Safety Technician

Agricultural Research Service • Manhattan, KS

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located within the Agricultural Research Service, Plains Area, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas. The Safety Technician performs operational biosafety activities to help ensure biocontainment laboratory facilities and equipment comply with applicable biosafety regulations, industry standards, institutional policy, and accepted best practices.

The work includes supporting operational and preventive maintenance programs in accordance with biocontainment requirements, biorisk and occupational health and safety, environmental regulations, and operational procedures. The technician conducts gaseous or alternative sterilization and decontamination of contaminated equipment or facilities; monitors and adjusts environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature; and conducts biological monitoring and assays to assess the effectiveness of sterilization and decontamination procedures. The technician uses and pre- and post-calibrates equipment, analyzes and interprets results, and records and reports collected data.

Work takes place in offices, infectious-disease laboratories, animal holding facilities, necropsy rooms, and building mechanical spaces. The role may require travel and use of personal protective equipment, including respirators and, in BSL-4 settings, a full-body encapsulated positive-pressure suit. Work involves exposure to potential biological, chemical, and physical hazards and requires compliance with facility health monitoring, vaccination, quarantine, and safety requirements.

Requirements

• For GS-07: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-06, including assisting with inspection, preventive maintenance, testing, or repair of HVAC devices or controllers and working with biocontainment systems, such as smoke testing, HEPA and PALL filter certifications, and containment-laboratory inspections.
• For GS-08: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-07, including participating in operation, preventive maintenance, modification, repair, testing, or certification of containment systems such as HVAC devices, Effluent Decontamination Systems (EDSs), HEPA filters, or Biosafety Cabinets (BSCs), and performing sterilization or decontamination of equipment or rooms.
• For GS-09: One year of specialized experience comparable to GS-08, including independently performing operational and preventive maintenance of biocontainment systems; inspecting and certifying HEPA filtration, biosafety cabinets, and HVAC components for regulatory compliance; assessing items for decontamination needs; and conducting smoke testing for containment integrity.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Must pass required background investigation and/or fingerprint check, E-Verify employment verification, and pre-employment drug screening; employment is subject to random drug testing thereafter.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period unless previous federal service is creditable.
• Must be able to meet the physical demands, PPE, respirator, health monitoring, immunization, and biocontainment requirements described in the posting, including the ability to take a full-body shower without assistance.
• Must comply with the five-day personal quarantine from specified susceptible animals after leaving biocontainment; restricted livestock or other restricted animals may not be housed where the employee lives if quarantine cannot be enforced.
• No education requirements.

Responsibilities

• Participate in operational and preventive maintenance programs in accordance with biocontainment requirements, biorisk and occupational health and safety, environmental regulations, and operational procedures.
• Conduct gaseous or alternative sterilization and decontamination of contaminated equipment or biocontainment facilities.
• Monitor environmental conditions, including humidity and temperature, and make adjustments to improve sterilization or decontamination efficacy.
• Conduct biological monitoring and analyze assay results as a quality-control measure to determine the effectiveness of sterilization or decontamination procedures.
• Use and pre- and post-calibrate equipment; analyze and interpret results; and record and report collected data.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type.
• A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized at the hiring official’s discretion.
• Flexible work arrangements may be available under agency policy and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed