Job Description

University of Utah Job Description

Job Summary

Serves as a technical expert in industrial hygiene for the University. Conducts comprehensive industrial hygiene surveys and special studies as well as provides expert advise concerning health hazards to University personnel. Directs correction of University occupational health problems by a four-step approach: Identifies health issues, recognizes the problem and its extent, evaluates the environmental factors, and recommends feasible control measures.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience); and three years of full-time paid professional employment in industrial hygiene, occupational/environmental health, or a closely related field required. A Master's degree in Industrial Hygiene, Occupational/Environmental Health, or a related scientific discipline is strongly preferred.

Must be knowledgeable in Government regulations, professional association recommendations, and consensus standards relating to occupational/environmental safety and health; current industrial hygiene sampling methodology and strategies; determining cost-effectiveness of proposes measures to control problems; and handling sensitive issues which may occur due to employee concerns about environmental health problems.

Certification as a Diplomat by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene is also preferred.

Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Disclaimer

This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Essential Functions

1. Provides expert advice, direction and service on industrial hygiene matters.
2. Provides immediate response and investigative action for environmental/occupational exposure situations on lower and upper campus.
3. Oversees workplace health surveys. Identificaties and prioritizes hazardous areas for evaluation, determines sampling strategy, selection and use of sampling equipment and chooses analytical tests to be performed on samples taken.
4. Supervises use of toxic or hazardous substances (chemical, physical or biological).
5. Controls measures for dealing with hazardous exposures.
6. Applies Federal, State and local occupational health and other procedural standards to employee hazards.
7. Evaluates exposures not specifically covered by health standards or unusual hazards from unique research procedures or combination of hazardous materials.
8. Provides technical assistance in areas requiring occupational physical examinations and recommendations as to the contents/health monitoring to be provided.
9. Supplies requirements for response to health concerns and analytical equipment calibration and maintenance.
10. Interprets health and environmental standards.
11. Ensures legal sufficiency of data to meet demands of record-keeping required by regulations.
12. Plans reviews. Ensures new or remodeling facilities are safe and healthful environments.
13. Assists in technical information collection, synthesis, professional evaluation and dissemination from on-line computer services, professional journals, articles describing manufacturer's products and proposed or existing regulations.
14. Represents the University as a member of professional committees and gives speeches or lectures.
15. Provides training to University faculty, staff and students.
16. Investigates cases of work related deaths or illnesses.
17. Determine need, design and maintain data bases such as biosafety, asbestos, and laboratory hood performance.
18. Available to serve as an expert witness on validity of accident or illness cases.

Problem Solving

This position has the authority to contact deans, directors, and department heads to discuss studies and inspection results and outline a course of action to correct any discrepancies. Additionally the incumbent will have the authority to interface with consultant occupational medicine personnel and representatives from local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. He/she has the authority to prioritize hygiene efforts, determine the need for and draft health and safety policies for the University, addressing the boundary between legal requirements and liability issues. The incumbent will also have the authority to recommend occupational control measures in the design phase of construction and remodeling projects.

Problems encountered by this position center around testing and analysis of laboratories and laboratory hoods and hazardous materials and the storage and disposal of these matters.

Comments

This position requires on-call status approximately one third of the time. The incumbent responds to the health concerns of all University employees (approximately 16,000) between Hospital, lower and upper campus, and students (approximately 25,000).