Safety Specialist Position Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 11:42:30 -0500 To: " , WRD Archive File, Reston, VA " From: "Betty J Dodds, Secretary, Reston, VA " (Betty J. Dodds) X-Sender: bjdodds@130.11.51.82 Subject: OP Memorandum No. 96.09 - Safety Specialist Position In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 405 MEMORANDUM October 7, 1996 To: District Chiefs Chief, Branch of Regional Research - ER, CR, WR Chief, Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility Chief, National Water Quality Laboratory Chief, Yucca Mountain Project Branch Chief, Research Hydrologist, CVO From: Catherine L. Hill Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Operations Subject: Safety Specialist Position A position description (PD) classified as a Safety Specialist GS-018-11 is attached for your information and potential use. The PD was written and classified to help Water Resources Division organizational units define and justify the appropriate grade level for employees that provide support for occupational safety, employee health and environmental compliance. The PD focuses on the major duties and responsibilities required to support an organizational safety program and to assist management in achieving the goals of the department's Safety and Health Strategic Plan. The entry level for the Safety Specialist Series is GS-5 with a two grade progression to a GS-11. This position may be filled at the 9 level with a statement of difference that the incumbent will be under closer supervisory control. The PD has been classified by the U.S. Geological Survey senior classifier for the Water Resources Division, Reston, Virginia. The job title, Safety Specialist, is based on the grade determining safety duties. Additional duties may be added to the PD to support other tasks assigned to the employee providing these duties do not limit the employee from carrying out the safety duties listed in the PD. The hydrologic technician duties listed in the attached PD are intended as an example only. If other duties appear to outweigh the safety duties in knowledge, complexity, and other key factors, the servicing classifier may have to evaluate the job on a case-by-case basis. The PD was developed with help from the Oklahoma District. Oklahoma has used the PD to promote their safety officer to a GS-11. If you have any questions concerning this PD or its use, please call Melvin Lew at 703/648-6811. Attachment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAJOR DUTIES Safety Specialist GS-018-11 1. Provides technical assistance to the District Chief in developing, interpreting, coordinating, and administering, in a timely manner, the district safety program that promotes and maintains a safe work environment and conforms with Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Occupational Hazards and Safety Procedures Handbook 445-2-H (1993), the USGS Safety and Environmental Health Handbook 445-1-H (1989), and Water Resources Division (WRD) Memorandums. Participate as a member of the WRD Safety Committee and other safety subcommittees to assist in formulating Division safety programs. Interprets and analyzes policy and regulations in conduct of duties and participates in the review of new policies, guidelines, and regulations to influence, recommend, or explain safety policies and directions to meet the needs of the District. 2. Serves as the primary focal point for all safety, health, and environmental issues within the District and liaison between district management and the Regional Safety Officer (RSO), Division Safety Officer, and as needed, Bureau Safety Specialists. 3. Prepares, interprets, and/or updates the district safety plan that addresses the operation of the organization. 4. Assists project leaders in the preparation, review, and approval of "Hazardous Waste Site Safety and Health Plan", including guidance on hazardous waste disposal, procedures to evaluate sites, and selection of appropriate safety equipment and procedures. 5. Prepares and submits to the RSO (copy to the Division Safety Officer) an annual District Health and Safety Plan for the upcoming fiscal year and an annual safety report summarizing past year's accomplishments 6. Reports any known hazardous conditions to district management and maintains the Hazard Elimination Log. Responsibilities include assessing the unsafe conditions and developing recommended abatement actions. 7. Establishes and administers a District Safety Committee to promote the Safety program and addresses the concerns of the personnel. 8. Investigates accidents to determine the actual or underlying cause or causes and recommends abatement actions when necessary. Reports all accidents to the District Chief and WRD Regional Safety Officer. Reviews and forwards accident reports (DI-134) to the Bureau Regional Safety Manager and the RSO. Maintains a file of all reports. 9. Responsible for employee safety training, either acting as instructor or arranging for specialized instruction. Maintains records of safety training for district personnel and advises the District Chief of safety training needs. 10. Retains a library of Department of the Interior (DOI), USGS and WRD safety policies, and/or safety handbooks, documents, codes, regulations, training materials, and guidelines. Available documents to included are: 29 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910; USGS Occupational Hazards and Safety Procedures Handbook 445-2-H; 40 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 260-299; USGS Environmental Compliance Guide. Maintain an office safety bulletin board. 11. Performs safety inspections routinely, including laboratories, field sites, and vehicles. Conducts annual safety inspections of all district facilities and accompanies RSO on regional inspections every 3 years. Results are reported to, and corrective actions formulated and coordinated with, the District Chief. 12. Ensures that a medical surveillance program is maintained, including arranging required employee training, medical examinations, and records maintenance. 13. Independently collects hydrologic data in the field and makes field and laboratory chemical analysis of quantity and character of the dissolved matter in water and sediment concentration in samples. Engages in the inspection, installation, operation, and maintenance of gaging stations, observation wells, and their equipment. Performs general technical data studies relating to data collection activities. 