Welcome to this Fourth Quarter 2016 BCSP
eNewsletter.
No matter which certification or designation you hold with BCSP, or if you are in the process of attaining one, we have included news and information that will help you in your professional safety career.
See the
In This Issue section to the right to navigate to the stories of most interest to you.
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Message from the President of the Board
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The future of the safety profession is a result of our work in the present, and what we have done in this year has me confident we are building a better future in safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practice.
Any good safety professional understands the connection between the environment we create today and tomorrow's results. We are all builders, every certificant planning or participating in a safety program, and every organization that invests in BCSP certifications
achieving results through sustainable safety leadership.
There are also many people in the safety field who may not have studied the subject in school, but who stepped up when they were needed and learned through independent study, networking, and experience. In 2017, BCSP will introduce the
Safety Management Specialist (SMS) certification to recognize the knowledge and skills of these determined safety practitioners.
We have come a long way in advancing safety as a profession, BCSP certificants raising the bar through their achievements, and many even volunteering as part of examination development, outreach, or as members of our eight sponsor organizations. I am honored to have been part of recognizing such certificants with Awards of Excellence while I served as BCSP Board President, and encourage you to join us in celebrating exceptional safety practice by
submitting applications for the 2017 Awards of Excellence.
This past year has flown by and
my term as President of the Board is coming to an end. A daunting task was made much easier with the support and involvement of fellow Board Members and especially the Leadership and Staff of BCSP. As I complete my sixth year on the Board, I look back and marvel at all the accomplishments made by BCSP because of the teamwork of the Board Members, Leadership and Staff. I am truly in awe of the seamless organization between this team, and how each and every member works tirelessly to ensure BCSP activities produce successful results.
I look forward to continuous success of BCSP because of the involvement of BCSP Leadership, Staff, Board Members, and certificants. I look forward to the future of our profession, because I know it will be the result of the work done by the great safety professionals who I have the pleasure of working alongside today. Thank you.
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 STSC Sponsor Achieves Impressive Safety Results
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Through a combination of investing in their employees' development and engaging team members throughout the organization in their safety program, Nicholson Construction Company has achieved an impressive safety record, reducing their total recordable rate by eight points in the last five years and building a sustainable safety culture.
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Clint Wolfley, CSP, CHST, STS, Business Development Director at BCSP (left) presents Timmons (right) with Nicholson Construction's STS and STSC Sponsor Plaque.
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"We believe that safety is everyone's responsibility - from our largest jobs to our smallest regional office," says Jason Timmons, CSP, STSC, Manager of Safety at Nicholson. "As a team, we must hold ourselves and each other accountable for safe behaviors, practices, and conditions."
Timmons has held his Certified Safety Professional (CSP) since 2005, and achieved the Safety Trained Supervisor Construction (STSC) in 2013. When he attended college at Slippery Rock University, he did not initially consider safety as a career, but after talking with friends and faculty in the Safety Management program, he embraced it. "What a great field to get into! Each day you have the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of tasks with people not only from Nicholson, but also with other owners, contractors and subcontractors," he says. "The biggest factor that drives my commitment to safety is the people."
When Nicholson was preparing safety goals for 2014, Timmons took the opportunity to share his passion with his colleagues. "We understand how important the role of supervision is in creating a safe work environment," he explained. "There were a couple of contractors that we had either worked for or with that had been using the Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) certification. We decided that this would be a good avenue to help enhance our field supervision." Nicholson began offering a $1,000 bonus to employees who successfully achieved the STSC certification (at that time part of the STS) by June of that year, and the program took off.
Coupled with the investment in certification, Nicholson offered STSC preparation training, some of which was done in-house and some delivered by an online vendor, accounting for the geographic spread of the company. The encouragement, validation of safety knowledge, and achievement of certification drove greater engagement in safety practices among employees, and has had a lasting impact. "There are a lot of reasons to pursue certification: advancing education, acquiring experience, building your resume and even possibly a bump up in pay. Those things aside, I think the most important benefit to be recognized is how the time and effort put into obtaining a professional certification shows that an individual is making a true commitment to the profession and to themselves," says Timmons.
By the end of 2014, Nicholson had around 40% of field supervision staff holding the STSC certification. Currently, about 75% of their field supervision are STSCs and they are a
Ruby Level BCSP STSC Sponsor.
Alongside the use of certification, Nicholson has built a Safety Leadership Team that is made up of an interdisciplinary group. All functions of the company are represented, with all levels of the company, from executives to supervision.
"We have improved employee engagement by forming safety committees at all of our job sites," explains Timmons. "We have also focused on items such as Job Safety Analysis and Daily Job Briefings (like a daily JSA). These are living documents for us." When Nicholson starts a project, supervisors sit down with all workers and develop the Job Safety Analysis, ensuring that employees get a say in the safety that guides their work. Each morning, individual work crews use the Daily Job Briefing to identify and control hazards in their individual work area. "We take the extra time to really look at the work and what hazards are present or may arise in the course of work," Timmons adds.
This plan, and everyone's dedication to it, has strengthened Nicholson's safety program, reducing the company's total recordable rate from 10.27 in 2011 to 1.66 now.
