State of Maryland

A Health Physicist Trainee is the entry level of work in the recognition, evaluation and control of radiological hazards to employees and the general public. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Health Physicist Supervisor or other designated administrator.  Employees may be assigned to work evenings and weekends and may be required to perform emergency response duties on a 24/7 recall basis.  The work is performed at hospitals, industrial firms, medical offices, dental facilities, laboratories and other facilities where travel is required and the environment may require radiation exposure monitoring.  Employees are required to enter areas where radioactive material and radiation producing devices are used and, therefore, must observe radiation control measures to prevent or reduce risk of overexposure to radioactive materials or radiation machines.  Employees may be required to wear safety equipment and transport objects weighing over fifty pounds.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Health Physicist Trainee, Health Physicist I and Health Physicist II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Health Physicist Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Health Physicist I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Health Physicist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to perform file reviews of x-ray machine and radioisotope users and schedule inspections;

Learns field survey procedures;

Learns to conduct inspections;

Learns to summarize inspection results;

Learns to conduct field radiation surveys for verification of shielding sufficiency;

Learns to analyze data, perform data entry tasks and perform mathematical analyses;

Learns to prepare inspection reports and compliance letters;

Learns to perform assigned duties during emergency radiation response activities and events;

Learns to use and edit the computerized relational database;

Learns to calibrate and maintain radiation monitoring instruments;

Learns radiographic film developing methods;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of chemical, biological, physical and mathematical principles involved in the control and safe use of radioactive material and devices producing ionizing and non-ionizing radiation;

Ability to learn State and federal regulations and the legal principles of radiation control enforcement;

Ability to communicate clearly;

Ability to learn to recognize areas in facilities where radiological health hazards may exist;

Ability to recognize actual and potential radiological health hazards;

Ability to operate and maintain electronic instruments;

Ability to apply statistical mathematical and physical principles in the analysis of raw data;

Ability to interpret the results of inspection and laboratory data;

Ability to learn to draw conclusions based on inspections, surveys, plan reviews, sampling data and test results;

Ability to learn to interpret technical and legal standards for control of radiological hazards;

Ability to prepare technical reports and analyses;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with State, federal and community representatives, licensees, registrants, co-workers and the general public.

Experience: Four years of experience in performing the recognition, evaluation and control of radiological hazards to employees and the general public.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 30 credit hours in mathematical, physical or biological sciences for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Health and Medical Physicist classifications or Health and Medical Physicist specialty codes in the Physicist field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G- Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.