Background and Experience

DOE-STD-1160-2003

If an individual position is classified under another OPM Series such as "General Engineer"

(801), the incumbent should be evaluated by a personnel classification specialist and/or

qualified safety manager to verify that the requirements, including alternatives, for Series 803

are met for the grade of the position.

The preferred education and experience for occupational safety personnel is as follows:

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate

Major study should be in safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health,

industrial hygiene), or degree in other related fields that included or was supplemented

by at least 24 semester hours of study from among the following (or closely related)

disciplines:

Safety

Mathematics

Occupational health

Physics

Industrial hygiene

Chemistry

Occupational medicine

Toxicology

Engineering

Public health

Industrial psychology.

Alternative requirements specified in the Qualification Standards for General Schedule

Positions Operating Manual for GS-018, Safety and Occupational Health Management

are also acceptable.

Engineering or Bachelor of Science degree in a related professional field (for

example, architecture, physics, mathematics, or chemistry) is the minimum educational

requirement. Candidates are preferred if they have taken courses in safety-related fields

(for example, industrial safety, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, mine safety) from

an accredited institution.

Candidates demonstrating professional certification or registration from an accredited

organization or state should meet the alternative requirements specified in the

Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions Operating Manual for GS-0803,

Safety Engineering Series or GS-690, Industrial Hygiene.