Choose Safety as a Career!
|
Welcome to the very first edition of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals' (BCSP)
Choose Safety eNewsletter. This enewsletter serves to provide information to high school and college student counselors regarding the safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) fields and the value of attaining BCSP’s certifications and designations.
The outlook of the safety profession is bright; with increased emphasis on safety due to insurance costs, ergonomics, highway, construction safety, etc., there’s never been a better time to join the safety profession.
A safety professional’s job duties can span from hazard recognition to regulatory compliance to safety training. Jobs in safety can be found in a very diverse set of industries. They’re found in transportation, construction, consulting, government, insurance, and manufacturing, to name a few.
In the enewsletter below, you’ll find information about the average salaries of safety professionals, job growth and overall outlook of the safety profession, as well as resources BCSP offers students, including scholarship information, safety designations available to graduates, and other helpful information. We hope you enjoy our first issue and join us in promoting SH&E professions to young people so we can help make the world a safer place!
More information regarding BCSP and our certifications can be found on our website,
www.BCSP.org.
|
|
Safety Offers Careers with Strong Outlooks and Growth
|
In a time of growing education costs, student debt, and job uncertainty, the safety profession offers a great avenue for recent graduates to enter into a pool of stable jobs with continued job growth.
According to
Safety + Health Magazine’s 2018 job outlook report, 91 percent of SH&E professionals felt their job was either very stable or relatively stable. 26 percent of those workers expected their departments to add staff and 58 percent said they have personally observed a shortage of SH&E professionals.
In a 2011 report, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a
National Assessment of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce and found “that based on current trends, future national demand of occupational safety and health services will significantly outstrip the number of professionals with the necessary training, education, and experience to provide such services."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a very informative
handbook on Occupational Health and Safety Specialist and Technicians which includes information about SH&E job duties, work environment, pay, job outlook, training, etc. The Bureau predicts overall employment in occupational health and safety specialists and technicians to grow eight percent from 2016 to 2026 and that “specialists and technicians will be needed in a wide variety of industries to ensure that employers adhere to both existing and new regulations.”
In a
Safety + Health Magazine article, Alvaro Taveira, a professor and chairman of the Department of Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater said, “I think that this is a very good time to be graduating with a major in occupational safety.”
|
|
Salary Survey Pinpoints Value of Certifications for Safety and Health Professionals
|
Now that you’re a little more familiar with the potential of the safety profession as a career choice; here is some information BCSP and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) compiled detailing the earning potential of SH&E practitioners.
In March, BCSP and ASSP conducted a 33-question salary survey and nearly 10,000 SH&E professionals, primarily in the United States and Canada, responded. The survey identified the typical salary, benefits, credentials, and experience of these individuals.
The median base salary for full-time professionals was $97,000, with 22 percent of respondents earning $125,000 or more. Those with at least one corresponding certification (ASP, CDGP, CET, CHMM, CHMP, CHST, CIH, CSP, OHST, SMS, STSC, STS) typically earned $20,000 more per year than those with none. BCSP's Certified Safety Professional® (CSP®) certification added $30,000 to the salary of a practitioner with no other credentials.
"The value of safety, health, and environmental certifications continue to grow, with many laws and standards specifically citing them," said BCSP CEO Treasa M. Turnbeaugh, Ph.D., MBA, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE, IOM. "Many companies include certifications in their job requirements, and contracts for safety services also call for them. Earning certifications that support your specialty and heighten your expertise is a smart thing to do."
"The salary survey validates the earning power of safety and health professionals, demonstrating the value of adding credentials and gaining experience," said ASSP President Jim Smith, M.S., CSP. "It should encourage people within the industry to seek accredited education programs and professional certifications to maximize their earning potential in such a dynamic field."
|
|
Resources and Information for Future SH&E Students
|
BCSP offers several tools and resources to those thinking about pursuing a career in safety, as well as those who have chosen safety as a career path and are beginning their careers.
One of the great tools offered by BCSP designed to help those becoming interested in safety is the
Academic Database. The Academic Database is an online tool designed to help future college students locate accredited academic programs in SH&E fields. The tool includes options to narrow search results by Field/Major, Degree Type, and by State, so it's easy for students to locate a program that matches their needs.
For those a little farther down the road in terms of their safety career, the
BCSP Career Center is another valuable tool for those getting ready to put their SH&E degree or BCSP credential to good use. You must hold a BCSP certification to create a profile and it's entirely free for job seekers. Posting a resume will allow companies seeking safety professionals to search and view your qualifications. It also provides BCSP credentialed job seekers with a database of job opportunities from companies looking for BCSP certified candidates.
BCSP also offers several videos (see below) that can help answer any questions those curious about the profession may have! You can find more information on safety as a career on the
Career Paths in Safety page of our website.
|
|
Connect with Us!
We encourage you and your students to follow us on social media!