14. Prepares plans for new gaging stations, artificial controls, cableways, and other appurtenances to streamgaging structures and for the rehabilitation of existing stations; makes reconnaissance and surveys for the location of new stations; prepares bills of materials and cost estimates of major constructions and repair jobs and procures materials. FACTORS A. Knowledge Required by the Position 1. Extensive knowledge of occupational safety programs, regulations, and standards to conduct comprehensive studies and analyses of a variety of unsafe conditions encountered by district employees in field and laboratory environments. Develops policies, procedures, and controls to reduce District occupational health safety hazards. 2. Knowledge of: OSHA 29 CFR 1910 (Industry and Construction Standards, Hazard Communication, Hazardous Waste Activities, etc.); EPA 40 CFR regulations (RCRA, SARA title III, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and others); DOT 49 CFR 171-173 (transportation of materials and others) regulations. 3. Knowledge and experience in the use of a full range of standard and unique field data collection and office computation procedures in order to collect, compute, and analyze hydrologic data. 4. Knowledge and experience in the use of specialized equipment designed for water-resource studies to obtain specific types of hydrologic data, and the interpretation of these data. 5. Knowledge of the objectives, policies, and philosophies of the Water Resources Division. 6. Knowledge of work site inspection procedures. 7. Knowledge of administrative and managerial practices applicable to planning, implementing, and evaluating hydrologic data and reporting programs and District safety management programs. B. Supervisory Controls The incumbent is under the general supervision of the District Chief for duties in Occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental Compliance Program, who sets overall objectives and allocates resources. The incumbent develops the methodology by which the work will be accomplished. The incumbent is responsible for the execution of the program with those resources available and for meeting established deadlines using his/her own expertise in resolving complex issues. Incumbent has wide latitude in performing work independently without instruction and selecting techniques and procedures to be used in meeting objectives. Work is evaluated based on reports received concerning the effectiveness of operations and the degree of overall compliance with program tasking and guidance. C. Guidelines Guidelines include published manuals on techniques of water resources operating, servicing, and installing investigations (TWRI), agency procedural directives, oral instructions on data collection, and safety and health standards including Federal, State, and local criteria documents (such as 29, 40 and 49 Code of Federal Regulations); Survey Manual; USGS Occupational Hazards and Safety Procedures Handbook 445-2-H (1993); the USGS Safety and Environmental Health Handbook 445-1-H (1989), and WRD Memorandums. Exercises judgment and discretion in deviating from guideline solutions to resolve safety problems and issues. D. Complexity Assignments involve all aspects of safety which is regulated by numerous complex Federal, State, and local regulations, existing DOI policy, state-of -the-art technology, economics and availability of funds, regulatory pressures such as possible litigation, existing site conditions, disagreements between management and safety requirements, and individual installation/site needs and restrictions. The incumbent must weigh these considerations when using his/her judgment in applying innovative techniques and criteria to provide the District Chief and his staff with advice on the alternatives available and recommended approach or solution. Incumbent will be involved in a number of safety-related activities and projects at any one time. The incumbent must consolidate and interpret information from a wide variety of sources and documents and develop appropriate techniques and criteria for meaningful analyses. Analyses are intended to influence, recommend, or explain safety policies and directions to meet the needs of the District. Also the incumbent oversees field collection of water quality data for special purposes such as stream reaeration studies, performing complex maintenance and repair of hydrologic instruments, or serving as a principal member of a field party on indirect measurement of flood discharges. E. Scope and Effect The incumbent acts as the focal point for, and provides technical information on, procedures, policies, methods, etc., for the control and elimination of hazardous workplace conditions. The incumbent provides advice to the District staffs on Federal, State, and local safety standards and practices and serves on assigned safety committees that provide recommendations on Safety Policy. Research, analyses, and recommendations performed by the incumbent directly affect the management, efficiency, and effectiveness of the District's safety management program as well as indirectly affecting the water resources programs of a wide variety of cooperating State and local government agencies. F. Personal Contacts Contacts are with District Office staff, Regional Safety Officer, Headquarters Safety Offices, Regional Solicitor's Offices, county, State, regional and Federal environmental regulatory agencies, occupational safety and health professionals at other Federal or local agencies, Federal and state cooperating agencies, and the public. G. Purpose of Contacts The purpose of the contacts is to provide expertise on a wide range of safety problems and to investigate/evaluate working conditions in order to identify hazards and to promote effective occupational health practices, to obtain permission for access to private property, and to coordinate data collection activities with cooperators and District personnel. Other contacts are for the purpose of exchanging information, discussing possible solutions to specific problems, and exploring trends in the field. H. Physical Demands Work involves physical exertion, including carrying equipment, climbing, standing, walking, and bending, as well as use of personal protective devices, and occasional work in confined spaces. I. Work Environment Work will be done in both an office setting and in the field. While in the field, the incumbent may come in contact with a variety of unpleasant and potentially hazardous conditions. Protective clothing such as hard hats, safety glasses, safety shoes, chemical splash-resistant suits, and various types of respirators may be required.