Safety Technician

The functions of position include but are not limited to:

- Conducts fire equipment inspections circuit testing sprinkler system testing and fire hydrant testing; maintains safety bulletin boards and displays coordinates and schedules fire drills; maintains Material Safety Data Sheet notebooks. Schedules coordinates and manages the quarterly Simplex fire alarm testing in conjunction with Facilities Management Service. This includes testing and documentation in accordance with National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code 101. All repairs and maintenance would be coordinated with Facilities Management Section Supervisors.

- Inspects areas and buildings such as Facility Engineering shops carpentry electrical plumbing air conditioning painting mechanical grounds equipment maintenance work order operations boiler and A/C plant) oxygen storage tank patient care areas such as general medical and surgical ICU isolation rooms/areas geriatrics and intermediate care services psychiatric and nursing home care and ambulatory care research areas parking garages and work areas including construction sites.

- Stays alert for new or unusual types of combustibles or other hazardous materials.

- Discusses safety-related situations with personnel and researches technical measures to reduce or eliminate the potential for fire or safety code violations and to ascertain proper means of correcting the situation. Determines measures to reduce or eliminate the potential for fire or safety hazards. Writes inspection reports and follows up on any discrepancies to ensure that deficiencies are corrected. Maintains accurate files on inspections safety hazards and related documentation.

- Updates and recategorizes Personal Protection Equipment.

- Maintains constant surveillance over any changing safety-related conditions.

- Maintains records and files in Safety Industrial Hygiene and Radiation Safety areas. Assists in performing accident investigations on injured addition may act as back up for Safety Specialist in conducting New Employee Safety Training on a biweekly basis.

- Provides support to all other safety office senior staff for example Safety Specialist Industrial Hygienist and Radiation Safety staff.

- Ensures that all fire extinguishers eyewash stations and emergency showers are maintained inspected and documented in accordance with applicable regulatory codes. Maintains new database TISCOR FM for fire used to document all fire equipment inventories inspections and serviceability.

- Makes recommendations for corrective action of safety hazards many of which could be complex and/or designed for specific operations and hazardous conditions.

- Reviews new and existing blueprints for life safety code compliance.

- Participates in investigations of causes of safety incidents by inspecting areas and interviewing individuals. May appear as a witness before courts or boards of inquiry.

- Conducts thorough inspections and evaluations of conditions prior to issuing permits for hot work and confined spaces and ensures that proper hot work permits are in effect during operations.

- Inspects construction job sites to ensure code compliance for fire and safety issues and to ensure that construction crews have and are using the proper PPE.

- Performs battery back-up lighting tests on a monthly basis throughout the VAAAHS outpatient clinics and leased spaces which includes a ninety-minute test for each light completed on an annual basis.

This position is at full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am-4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety Technician/PD04991-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• 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 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 02/03/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade as required by the this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Interchange Agreement: Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: (l) identifying preventing or eliminating safety hazards in work methods or environmental conditions; or (2) safety training or promotion. Such experience must have provided a practical knowledge of occupational and environmental safety hazards survey techniques and control and preventive methods. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: biological technician medical technician engineering technician fire prevention inspector and environmental health worker. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one full year of graduate level education that is directly related to the work of the position which may include safety fire prevention industrial hygiene or other directly related subjects. OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education that equates to one year of experience at the GS 6 grade level. Education must be directly related to the work of the position.

• Accident Investigation
• Compliance Inspection
• Public Safety and Security