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United States Office of Personnel Management
Operating Manual
Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions
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Individual Occupational Requirements for
GS-2121: Railroad Safety Series
The text below is extracted verbatim from
Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards
for General Schedule Positions (p.IV-B-264), but contains minor edits
to conform to web-page requirements.
This is an individual qualification standard.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
The following table shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for positions
covered by this standard.
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GRADE |
EXPERIENCE |
OR |
EDUCATION |
General |
Specialized |
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GS-5 |
3 years, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4 |
None |
4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree |
GS-7 |
None |
1 year equivalent to at least GS-5 |
None |
GS-9 |
None |
1 year equivalent to at least GS-7 |
None |
GS-11 |
None |
1 year equivalent to at least GS-9 |
None |
GS-12 and above |
None |
1 year equivalent to at least next lower grade level |
None |
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for positions at the GS-5 level only. |
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Experience that provided:
- Knowledge of the construction, operation, overhaul, maintenance, repair, or installation of
mechanical, electrical, or electronic equipment used in an industrial setting;
- Ability to read and understand written material; and
- Ability to read and interpret blueprints, specifications, or related technical material.
Qualifying general experience may have been gained in work such as:
- Machinist, electrician, switchtender, brakeman, fireman, or gang foreman with a railroad.
- Electrician in an industrial setting that involved evaluating blueprints for accuracy and
tracing defects in circuitry.
- Repairing or installing industrial type diesel engines or electric motors.
- Engineering technician work that involved preparation of blueprints and testing or design
of mechanical, electrical, or electronic equipment.
- Maintaining, inspecting, or testing bulk containers used to transport hazardous materials
such as explosives, compressed gases, poisons, or radioactive material on any mode of
transportation.
- Installing or repairing mechanical, electronic, or electrical equipment, such as track or
signal systems, on rapid transit systems.
- Firefighting or fire inspection involving industrial-type equipment in oil refineries or
chemical plants.
OR
Major study--engineering, electronics, physics, occupational or
industrial safety, or other fields related to the position.
Education is not creditable for positions above the GS-5 level. The superior academic achievement
provision is not applicable to positions in this series.
Experience that demonstrated:
- Knowledge of basic safety practices and techniques related to the railroad industry; and
- Basic inspection techniques.
Experience that demonstrated:
- Knowledge of the railroad industry, including economic and operating considerations and
equipment;
- Knowledge of the general safety and health principles and practices applicable to the
railroad industry;
- Knowledge of railroad accident investigation techniques; and
- Skill in written and oral communication.
In addition, applicants for inspector and specialist positions must demonstrate possession of the knowledge,
skills, and abilities for the specialization for which application is made to the degree required by the
position. Only those elements required by the position to be filled, as identified below, will be used in
evaluating candidates' specialized experience.
- Practical knowledge of the typical reactions of different hazardous commodities to various
environmental conditions and of safe procedures for containing or controlling fires, leaks,
or explosions of these materials;
- Knowledge of the construction, testing, and retesting of containers used to ship hazardous
materials by rail; and
- Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards governing the shipment of hazardous materials
by rail, including containerization, loading, handling, documentation, and placarding.
- Knowledge of railroad track system construction, maintenance, testing, or inspection
techniques;
- Knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of various track system configurations; and
- Knowledge of Federal railroad track safety standards.
- Knowledge of the design, installation, maintenance, testing, or inspection of signal and
train control systems and their capabilities and limitations;
- Knowledge of applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to railroad signaling and
train control systems; and
- Knowledge of locomotive braking systems and their relationship to and interface with train
control or automatic train stop systems and braking distances.
- Knowledge of railroad operating practices, rules, and procedures, especially as they relate
to safety issues; and
- Knowledge of Federal regulations and standards relating to railroad operations and
requirements in such areas as hours of service, accident reporting, blue signal protection
of workers, rear end markers, radio communication, railroad employee qualifications, and
railroad employee testing.
- Knowledge of the design, maintenance, or inspection of various types of locomotive and
freight cars currently in use and their capabilities and limitations;
- Knowledge of the installation, maintenance, or testing of railroad safety appliances and
power brakes, their capabilities and limitations; and
- Knowledge of the applicable Federal laws and regulations pertaining to inspection and
testing of locomotives, freight cars, safety appliances, and power brakes.
Qualifying specialized experience may have been demonstrated in work such as:
- Government railroad safety work.
- Signal maintainer, gang foreman, locomotive engineer, conductor, maintenance-of-way
inspector, or yard master for a railroad.
- Inspector of work methods, final work products, or safety practices for a railroad
equipment manufacturer.
- Hazardous materials work for other modes of transportation that involved interface with
the railroad industry.
INTERVIEW
Applicants may be required to demonstrate in a pre-employment interview that they possess the personal
characteristics necessary for Railroad Safety work.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATION
Incumbents of positions in this series must possess and maintain a valid State motor vehicle operator's
permit while they are employed in order to perform the duties of the positions.
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