United States

Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness

Digest of Significant Classification Decisions and Opinions

April 1988

No. 11-05

Standard:	Pneudraulic Systems Mechanic, WG-8255 (December 1986)

versus WG-4800 Family

Factor:	N/A

Issue:	Series determination

Identification of the Classification Issue

This issue arose in an Office of Personnel Management region's processing of a classification appeal. The position involved maintenance (including refills) and repairs of a variety of fire extinguishers. The agency classified the position as Fire Extinguisher Repairer, WG-4801-6. The appellant contended that the position should be allocated to the WG-8255 Series, Pneudraulic Systems Mechanic.

Resolution

The Pneudraulic Systems Mechanic occupation includes jobs involved in the maintenance, modification, and repair of hydraulic and/or pneumatic systems and components that actuate mechanisms or pro- produce, control, and regulate fluid flow. The work requires: a knowledge of the physical principles governing the behavior of fluids (liquids and gases) as they pertain to hydraulic and pneumatic systems or components; knowledge of basic electrical and mechanical principles; the ability to use technical manuals and schematics to test or isolate malfunctions in hydraulic and pneumatic systems or components; and the skill to effect modification, repairs, or the complete disassembly and overhaul of such devices.

A broader look at the WG-8200 Fluid Systems Maintenance Family shows that the most characteristic knowledges and skills required by the work are those of controlling leakage of fluid under pressure, controlling vibration and heating in high speed turbine operation, and understanding the principles, schematics, and sensing mechanisms involved in regulating fluid flow.

The incumbent of the appealed position performed repairs, modifications, and tests of carbon dioxide, Haylon, and dry powder type fire extinguishers. He also emptied, refilled, weighed, sealed, and performed hydrostatic tests on these fire extinguishers.

Some of the components of fire extinguishers are associated with the work of the WG-8200 family. They contain valves, inlet housings, dial pressure gauges, etc. Similar to the WG-8200 family, the work involves the containment of gases under pressure and controlling leakage. However, this requires skills and knowledges typical of only one aspect of the several most characteristic knowledges and skills required by the WG-8200 family.

The fluid systems that are covered by the WG-8200 family store, supply, distribute, and move gases or liquids in regulated amounts primarily to produce power, transmit force, and pressurize, cool and condition cabins. Typical of such devices are pumps, governors, regulators, flow control valves, regular valves, air turbines, actuating and slave cylinders, etc. Fire extinguishers of the types repaired and maintained by this position do not constitute a fluid system or, more specifically, a pneudraulic system as covered by the WG-8200 family or the WG-8200 series. The WG-8200 family was, therefore, determined to be inappropriate for assignment of the position.

Since there is no other established subject-matter family coverage for work involving these types of fire extinguishers, the decision was that the General Equipment Maintenance Family, WG- 4800, was an appropriate family. It includes occupations involved in the maintenance or repair of equipment, machines, or instruments which are not coded to other job families because the equipment is not characteristically related to one of the established subject-matter areas such as electronics, transportation, engines, aircraft, ordnance, etc. Further, because a separate series has not been established for this line of work, the general code (01) for the family is proper. The decision assigned the position to the WG-4801 series. This was in agreement with the agency's decision. Grade level determination was made by reference to the standards for Bowling Equipment Repairer, WG-4819, and Small Arms Repairer, WG-6610, both of which provided points of similarity and contrast for grading purposes. The WG-6 level assigned by the agency was also confirmed.