Mine Safety and Health Specialist (Health)

Duties

The responsibilities described are for the full performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope performed with less independence, and limited complexity.

As an Authorized Representative (AR) of the U.S. Secretary of Labor, the incumbent performs the following duties to enforce the mine safety and health laws and promote safety and health in the mining industry.

Participates in investigations involving dust explosions or other severe violations of health and noise standards that present some of the most serious, unusual, and hard-to-define problems to resolve. May serve as a mine health expert on teams investigating accidents involving health hazards.

Reviews, evaluates and makes recommendations concerning the adequacy of ventilation plans and requests for variance or waiver from mandatory health standards submitted by mine operators for approval. During the review process, the incumbent may conduct on-site health surveys to determine whether conditions at the mine are the same as portrayed in the plan, acquire information that may not be clear from the plan, or discusses technical problems causing the plan not to be acceptable. Assists in developing new or modified health regulations, standards, and inspection procedures.

Advises mine operators and other Federal and State inspectors of noise abatement techniques, dust suppression methods, and other significant health issues and technological developments. Evaluates and discuss the acceptability of new mine safety and health methods and equipment with manufacturers and miner operators.

Serves as a MSHA spokesperson and authority on health issues for the District. Gives advice and assistance relating to those mines, systems and processes for with health and/or safety issues are undetermined, or where common practices have not been effective and pinpointing and resolving problems. Assists mine operators in the planning of modifications to improve and/or correct deficiencies in the operation such as selecting and installing new equipment and changing materials or methods. Promotes safety and health among mine operators and workers by directing and participating in safety and health training programs, meetings, demonstrations, mine rescue competitions and/or related activities. Counsels and instructs mine operators and workers on appropriate safety and health procedures, practices, and techniques. Testifies at judicial hearings regarding notices of violations and orders of withdrawal issues during inspections or investigations.

Independently conducts a wide variety of on-site safety and health inspections and investigations of mines, preparation plants and related facilities. Assists mine operators in the planning of modifications to improve and/or correct deficiencies in the operation.

Prepares written reports of inspections and investigations, issuing citations and orders for violations found during examinations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Requires a valid drivers license.
• Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
• Requires medical exam and must maintain physical requirements.
• Subject to financial disclosure requirements.

This position requires an initial medical examination and reoccurring medical examinations throughout employment in this position, as a condition of employment. If you refuse the medical examination, do not submit required medical documentation, or do not meet the medical requirements of the position (with or without a reasonable accommodation), the job offer will be rescinded, you will not be extended a final job offer, or you may be removed from the position and from Federal service. The legal authority to conduct medical examinations is found under 5 CFR § 339.301 - Authority to require an examination.

This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Notification Concerning COVID-19 Vaccinations. As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to submit documentation of proof of vaccination or to be in the process of requesting an exception to the vaccination requirement before appointment or onboarding with the agency. The agency will provide additional information regarding which forms of documentation can be accepted and how you can request to be considered for a legally required exception from this requirement.

Currently, implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 14043 has been suspended pursuant to an injunction pending further litigation.

How You Will Be Evaluated

• Benefits

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  Continued from the How You Will be Evaluated section:

  INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are placed into Category B or higher will be considered "well-qualified." Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.

  Required Documents section:

  The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. You are not required to submit a document if it does not apply to you. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password-protected documents.

  - Resumes are required - provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and the number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.

  • Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD214. Your DD-214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability (For active duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Active Duty). Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran's preference. For more information, go to https://www.fedshirevets.gov.

  • Displaced Employee Placement Documents – Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.

  • Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted.

  Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

  Effective December 17, 2022, applicants will no longer have the ability to submit supporting documents via FAX. Applicants will continue to submit supporting documents with the more commonly used methods below:

  • Transfer from USAJobs
  • Upload directly from a computer
  • Submit a picture from a mobile device

  If you are unable to use any of the methods listed above, please reach out to the HR Specialist shown in the contact information section of the vacancy.

  
  

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

  To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section.

  Follow the steps below to apply. Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration. Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.

  SAVE your information before the 30 MINUTE TIMEOUT! For help, go to USAJOBS Help Center.

  STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents Your resume must provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment vacancy questions. If not, HR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the competency indicated by resume content. FOR EACH EMPLOYMENT PERIOD, include: start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week); otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.

  STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS) Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the title and click the "Apply" button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Click “Start Application” and proceed through the 5 steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. At Step 5, click “Continue to Agency Site”.

  STEP 3 – Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL) On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click “APPLY TO THIS VACANCY”. Continue through the 7 progress steps indicated by circles at the top of the DOL page. The 3rd progress step is where you answer the vacancy specific questions. The 4th progress step "Documents" is where you submit required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the "Required Documents" section of this vacancy. If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission.

  STEP 4 – On the “Review and Submit” step, click “Submit Application” The last “Confirmation” step will turn green noting that your application was submitted successfully.

  STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm ET of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, then “Update Application”.

  Agency contact information

  Tracy Sakato

  Phone

  240-867-2007

  TDD

  711

  Email

  sakato.tracy.k@dol.gov

  Address

  Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration
  OHR - Dallas Service Center
  Dallas, Texas 75202
  United States

  Next steps

  Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days from the issuance date of the certificate.

  For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to: USAJOBS Help Guide.

  USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency point of contact on the job announcement.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

Clarification from the agency

Open to U.S. citizens; and CTAP/ICTAP eligibles within the local commuting area. Also advertised as job #MS-23-DAL-MSHA-158 for status applicants; VEOA eligibles; Land and Base Management eligibles; Military Spouses; OPM Interchange Agreement eligibles; and CTAP/ICTAP eligibles within the local commuting area. To be considered for each vacancy, apply to BOTH jobs.