4J58
OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENIST 1

This is industrial hygiene work at the intermediate level, developing, monitoring and evaluating health and environmental safety programs. Employees in this class perform both programmed and unprogrammed inspections of worksites to identify and evaluate occupational health and safety hazards and prepare reports of findings for management action. Work also includes the provision of health and safety training and responding to complaints from employees and union and departmental representatives. Proposing alternative methods to remediate hazards and establishing timetables for abatement of hazards to effectuate compliance with federal, state, and local health and safety regulations are significant aspects of the work. Work is performed under the supervision of a higher level safety administrator.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be allocated to this class.)

• Positions must perform occupational health and safety work in an industrial setting or for the City's risk management agency.
• Employees in this class must perform a full range of environmental inspections, risk analysis and management, and must provide technical support on a department-wide basis.
• Employees in this class must provide health and safety training on a department-wide basis.

• Conducts progressively more difficult field inspections and/or office assignments; uses progressively more independent judgment in planning work details, evaluating hazards, and making technical and/or administrative decisions and recommendations.
• Responds to complaints of physical pain, injuries, allergic reaction, environmental pollutants, hazards, and noise initiated by employees, union representatives, or departments; conducts investigations performing inspections, interviewing employees and supervisors; determines sampling procedures; calibrates and utilizes a variety of physical and chemical testing equipment to determine presence of hazards; makes calculations; prepares reports on observations and analysis of findings; makes recommendations on less complex problems.
• Participates on committees and panels regarding health and safety policies and regulations and the development of safety programs; meets with officials to advise them of departmental programs and policies, and to resolve violations; participates in the review of appeals of findings; ensures that fire and emergency procedures are posted and accessible.
• Conducts reviews of technical literature to remain abreast of current trends and developments in the field of occupational safety; researches innovations in monitoring of control devices; ensures all monitoring instrumentation is maintained in accordance with best practices; makes presentations based on findings.
• Fits employees with monitoring devices to monitor their exposure to chemicals, heat, asbestos, noise, radiation, biological hazards, etc; performs fit tests for protective respirators; recommends purchase of suitable equipment to minimize risk; maintains records of exposure.
• Conducts surveys and feasibility studies; maintains accurate records of sampling and analyses; prepares reports of findings.
• Corresponds with industrial and chemical producers to acquire data on the composition of materials used in industrial plants; evaluates the data and the method of processing the materials to determine if a health hazard exists.
• May testify in legal proceedings and speak before public and private groups.
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• theory, principles and practices as applied to the area of industrial hygiene and occupational hygiene
• established industrial hygiene and occupational safety standards, codes and regulations
• the principles and proper usage of a variety of testing, measuring and control devices
• current trends and developments in the field of industrial hygiene
• safety audit procedures
• potential workplace hazards and techniques for remediating them

SKILL IN:

• preparing concise and comprehensive reports
• conducting inspections and investigations

ABILITY TO:

• utilize computerized software applications associated with safety and industrial hygiene
• utilize a variety of equipment used to measure hazards
• identify potential and actual hazards
• analyze mechanical and physical equipment and plant processes
• make surveys and secure complete and accurate data
• analyze data and prepare recommendations
• ensure compliance with statutory and departmental policies and procedures
• present ideas effectively, both orally and in writing
• develop and conduct safety training classes
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates and the general public
• maintain accurate records

EDUCATION

• Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department, with major course work in industrial hygiene, occupational safety and health, or environmental engineering.
AND


GENERAL EXPERIENCE

• One year of experience at the trainee level performing industrial hygiene and/or occupational safety work.

OR

Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department which has included a bachelor's degree in a related area as an educational minimum.

NOTE

A master's degree in industrial hygiene, environmental science or safety science may be substituted for the experience indicated above.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND/OR CERTIFICATES

• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prior to appointment and during tenure of employment as an Occupational Hygienist 1.