Industrial Hygienist

Department of Veterans Affairs•San Antonio, TX

47d

About The Position

This position is in the Safety Service reporting to the Chief of Safety Service at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS), Department of Veterans Affairs and is the Senior Facility Industrial Hygienist (SIH). The incumbent is responsible for providing independent and comprehensive Industrial Hygiene (IH) services (including but not limited to, written industrial hygiene reports within the area of responsibility of the STVHCS.

Responsibilities

Managing ongoing industrial hygiene and environmental programs in a complex health care environment to ensure regulatory compliance.
Coordinates an effective health care decontamination team in compliance with standards of the Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Joint Commission.
Performs on-site inspections of new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes, standards, and health care system policies.
Prepares quarterly and annual reports regarding Industrial Hygiene Programs.
Keeps abreast of latest development in environmental management systems, respiratory protection, and health care decontamination by review of technical publications, attending technical conferences or professional society meetings, and discussions with industry representatives.
Identifying industrial hygiene deficiencies through inspection, program analysis, and incident investigation and development recommendations for corrective action within a healthcare environment.
Develops, evaluates, and provides corrective actions for respirator programs. Recommends and approves remedial actions.
Conducts internal annual gap analysis of program in preparation for evaluation by higher level office.
Reviews implementation of policy and procedures and reports the status to national level.
Discusses deficiencies and remedial action with appropriate local leadership and committee.
Approves preventive and corrective actions.
Studies and surveys performed involve determining compliance with various established criteria, evaluating exposures, and advising on control measures and changes in work procedures or schedules to comply with established heath requirements, and providing information for evaluation purposes.
Conducts education program for employees in the prevention of occupational exposures and diseases (hazard communication program) and documents all training.
Cooperatively works with federal, state, and local environmental and occupational safety and health organizations in areas of mutual interest.
Responds to inquiries and provides technical assistance to health care system personnel.
Calibrates and uses a variety of industrial hygiene instrumentation, including but not limited to air sampling pumps, noise survey instruments, and field direct reading devices.
Develops, implements, and maintains the respiratory protection program to include identification of workplaces requiring respiratory protection, coordination of medical examinations, and conducting respirator training and fit-testing for affected employees.
Reviews safety data sheets (SDS) for chemicals used which are applicable to hospital
Develops and presents budgetary information related to environmental programs.
Identifies and requisitions test equipment used in performing industrial hygiene tasks.
Develops training for facility personnel on industrial hygiene topics.
Conducts studies of work operations and processes, examines work environments, analyzes findings, promotes recommendations, and prepares reports.
Communicating effectively, orally, and in writing, with all levels of an organization and to communicate complex issues to enable employees and managers to make effective, well informed decisions.
Responds to industrial hygiene inquiries and provides technical assistance to employees.