Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

- To administer and enforce the Occupational Health & Safety Act, regulations, standards in accordance with Ministry policies and procedures in workplaces.
- To perform inspections which anticipate, recognise and evaluate occupational health hazards arising from biological, chemical and physical agents specifically those arising from ionizing radiation, non-ionizing radiation and radioactive materials.
- To provide expert advice, consultation and recommendations.
- To develop and maintain scientific and technical procedures, programs and infrastructure in support of the Provincial Nuclear Emergency Plan.
- To respond to nuclear/other emergencies as assigned.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Job requires:
1.) Conducting inspections and investigations (e.g.: work refusals, illnesses, complaints) to determine compliance with legislated standards, best practices and guidelines;
- Performing field visits at the request of other Ministry staff (e.g.: inspectors, engineers) and health and safety professionals to evaluate occupational health hazards with respect to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and other standards, regulation requirements, applying scientific knowledge and measurements;
- Taking steps (e.g.: issuing time-based or stop work orders, recommending remedial action), and preparing reports explaining observed processes/practices and recommended action.

2.) Following-up on orders issued, reviewing workplace compliance programs with respect to desired outcomes (e.g.: performance-based standards, equivalency), discussing Ministry's evaluation on the degree of compliance with workplace parties and determining further enforcement action (e.g.: lifting stop work orders, prosecuting).

3.) Preparing documentation of detailed observations, findings and support information in support of recommendations for prosecution, and appearing as an expert witness at prosecutions and inquests.

4) Monitoring and auditing workplace performance for radiation exposure and promoting IRS with workplace parties.

5) Targeting high-risk workplaces (e.g.: industries using new X-Ray technologies) for hazard investigations and enforcement, and working in partnerships with safe workplace associations (e.g.: IAPA) to reduce workers' risks.

6) Responding to enquiries, and providing advice and consultation to public, workplace parties, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, other ministries and agencies to explain legislated applications, responsibilities and rights, provide facts and information, and prepare briefing and house notes.

7) Contributing to standard setting and development of Regulations, Codes and operations policy; participating in Ministry committees (e.g.: Provincial Advisory Committee).

8) Preparing, developing and updating operational policies for the Ministry's nuclear emergency preparedness and detailed operating procedures (i.e. manuals and notification lists).

9) Co-ordinating the Ministry response during emergencies and participating in nuclear emergency exercises, training and evaluations (of performance of personnel and equipment).

10) Maintaining professional knowledge of advances, developments and practices (e.g.: standards, technologies) in the discipline.

Staffing and Licencing :

Valid driver's licence (Ontario Class G).
Under the OPS Employment Screening Checks Policy the position requires a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, a Local Police Check and a Driver Records Check every 5 years.

Knowledge :

- Job requires broad knowledge of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation science, related fields (e.g.: biophysics, radiometry, health physics). Job requires thorough knowledge of physics with a specialized knowledge of one of either ionizing and non-ionizing radiation or environmental radiation.
- In addition the job requires sound knowledge of radiation propagation, radiation quantities, risk quantification and assessment, radiation shielding and radiation measuring instrumentation and techniques in order to plan, carry out and interpret measurements of radiation exposure and dose.
- Job requires specialised knowledge of radiation protection theory and practice with the emphasis on biological effects, pathways analysis of radionuclides and internal and external dosimetry in order to provide advice on the effects of exposure and interpretation on exposure levels and exposure guidelines.
- Job requires in-depth knowledge of radiation protection standards and guidelines in order to enforce and evaluate compliance, and to contribute to the development of new or updated standards.
- Job requires knowledge of the scientific method, research techniques and critical evaluation of scientific studies to gather, evaluate and summarize scientific developments on radiation protection.
- Job requires knowledge of federal and Ontario provincial Occupational Health and Safety Acts, regulations and issues, pertinent sections of other relevant provincial or federal statutes, regulations, standards and codes, such as Provincial Offences Act, and relevant Ministry/Division and program policies and procedures to inspect, investigate, audit, assess, write orders, and make recommendations on conditions and remedies;
* Advise Ministry management professionals, inspectors, employers, unions, employees and OH&S industry professionals;
* Respond authoritatively to general and specific complaints and enquiries.
- Job requires knowledge of related occupational health research methods, techniques to aid in setting standards, guidelines and best practices, and observation techniques to carry out inspections and investigations at workplaces and in the community, interview worker and employer representatives, and gather all relevant information and evidence.
- Job requires knowledge of Ministry and Government business plans to develop local partnerships with external stakeholders (e.g.: safe workplace and professional associations).
- Job requires knowledge of investigative techniques to perform investigations.
- Job requires knowledge of trends, new developments and hazards in the field of occupational health in order to identify and evaluate hazards regarding facilities, technical and mechanical processes, chemical, biological and physical agents in the workplace and make recommendations.
- Job requires knowledge of labour- management relations and internal responsibility system to develop and maintain relationships with both parties.
- Job requires knowledge of court/inquest procedures, processes and practices to submit information for legal action.
- Job requires knowledge of personal computers and software (e.g.: word processing, spreadsheet, scientific) and information technology systems in order to develop data from investigations and inspections, prepare reports and recommendations, use sector and work planning systems, and to input/access networked information/data systems, e.g. Merged Information System.

