Industrial Hygienist

Veterans Health Administration • Saint Louis, MO

2d • Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Must complete all required steps in the process, including application, questionnaire, and online assessment.
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required.
• 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.
• Must serve a 1-year probationary period.
• 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)).
• 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.
• 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.
• Specialized 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.
• Specialized 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.
• Transcripts Required.

Nice To Haves

• To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates the Industrial Hygiene Program which includes but is not limited to the following programs: Asbestos Control, Ethylene Oxide, Hearing Conservation, Hazard Communications Standard, Nitrous Oxide, Mercury, Hazardous and Infectious Waste Management, PCB's, Legionnaires Disease and Water Treatment, Anti-Neoplastic Drugs, Ergonomics, environmental issues and other prog am elements related to industrial hygiene.
• Examines work environments; studies work operations and processes to get full details of the nature of the work, materials and equipment used, products and byproducts, number and sexual gender of employees and hours of work.
• Measures the magnitude of exposure to patients, workers and the public of environmental factors, etc. In doing so, she/he must: (1) Select or devise methods and instruments; (2) Personally or through others, conduct such measurements; and (3) Study and test material associated with the work operation.
• Studies and tests material by chemical and physical means, when such examination will aid in determining the extent of exposure.
• Interprets results of the examination of the work environment in terms of ability to impair health, nature of health impairment, works' efficiency and medical center nuisance and/or damage, and presents specific conclusions to appropriate Interested parties such as management and health officials.
• Determines the need for, or effectiveness of, control measures, and when necessary, recommends procedures which will be suitable and effective for the environment.
• Prepares rules, regulations. standards and procedures for the healthful conduct of work in the medical center.
• Presents expert testimony before courts of law, hearing boards, workmen's compensation commissions, regulatory agencies and legally appointed investigative bodies covering all matters pertaining to industrial hygiene.
• Prepares appropriate text for labels and precautionary information for materials and products to be used by workers and the public.
• Conducts program for the education of workers in the prevention of occupational disease at the medical center.
• Directs epidemiologic studies among workers to discover possibilities of the presence of occupational disease, and establish or improve threshold limit values and standards as guidelines for the maintenance of health and efficiency.
• Conducts research to advance knowledge of the effects of occupation upon health and means of preventing occupational health impairment (I.e., chemical, physical, biological, ergonomic) and related problems.
• Provides consultant and technical assistance on industrial hygiene program matters for the professional, scientific and administrative services.
• Investigates employee reports of unsafe and unhealthy working conditions.
• Performs on-site inspections of new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes and standards.
• Provides final technical reviews of plans and specifications for construction maintenance and repair, replacement or modification projects to assure compliance with all codes and standards.
• Prepares statistical and investigative reports as required.
• Performs other related duties assigned.

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.
• Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.
• VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

What This Job Offers

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