Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Major duties include: Assumes a lead role in the development of safety goals, policy, and procedural documentation for a facility. Advises management officials within the assigned area on the status of the safety and occupational health programs and recommends changes in the design of work programs to meet new safety and occupational health standards. Conducts Environment of Care Safety and Health inspections of private homes used in the grant per diem. Ensures facility construction and maintenance projects, designs, and specifications comply with OSHA, VA, VHA, and VISN OSH requirements. Confers with safety and occupational health specialists external to the facility to identify hazards related to new laboratory equipment or other areas and to become familiar with evolving techniques and protective devices for controlling or eliminating potential safety hazards. Schedules surveys of VA buildings and offices to identify and evaluate risks involving a wide variety of work environments;