Skills :

- Job requires analytical skills in determining specifics of complaints or inquiries received over the telephone, in person or in writing to identify issues and provide responses and recommendations.
- Job requires investigation, inspection and audit skills used in carrying out physical inspections of the workplace, obtaining testing on, or testing equipment, machinery and environmental conditions, interpreting analyses, interviewing workers, their representatives and employer representatives, reviewing operating processes, and evaluating the impacts in the light of current speciality knowledge to identify their actual or potential impacts on employees' health and safety, determine whether or not to issue an order, and to make recommendations.
- Job requires analytical and evaluation skills to interpret information collected that is scientific and/or technical in nature, assess whether employer's operation is in compliance with legislation, regulations, policies, codes and standards, and recommend strategies/action(s) to be taken.
- Job requires determining probable causes of exposures and symptoms, and integrating causes with literature findings.
- Job requires reasoning to contribute to development of codes and standards for environmental radiation containment and clean-up, and to perform active responsibilities in the field during an emergency as assigned.

Freedom of Action :

- Job requires working within relevant provincial or federal statutes and regulations related to Occupational Health and Safety, national and international best practices and within related codes and standards for occupational health, current scientific knowledge and thinking on impacts of various conditions on occupational health, and choosing workplaces to audit within the overall context of ministry and division business plans (e.g.: emphasis on small high risk workplaces), administrative and program policies and procedures.
- Job requires conducting on-site investigations and inspections to determine compliance by interpreting intent of legislation, regulations, standards and ministry policies, identify impacts of conditions and practices, interpreting analyses, and deciding whether or not to issue or rescind an order, recommend legal action and what recommendations to present.
- Job requires making authoritative recommendations to inspectors, management, employees and other OH&S professionals.
- Job requires providing advice, interpretation and information in response to enquiries and complaints of general and specific nature.
- Job requires referring complex and unusual issues to manager.
- Job requires performing assigned role with independence in the event of emergency.
- Job requires oral communication skills to interview employers, employees, professionals and others to carry out investigations, inspections and audits, obtain facts, clarify information needs and/or nature of complaints and provide interpretation and application of legislation, regulations, standards, ministry/division program policies and procedure.
- Job requires written communication skills to gather and organise scientific information on workplace situations and operations, prepare written decisions, orders, reports and recommendations re work refusals, work conditions, impacts and remedies.
- Job requires identifying contentious issues for senior management, providing facts and information for the preparation of briefing notes and house notes.
- Job requires interpersonal and dispute/conflict resolution skills to resolve issues and disputes (e.g.: work refusals) between labour and management in highly confrontational or adversarial situations.
- Job requires project planning and management skills, when conducting major surveys and enforcement initiatives.
- Job requires coordinating own workload with other ministry staff and external agencies (e.g.: external and internal parties (e.g.: Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Health Canada, municipalities, Ministry of the Environment, SWAs), based on targets and priorities, and formulating enforcement strategies within Ministry business and operational plans. Job requires ensuring that reports, reviews and recommendations are provided in time to meet needs of requesters (e.g.: engineer, employer, inspector) and that information is provided promptly to enquiries.
- Job requires removing stop work and other orders as soon as compliance is achieved to minimise negative effects of economic and business stoppage on employers and employees.
- Job requires providing co-ordination in assigned role in the event of a nuclear emergency.