You are here

Home » State Human Resources » Compensation & job classes » Classified Job Listing » » State of Washington Class Specification

State of Washington Classified Job Specification

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH PROFESSIONAL 3

<< Classified Job Listing

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH PROFESSIONAL 3
Class Code: 392G
Category: Protective Services


Class Series Concept

See Occupational Safety & Health Professional 1.

Definition

Positions at this level apply advanced knowledge in their areas of expertise which is gained through extensive training and experience to complete. Positions perform work that involves cross-divisional, regional, agency and external collaboration. The work of these positions directly impacts the health and safety of Washington’s workers.

Positions may lead lower-level Occupational Safety and Health Professional positions or other professional staff.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Independently conducts highly complex workplace consultations and resolves the most complex, critical, or precedent-setting issues that arise. A highly complex consultation is comprised of at least one of the following elements:

• Conducts full worksite consultations of a multi-employer commercial worksite (multiple trades, e.g. highway construction), or

• Conducts full worksite consultations of large, multi-site fixed industry, construction, and agricultural employers with multiple industrial operations and processes.

OR

As a technical specialist, utilizes technical industry expertise to provide guidance in the research, development, promulgation and updating of highly complex occupational safety and health rules.

OR

Independently creates and conducts employer occupational safety and health training programs, guidelines, presentations, workshops and publications, in the area of occupational safety and health hazards for internal and external groups.

OR

Conducts Division of Occupational Safety & Health Internal Performance Audits.

OR

Conducts discrimination investigations; testifies in front of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health Appeals and Reassumption Hearing Officers.

Typical Work

Documents facts to support conclusions resulting from consultations, interviews, and discrimination investigations; 

Manages DOSH initiated and Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act unique regulation projects that are controversial or have extraordinary impact on industry; identifies key issues and principles; determines and defines project parameters; develops strategies for handling situations unique to each project; schedules the project and assigns responsibilities for all activities; facilitates meetings and coordinates interactions between labor, management, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and DOSH; 

Develops and writes DOSH initiated and WISHA unique regulations and the rationale which justifies deviation from the Federal OSHA regulations;

Makes independent decisions regarding policy interpretation of occupational safety and health regulations and laws and provides guidance and recommendations to management, labor organizations and representatives, company officials, DOSH consultation staff, industrial safety and health inspectors, industrial hygienists, civic groups, governmental agencies, and others interested or affected by the materials in industrial safety and health;

Schedules, organizes, conducts and leads team inspections which deal with highly complex, high priority issues; inspections may include extensive evidence gathering and analytical research relative to employer knowledge, employee exposure and precise hazard identification in urban and remote areas;

Consults with national specialists and researchers in determining long-term safe employee exposure limits and other regulations; makes prudent field decisions regarding personal safety;

Identifies situations of imminent danger and the use of unsafe equipment or work practices; determines the necessity to direct temporary work stoppage pending further evaluation;

Performs onsite evaluations and writes comprehensive technical reports for highly complex occupational safety and health consultations that give specific recommendations to ensure compliance with WISHA regulations;

Researches, develops, drafts, and recommends regulatory policies and interpretations of occupational safety and health rules affecting employers statewide; updates existing rules and develops new rules to respond to emerging occupational safety and health hazards and changes in Federal standards;

Makes comprehensive oral presentations to explain DOSH requirements, consultations, and education and outreach services;

Evaluates worksites and assists employers in developing required safety and health (written) programs, and strategies for connection of specific targeted hazards (machine guarding, excavations, confined spaces, etc.);

Develops and conducts occupational safety and health training programs based on evaluation of draft proposed standards and modifications to standards;

Conducts and organizes workshops, seminars, conferences, and serves on agency/industry committees to develop and promote occupational safety and health activities, acts as liaison between division/department and stakeholder employer/employee groups;

Produces educational materials;

Testifies in front of the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals and other legal bodies;

For discrimination investigations, writes reports of findings, mediates settlements, and issues citations and penalties;

Utilizes and provides high level skill, knowledge and expertise in support of the activities of the DOSH or the Safety and Health Assessment and Research Program in subject matters such as hazardous waste pesticides, reproductive hazards, ergonomics, and other significant and current identified health issues;

Reviews and approves asbestos course sponsor training courses, including manuals course work and instructors for compliance with regulations; approves asbestos contractor applications for certification;

Performs onsite variance inspections;

Assists in the development, writing, promulgation, and adoption of safety and health standards, policy, procedures, regulatory variances, and DOSH regional directives;

Provides safety and health technical expertise statewide for the Voluntary Protection Program and the Statewide Emergency Response Commission, and lead DOSH consultants and other safety and health professional in VPP onsite certifications and audits;

Creates and provides occupational safety and health training content for multicultural audiences and workers with limited English speaking ability;

Presents occupational safety or industrial hygiene training to newly hired personnel;

Provides high level knowledge and expertise in support of the activities of the DOSH Voluntary Protection Program;

Conducts detailed audits of complex highly technical programs; develops recommendations to increase program effectiveness, meet state and federal requirements and address areas of risk;

Provides advanced technical expertise in the development and implementation of occupational health and safety theoretical and academic research, surveys and projects initiated under SHARP;

Plans, develops, coordinates and implements research surveys and actions to amend current, or issue new industrial safety and health standards based on research information, federal regulations or other governing regulatory changes, or for new working techniques, processes or materials within industries;

Performs other work as required.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: education and training and reduction of occupational and environmental hazards and diseases; standard procedures required for identification and measurement of all common occupational health hazards; sampling and direct measuring techniques for gas, dust, vapor, noise and non-ionizing radiation; industrial processes and agricultural chemicals, chemical by-products and the conditions under which they become health hazards; regulations, policies and procedures of the Department of Labor and Industries and other state agencies, and institutions of higher education, relative to occupational and environmental hazards and diseases.

Ability to: evaluate industrial hygiene sampling and survey data; determine the extent and urgency of corrective action necessary; provide guidance to field personnel; make independent decisions and recommendations. Ability to use and apply legal theory in decision-making.

Legal Requirement(s)

Some positions may require certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) granted by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and/or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) granted by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Desirable Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in occupational safety and health, industrial hygiene or closely related field.

AND

Four years of paid occupational/industrial safety related professional experience OR two years as an Occupational Safety and Health Professional 2 in DOSH.

OR

Master’s Degree from an accredited university in occupational safety and health, industrial hygiene, or similar field AND two years of paid occupational/industrial safety related professional experience.

OR

Four years of full-time journey level paid occupational/industrial safety related experience in government, military or public health work environment.
Must possess a valid and unrestricted driver’s license.

Class Specification History

New class (replaces 27580 Safety Program Coordinator, 27510 Safety Education Representative 2 (27510); adopted June 15, 1992.
Revise class. Revises minimum qualifications; adopted February 12, 1993.
Revise class. Revises definition; adopted September 11, 1998.
Revise class. Revises definition; adopted March 15, 2002.
Revise class. Revises class code, title (formerly 43172 Safety and Health Specialist 3 – L&I), general revision, adds class concept, revises definition, adds legal requirements, revises desirable qualifications; adopted May 10, 2007, effective July 1, 2007.
Revise class. Revises definition; adopted February 9, 2012, effective February 10, 2012. Punctuation edits to typical work February 10, 2012.
Revised salary range, definition, typical work and desirable qualifications; adopted June 30, 2017, effective July 1, 2017.
Revised salary range, title, class series concept, definition, typical work, legal requirements and desirable qualifications; added distinguishing characteristics and knowledge and abilities; adopted June 22, 2023; effective July 1, 2023.