New York State Department of Civil Service Announces Open-Competitive Examination Open to the Public

Associate Industrial Hygienist

* Due to the size of the candidate population for this test date, you may be assigned to either Saturday, June 10, 2017 or Sunday, June 11, 2017 to take your test. Your admission notice will tell you where and when you are scheduled to appear. You cannot request a day or time in advance or change your scheduled day or time.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,026 annual downstate adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before June 10, 2017, you must have:

Either: a bachelor���s or higher degree in biological sciences, engineering science, engineering (any), environmental health, environmental sciences, industrial hygiene, occupational health, occupational safety, or physical sciences. Your degree must include or be supplemented by 8 semester credit hours in chemistry AND you must have three years of professional industrial hygiene experience. A master���s degree in one of the fields listed above may substitute for one year of the professional experience if you meet the bachelor���s degree requirements stated above;

Or: a current Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)** designation by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

**You must provide a copy of your CIH certificate with your application.

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Notes

1. If you expect to meet the education requirements by August 31, 2017, you can be admitted to the written test but you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirements to the New York State Department of Civil Service.
2. Your degree or college credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the NYS Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. If your degree or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to the Examination Information Desk of the NYS Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. If you are applying on the Internet, you must mail the independent verification of equivalency to the NYS Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239. Attention: S2-SEH.
3. A promotion examination is also being held for these positions in the Department of Labor. If you are eligible for appointment from a promotion list, you may not be appointed in your own agency from the list resulting from this examination open to the public.
4. Although a promotion examination is being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as the result of this examination open to the public.
5. At the interview, you may be required to have a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State or otherwise demonstrate your ability to meet the transportation needs of the job.
6. Physical/Medical Requirements: Your physical and medical condition will be evaluated to ensure that you are able to satisfactorily perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical/medical standards include evaluation of vision, color vision, hearing, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system. A complete statement of the physical and medical standards is available at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/ehs/forms.cfm. A medical examination will be required prior to appointment, and you are responsible for payment of the clinical laboratory test fee. Appointees to this position may be required to undergo periodic medical examinations to reassess their ability to perform the essential duties of the position. Eligibles will be called to the physical/medical screening in score order as needed to fill existing and anticipated vacancies.
7. Fingerprints and Fees: Fingerprinting may be required at the time of appointment. You will be required to pay the processing fee.
8. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
9. New York State residence is not required.

The Positions

These positions exist in the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation, Health, Correctional Services, and Transportation in Albany; the majority of positions exist in the New York State Department of Labor at various locations statewide.

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Duties

As an Associate Industrial Hygienist, you would handle complex health inspections and consultations at work sites to determine and advise upon compliance with applicable state and federal standards and to identify health violations and/or health hazards, particularly those associated with exposure to toxic or explosive chemicals and substances in the form of dusts, fibers (including asbestos), fumes, mists, vapors, gases, metals, and pathogenic organisms. You would also identify hazards such as noise and vibrations, light of various types, and other physical energies including electromagnetic emissions and non-ionizing and ionizing radiation. Based upon the results of the field testing and/or laboratory analyses from on-site inspections, you might confer with management and employee representatives and/or take appropriate enforcement of consultative action. You may be responsible for directing, supervising, and reviewing the technical activities of hygiene staff engaged in inspections and/or consultations. You may conduct training for staff or public and private sector employers and employees.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Organic and Inorganic Chemistry Related to Industrial Hygiene Activities - These questions test for knowledge of principles and practices involved in both organic and inorganic chemistry as related to industrial hygiene activities, including such areas as terminology, units, and measurements; fundamental concepts of organic and inorganic chemistry; chemical reactions; properties and characteristics of substances related to industrial hygiene activities; and safe and proper procedures for working with chemical substances.
2. Operation and Calibration of Instruments Used to Measure and Analyze Environmental Factors in Work Settings to Evaluate Health Conditions - These questions test for knowledge of the techniques, equipment, and instrumentation used to sample, measure, and analyze various substances and conditions in the work environment to detect unsafe health conditions, and may include testing and analyzing for metals, dusts, particulates, fibers, solvents, gases, pathogens, electromagnetic radiation, noise, and similar types of potential work site environmental contaminants.
3. Abatement of Unsafe Health and Working Conditions Related to Processes, Operations, Materials, and Pathogens Found in the Working Environment - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in the identification and abatement of unsafe health and working conditions, including such areas as characteristics of hazards and unsafe work site environments; consequences resulting from unsafe health and working conditions; safety procedures and equipment used to abate unsafe health and working conditions; and preventive and corrective control strategies and measures.
4. Preparing Written Material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
5. Inspection and Interviewing Techniques - These questions test your ability to select the proper course of action in situations which might occur during routine inspections. Question topics may cover, but will not be limited to, such areas as interviewing, gathering information and evidence, maintaining proper attitude, and handling irregularities and violations with integrity and sound judgment. Some questions may be in a situational format while others may deal with the proper principles and practices of inspection.
6. Supervision - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

If you do not receive a number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT processed.

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, call 518-474 6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627.

Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S2/TC3 SEH-vla
Issued: 3/24/2017

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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