We upload pertinent information and updates weekly. It's a great way to stay-in-touch with the latest SH&E happenings as well as any changes to BCSP policies that may affect future SH&E students.
|
Have an upcoming job fair, conference, or chapter meeting that you would like to share with readers? Would you like to invite a BCSP representative to attend an event? We would like to hear about it!
|
|
BCSP and BCSP Partner Scholarship Information
|
In 2017, BCSP awarded $155,000 to qualified students across the country to fund 31, $5,000 scholarships available to college students in certain
Qualified Academic Programs (QAP). Applications for 2018 scholarships are available now!
In addition to our own scholarships, BCSP also administers scholarships from the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF), American Society of Safety Professionals Foundation (ASSP Foundation), and the Association of General Contractors (AGC) of America Foundation.
The ASSP Foundation has awarded more than $3 million in scholarships and professional education grants to students in occupational safety. Nearly 150 awards are awarded each year ranging from $500 to $15,000 each. Applications for the ASSP Foundation's scholarships opened September 1, 2018.
The AIHF Foundation awards scholarships via funds donated from AIHA members, individuals, corporations, and local sections. There is a comprehensive list of the scholarships AIHF offers on that Foundation's website.
The AGC Education and Research Foundation provides undergraduate and graduate scholarships to 100 or more deserving students each year. Since 1970, they have awarded over 4,000 scholarships totaling over $10 million.
|
|
Below is a video from Charles Soderquist, a former safety manager for Sturgeon Electric.
In the video he describes the value of BCSP's Construction Health and Safety Technician® (CHST®) certification.
Certification isn't something students newly entering the safety field typically consider; however, it's important to know the benefits of certification and understand that achieving certification demonstrates years of meeting educational requirements and work experience.
|
|
Promoting Careers in Safety
|
BCSP offers several complimentary resources as part of the #ChooseSafety campaign. Interested parties can request promotional materials and videos designed to promote the safety profession to young people who might be thinking of safety as a career path.
A youth-focused #ChooseSafety video and pre-made Powerpoint presentations on careers in safety and safety certification can be found on the
Presentations and Outreach webpage. On this page, the BCSP Display and Literature Request Form can also be used to request the
Explore Careers in Safety brochure and poster.
A BCSP Ambassador may also be requested to promote safety as a career at conferences, college campuses, and a variety of other official events where having an experienced and knowledgeable safety professional would benefit students.
QAPs whose students can earn the Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP®) designation, in addition to requesting brochures and posters, may consider requesting use of the GSP logo to emphasize their program's commitment to helping their student's education with the GSP designation. The GSP provides graduates additional recognition for their level of preparation for professional safety practice and demonstrates their dedication to being on the path to the CSP.
You can make safety a profession young people aspire to join!
|
|
GSP Designation as a Path to the CSP
|
Obtaining a certification or designation provides many benefits to SH&E students and professionals. For those in the job sector, it can provide pay increases and promotions. For students, BCSP offers a Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP®) designation that sets them on the course to obtaining the CSP.
The GSP is available to safety degree graduates from degree programs which meet BCSP Qualified Academic Program (QAP) standards. The GSP program is an alternate path to the CSP.
There are several benefits to the GSP. It provides recognition for being on the path to the CSP. It recognizes the holder for a level or preparation for professional safety practice. There is no application fee and most importantly, it waives the ASP requirement for CSP eligibility.
Stephanie Claus is a recent graduate from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (SRU) who holds the GSP designation. In regard to obtaining the GSP, Stephanie said:
“Having the GSP has been a huge help during past job searches. Employers I’ve interviewed with have commented on the designation’s importance. When I was in college and attending safety conferences, there were even employers only recruiting students that would have their GSP upon graduation. To me, the designation gives students and young professionals a great advantage when searching for an internship or new job.”
More information about the GSP as well as information on what constitutes a QAP and where QAP programs can be found are on the
GSP Program Overview page of the BCSP website.
|
|
BCSP Offers Credentials for a Variety of Backgrounds
BCSP offers several credentials that apply to a wide range of work and educational backgrounds. Some credentials require bachelor’s and/or associate degrees while others require only work experience.
Below is a brief explanation* of each credential’s education and/or work requirements:
Certified Safety Professional (CSP) – Bachelor’s degree, four years of safety experience, and a BCSP approved credential.
Associate Safety Professional (ASP) – Bachelor’s degree in any field or an associate degree in an SH&E field, plus one year of safety experience.
Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) – Available to safety degree graduates from QAP programs.
Transitional Safety Practitioner (TSP) – Available to those who complete a QEP program.
Safety Management Specialist (SMS) – 10 years of experience in occupational health or safety and currently working full or part-time in occupational health or safety.
Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST) – Three years of experience in occupational health or safety and currently working full or part-time in occupational hygiene or safety.
Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) – Three years of experience in construction health and safety and currently working full or part-time in construction safety.
Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) – 30 hours of SH&E training along with two years of supervisory experience or four years of work experience in the STS industry.
Safety Trained Supervisor Construction (STSC) – 30 hours of SH&E training along with two years of supervisory experience or four years of work experience in construction.
Certified Environmental, Safety and Health Trainer (CET) – At least 135 delivery hours of teaching or training any SH&E specialty and hold a BCSP approved credential.
*This a brief summary detailing only job experience and education requirements. A full list of requirements can be found on the
At A Glance
page on our website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
