Where hazardous exposures are discovered, the incumbent devises or works with engineers to develop control measures, such as changes in work procedures, systems, materials or the use of personal protective equipment.
• Ensure that written policies and procedures are developed, implemented and maintained for program related processes.
• Coordinate/audit the effort of staff involved with the Industrial Hygiene program to ensure that it is developed and implemented in accordance with OSHA, ANSI standards, NFPA, OIG, Joint Commission and all internal policies and directives.
• Maintain industrial hygiene sampling equipment including selection, calibration, servicing and repair.
• Conduct internal gap analysis of Industrial Hygiene programs.
• Issue reports of gap analysis and track status of corrective and preventive actions.
• Conduct surveys of working conditions to determine the nature and magnitude of hazardous exposures and the effectiveness of existing control measures.
• Serve as the technical authority who ensures compliance with all safety and OSHA requirements by employees and contractors while on VA grounds/facilities, they would have the authority to take immediate action when any situation develops which is deemed a hazard to workers, employees, patients or property.
• Monitor contracts and scheduled work for chemical fume hoods, Biological Cabinets and IH sampling as necessary.
• Manage the reports and documents from inspections and interpret findings for determining required repairs, abatement and follow-up.
• Performs other duties as necessary.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
• Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level