Division Electrical Safety Officer

Requisition Id 13068 

Overview: 

The Safety and Operations Support Division (SOSD) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) seeks to hire several Division Electrical Safety Officers (DESO) for the ORNL Electrical Safety program. This position will support in the implementation of the Worker Safety and Health Program for UT-Battelle (UT-B) managed facilities and missions. The DESOs will support ORNL’s research directorates with integrating electrical safe work practices into research work planning to ensure appropriate and effective controls are implemented. This position supports ORNL’s ongoing mission to enable world class research and provide an effective and comprehensive electrical safety program which substantially reduces the threat of injury to life, and which adheres to Department of Energy (DOE) requirements.

ORNL is the largest U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security.  Our diverse capabilities space a broad spectrum of scientific and engineering disciplines, enabling the Laboratory to explore fundamental science challenges and to carry out the research needed to accelerate the delivery of solutions to the marketplace.

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• This position will work in conjunction with the Electrical Safety Subject Matter Expert (SME) and is responsible for supporting the implementation of the ORNL Electrical Safety and Hazardous Energy Control Programs.
• This position will serve as a competent person for NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
• This position supports ORNL's ongoing mission to enable world class research and provide an effective and comprehensive electrical safety program which substantially reduces the threat of injury to life, and which adheres to Department of Energy (DOE) requirements.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Serve as a resource to line management and staff for electrical safety issues.
• Assist with development, review, and/or approval of research safety summaries, work plans, procedures, instructions, and other electrical safety documents.
• Serve as the competent person by acquiring and maintaining a qualified electrical worker role per the ORNL Electrical Safety Standards Based Management System (SBMS) subject area.
• Provide advice on electrical safety requirements, issues, and opportunities for improvement; safety through design; safe electrical work practices; and electrical lock/tag/verify issues.
• Provide guidance on selection of electrical personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Review justifications and qualifications of electrical workers for line management approval.
• Notify line management upon discovery of potential electrical safety issues.
• Review and approve work activities or safety procedures related to custom or special equipment that poses electrical hazards. Assist in the design of electrical safe work barriers, including overcurrent and GFCI protection. Maintain detailed knowledge of electrical hazard exposures (i.e., shock, arc flash/blast, and thermal hazards), appropriate controls for mitigating those hazards, and implementation of those controls.
• Provide electrical expert review of energized electrical work permits (EEWPs) or procedures.
• Lead and/or participate in investigations of electrical events.
• Serve as a resource to line management and staff for the design or installation of electrical equipment in accordance with NFPA 70 National Electrical Code and NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
• Provide guidance to staff on the design, purchase or fabrication of electrical equipment, regarding ORNL requirements for Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) listing or electrical-authority having jurisdiction (E-AHJ) approval of equipment prior to use.
• Assist organizations with prioritization of existing ("legacy") unlisted electrical equipment for electrical equipment inspector (EEI) inspection, when requested.
• Refer management and staff to an EEI for unlisted electrical equipment, as needed.
• Refer management and staff to the E-AHJ for electrical installation inspections, as needed.
• Maintain communication with line management, the Electrical Safety Committee (ESC), the SBMS electrical safety subject matter expert, and the E-AHJ on matters of electrical safety.
• Abide by and promote the Battelle Safe Conduct of Research principles including being personally responsible for ensuring safe operations, raising safety concerns, using a questioning attitude, considering hazards for every task and where learning never stops.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Other responsibilities could include:

• Qualify as an ORNL Electrical Equipment Inspector (EEI).
• Serve as Technical Project Officer (TPO) in accordance with ORNL’s Acquisition Management System
• Facilitate or participate in event critiques, causal analyses, and corrective action plan development.
• Participate in assessments to verify compliance and program effectiveness.

Qualifications Required:

• A Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a minimum of 5 years of electrical experience.

Qualifications Desired:

• Applied knowledge of electrical safety requirements established by OSHA standards, the NEC (NFPA 70, National Electrical Code), and NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the workplace.
• Previous experience as Electrical Safety Officer/Representative, Industrial Safety Professional, and/or electrical inspector.
• Experience in the design, fabrication, assembly, and operation of high energy R&D equipment and systems including energy storage capacitors, high voltage and high current DC power supplies, superconducting magnets, x-ray sources, lasers, and related laboratory analytical equipment.
• Willingness to contribute to emerging codes, standards, and specifications for the safe design, construction, testing/troubleshooting, and operation of electrical equipment.
• Experience in the DOE complex and ORNL systems such as the Research Hazard Analysis and Control System, Integrated Safety Management, and Facility Service Center.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, interpersonal and influencing skills. Ability to effectively interface with DOE and UT-Battelle management and staff at all levels.
• Self-motivated and organizational skills to enable planning, execution, and implementation in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated leadership experience and ability to achieve results through diverse cross-functional teams.

Special Requirements:

Physical Requirements: Work involves various physical requirements and working conditions. As such, a pre-hire physical will be required after offer.

Visa Sponsorship

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Q clearance:  This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program. 

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email [email protected].

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.