Safety & Occupational Health Specialist (Safety Specialist)

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System • Pollock, LA

17h

About The Position

The Safety & Occupational Health Specialist conducts safety and environmental inspections at a correctional institution and prepares reports for review by the Environmental and Safety Compliance Administrator. The role promotes adherence to facility safety policies and assists with training staff and inmates in firefighting, occupational safety, and environmental protection. The specialist also assists safety administrators with investigations, including collecting witness statements and securing physical evidence, and prepares factual reports documenting accidents, injuries, property damage, and recommendations to prevent future incidents.

The position includes developing and conducting safety training for inmates and staff. Like all correctional institution employees, the incumbent is responsible for maintaining institutional security. Correctional responsibilities take precedence over other duties and are performed regularly and on an ongoing basis.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet the applicable education, experience, education-and-experience combination, or certification qualification pathway for GL-05 or GL-07.
• For the relevant education pathway, undergraduate or graduate study must be in safety or occupational health fields, or a related field with at least 24 semester hours in specified or closely related disciplines.
• For GL-05 experience qualification, at least three years of general experience is required, including one year equivalent to at least GL-04 involving scientific or technical work that provides understanding of basic safety and occupational health principles and concepts.
• For GL-07 experience qualification, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level is required.
• For the GL-05 education pathway, a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is specified; for GL-07, one full year of graduate education or Superior Academic Achievement is specified.
• For GL-05 only, qualifying certification may include Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Health Physicist (CHP), or a similar certification requiring a written examination.
• Applicants relying on education must submit legible transcripts and meet applicable accreditation requirements; foreign education must meet U.S. Department of Education recognition requirements.
• Successful completion of the three-week Introduction to Correctional Techniques course at Glynco, Georgia is required.
• Appointment is subject to satisfactory pre-employment and panel interviews, urinalysis, physical examination, and background investigation.
• Applicants must satisfactorily pass National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.
• Applicants not currently working in an institution must complete a qualification inquiry regarding misdemeanor domestic violence convictions to be authorized to carry a firearm.
• A maximum entry age of 36 applies to original appointment to a Bureau of Prisons institution, subject to stated exceptions for prior federal law enforcement coverage and qualifying preference-eligible veterans.
• Applicants seeking CTAP or ICTAP selection priority must meet program eligibility criteria, be rated well-qualified, and submit the required supporting documentation.

Responsibilities

• Conduct safety and environmental inspections of the institution and prepare reports for the Environmental and Safety Compliance Administrator's review.
• Promote adherence to facility safety policy.
• Assist in training staff and inmates in firefighting, occupational safety, and environmental protection techniques.
• Assist the Safety Administrator or Assistant Safety Administrator with investigations, including obtaining witness statements and securing physical evidence.
• Prepare factual written reports identifying accidents, injuries to staff or inmates, property damage costs, and recommendations to prevent future accidents.
• Develop and conduct safety training classes for inmates and staff.
• Maintain security of the institution; correctional responsibilities take precedence over other duties and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits and eligibility depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

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