- Certified safety professional
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The Certified Safety Professional (CSP) is a certification offered by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) [1]. The CSP has been accredited in the United States by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies [2] and the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards [3], and internationally by the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC 17024) (see ANSI).
The requirements to become a CSP are:
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- an associate's degree in safety and health, or an accredited bachelor's degree in any field
- four or more years of professional safety experience
- passing the Safety Fundamentals and/or Comprehensive Practice examinations
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CSPs are further required to provide BCSP with proof that they are maintaining a high level of competency in safety work by re-certifying every year.
Contents
About the Board
The BCSP was established in 1969 based on recommendations from a study performed by the American Society of Safety Engineers. Six professional organizations are affiliated with the BCSP; they are:
On September 26, 2003, BCSP signed an alliance with the United States' Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Council on Certification of Health, Environmental, and Safety Technologists (CCHEST) to collaborate on training, education, outreach, and advocacy.
On December 31, 2008, BCSP acquired CCHEST and its multiple safety certifications.
Other safety certifications
Other certifications related to safety, such as Certified Safety Auditor and Certified Safety Manager, are offered by the National Association of Safety Professionals.
BCSP
BCSP also offers accredited certifications which were formerly offered by the Council on Certification of Health, Environment and Safety Technologists (CCHEST). These include the Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST) [5], Certified Loss Control Specialist (CLCS) [6], Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) [7] and Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) [8] certifications.
All four of these programs are nationally accredited by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), require specific combinations of knowledge and experience and successful demonstration of safety competency through examination. As with the CSP, those who hold these certifications must continue to prove competency to maintain the credential they have earned but recertification requirements and their scheduling varies.
CRSP (Canadian Registered Safety Professional)
Similar to the CSP in the US, Canada offers the CRSP (Certified Registered Safety Professional) designation, through the Board of Canadian Certified Registered Safety Professionals [9]
Pre-Requisite:Applicants must meet some prerequisites prior to submitting a formal application:
- Educational Pursuits: Must have minimally completed high school. By 2009, this requirement will change to college or university education in health and safety.
- Past Work Experience: Must have at least three years of continuous work experience in the Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety field
- Current Employment: Must include greater than 50% (over 900 hours/year), in Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety activities.
Registration Process:1. Application: Once the applicant has met the prerequisites, they must complete the "Application for Canadian Registered Safety Professional Designation", obtained from the BCRSP board. The lengthy application requires a compilation of all the applicant’s course and job descriptions.
2. Evaluation: The BCRSP Board reviews the application. The applicant is then advised if they meet the minimum requirements or not. If the application is accepted, then the applicant is advised that they will soon be contacted for an interview.
3. Interview: The interview is set up with a member of the BCRSP’s Regional Screening Centre personnel in the applicant’s geographical area. It’s an informal meeting, where the applicant’s work and educational Occupational Health & Safety experience are discussed.
4. Examination: The applicant has to write a comprehensive 3.5 hour multiple choice exam that covers Accident Theory, Environmental Practices, Ergonomics, Fire Prevention and Protection, Health Promotion, HSE Auditing, Law and Ethics, Occupational Health Safety and Environment Systems, Occupational Hygiene, Risk Management, and Safety Techniques and Technology. Study guides and books are recommended by the Board, and numerous preparatory courses are available through:
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- Columbia Institute of Technology [10]
- Canadian Society of Safety Engineering
- Institute of Quality, Safety and Environmental Management [11]
- Raising the Standard Consulting [12]
- Faculty of Extension University of Alberta [13]
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4. Approval: If the applicant minimally achieves the passing score on the examination, they receive notification of such.
5. Confirmation: The applicant revives the CRSP Designation along with their designation registration number.
Career Development:Ongoing career development is expected and monitored through Certification Maintenance Points.
Safety Certification in Europe
Internationally, other countries have set up similar programs. In the UK the highest professional standing is that of a chartered safety and health practitioner. This is regulated via the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) [14], Europe’s largest body for safety professionals. Like the North American safety professional programs, to achieve this grade the applicant must be professionally qualified and have relevant experience. Continuing professional development (CPD) is also a strong requirement of membership.
See also
- Safety engineering
- Hazard analysis and HAZOP
External links
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