State of Maryland

An Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Compliance Hygienist I is the entry level of work at the Maryland Department of Labor involving the inspection, research and analysis of the effect of chemical or physical workplace hazards on worker health.  Employees in this classification help to control or eliminate workplace hazards through compliance and enforcement measures designed to provide corrective action for violators of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Law.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from an Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Hygienist Supervisor or other designated supervisor.  Employees in this class may be required to work evenings and weekends.  The work requires travel to work sites where working conditions may be noisy, dirty or uncomfortable.  The work may require lifting and carrying specialized instruments and the use of protective clothing and equipment.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Hygienist I, Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Hygienist II, and Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Hygienist III classifications are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Hygienist I learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Hygienist II performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Hygienist III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to inspect, research and analyze chemical and physical workplace hazards in order to control or eliminate hazards affecting employee health and to enforce federal and State occupational safety and health laws, regulations and standards which address general employee health, ventilation, fire and explosion, noise, air contaminants, respirators and the ingestion and absorption of hazards;

Learns to conduct research using reference books and publications in the field of industrial hygiene in order to identify potential hazards, establish the existence of natural hazards and identify feasible methods of correction;

Learns to prepare, evaluate, classify and issue citations for employer non-compliance with federal and State occupational safety and health laws, regulations and standards involving distance specifications, construction safety and health requirements, process safety management, record keeping requirements, testing, instruction and training requirements;

Learns to inspect work places in order to identify health hazards which may result from operations involving toxic substances, noise, heat, radiation, vibration and other physical and chemical factors;

Learns to measure health hazards using specialized sampling and testing equipment;

Learns to meet with employers or labor officials before and after inspections to discuss matters such as the purpose and methods of the inspections, the results of the inspections, the applicable safety and health standards, areas of noncompliance and possible remedial actions; Learns to prepare reports which describe inspection findings, research and analysis conclusions and applicable regulatory citations and penalties;

Learns to recommend solutions designed to eliminate occupational safety and health hazards;

Learns to calibrate and maintain sampling equipment such as air sampling pumps, noise monitoring instruments, air velocity and flow meters and similar technical equipment;

Learns to testify at administrative hearings and court proceedings;

May learn to monitor employees through an entire shift in order to measure workplace exposure to hazards;

May learn to provide training in the recognition of health hazards and in safety precautions for management and employees of private businesses or public agencies and may learn to determine if private sector training programs are in compliance with federal and State occupational safety and health laws, regulations and standards;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the basic principles of organic chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics;

Ability to learn federal and State health and safety laws, regulations and standards and voluntary consensus standards relating to occupational safety and health and indoor air quality;

Ability to learn to recognize, identify and analyze actual and potential chemical and physical workplace hazards that affect employee health;

Ability to learn to prepare technical reports and analyses;

Ability to learn to use specialized equipment to obtain exposure samples;

Ability to learn to apply basic statistical techniques in the analysis of primary data;

Ability to learn to interpret technical and legal standards covering workplace hazards;

Ability to interpret the results of laboratory tests on exposure samples;

Ability to draw conclusions based on inspections, sampling data and test results;

Ability to communicate complex and technical concepts effectively;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employers, employees, local, State and federal government personnel.

Experience: Four years of experience inspecting, researching and analyzing chemical and physical workplace hazards affecting employee health.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in industrial hygiene, physical science or life science which includes 12 credit hours in chemistry and 18 additional credit hours in any combination of the following: chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology or industrial hygiene for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement and Compliance classifications or General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement and Compliance specialty codes in the Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement, and Compliance field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G- Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.