"It is my responsibility to assist the company in developing and maintaining a safety culture where our employees can come to a workplace free of hazards and return home safely at the end of the day," Timmons says, explaining his commitment to the safety of others, and their commitment to his. "I firmly believe that we have the best people at Nicholson Construction. When you work with a group of folks like we have here, it increases your drive to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure safety."
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Announcing the Safety Management Specialist (SMS) Certification
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The safety management certification being developed by BCSP has been named the Safety Management Specialist (SMS)
The SMS provides thousands of experienced practitioners who do not meet the eligibility requirements to sit for professional certification examinations with the opportunity to demonstrate their competency through examination. The SMS certification addresses the gap that exists between technician/technologist certifications and professional level certifications. If there is value in credentialing supervisors, technicians, and professionals, then there is value in credentialing the experienced practitioner.
The SMS will require a minimum of a high school diploma/GED and 10 years of safety management related experience, in which a minimum of 35% of the job tasks must be related to management of safety related programs, processes, procedures, and personnel.
The spectrum of BCSP certifications spans the front-line supervisor to the technician/technologist to the practitioner to the professional. The SMS is a practitioner level certification because it requires the experience level needed to progress to the professional level. Likewise, the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) designation has the educational component to progress. Thus, each of these practitioner level credentials contains a part of what is needed to move to the professional level.
The SMS provides a mechanism to test the competency of the experienced, non-degreed practitioner. This benefits hiring employers and the public by validating competency to perform at the practitioner level and will help employers identify candidates who have demonstrated their knowledge and skills for appropriate safety and health positions. Candidates must have a minimum of 10 years of safety management experience, pass the examination to prove their competency in safety management domains, and maintain their certification by earning 25 recertification points in a 5-year period. This is a much-needed alternative to the cohort only having the option of certificate programs to use as a "credential". Certificate programs do not require a given level of education or experience and do not assess competency nor require continued learning.
Non-degreed safety practitioners are part of the profession and will continue to be via moving up internally to safety specialist and even safety leadership positions (i.e., enlisted military moving to civilian employment, trades people moving into safety positions, international practitioners with diplomas rather than US equivalent degrees, people who could not afford higher education, and those who chose not to return to education).
BCSP has 40,327 certificants as of December 12, 2016; half of who are CSPs and ASPs and the other half of who are practitioner, technician/technologist, and supervisory certificants. Many individuals from both groups have also expressed the desire to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in safety management by holding the SMS.
BCSP strongly believes that the SMS is a necessary addition to the spectrum of certifications that address all levels of people responsible for SH&E activities within an organization. When all levels are tested for knowledge and skill competency, the overall culture of the organization will reflect this cohesiveness.
The SMS will be beta tested in the second quarter of 2017. The SMS examination will follow the SMS1 Exam Blueprint, as linked to from the
2017 Current Changes Index, and requirements for the SMS are now listed on BCSP's
Safety Certifications At-a-Glance webpage. The final SMS examination will
be released to testing centers in second half of 2017
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BCSP Welcomes New Board Members, Officers
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The following BCSP Board Members were elected as officers on the 2017 Board and will begin their terms in January: C. Christopher Patton, CSP, ASP will be the 2017 Board President; Linda F. Martin, CSP, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET as Vice President; and Patricia C. Cruse, CSP, CET as Treasurer.
BCSP welcomes, and looks forward to contributions from, V. Raymond Ferrara, CFP and Jim S. Kreinbrink, CSP, CIC as they join the Board of Directors in 2017.
Patton, 2017 Board President, is the Senior Technical Advisor, ES&H for UT-Battelle at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has over 20 years of experience in safety, health and environmental practice. Patton is a past-president of ASSE and served on the ASSE Board of Directors for seven years. Patton received the ASSE Culbertson Volunteer Service Award for outstanding service to the organization. He has held his CSP for 16 years, achieving the certification in 2000.
Martin, 2017 Board Vice President, is the Corporate Safety Director for Bay Crane, the largest crane, rigging and heavy haul company in the Northeast U.S., an Adjunct Faculty Member at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Faculty Member at Columbia Southern University. Martin has over 25 years of experience in occupational safety management, construction safety, industrial hygiene, and environmental consulting. Martin has held the CSP since 2010, and achieved her multitude of other BCSP certifications in following years. She also holds the CIH and CHMM credentials and is a Professional Geologist in three States.
Cruse, who will serve as the BCSP Board Treasurer beginning in 2016, has over 35 years of experience in industrial hygiene, product stewardship, training, and occupational safety. She is a Safety and Health Manager for Evergreen Packaging, and has worked in consulting, chemicals and the pulp and paper industries in both site and corporate level safety positions in that time. She has held the CET since 2012, and achieved the CSP in 1995.
BCSP would like to express the deepest gratitude to James A. Gentry, DBA and Jack H. Dobson, Jr., CSP, who completed their terms as Board Members in 2016.
The 2017 Board of Directors includes: Patricia C. Cruse, CSP, CET (Treasurer); V. Raymond Ferrara, CFP (Public Director); Joshua J. Franklin, CSP, CET; John E. Hodges, CSP, OHST (Past President); Jim S. Kreinbrink, CSP, CIC; Cheryl L. Marcham, PhD, CSP; Linda F. Martin, CSP, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET (Vice President); C. Christopher Patton, CSP, ASP (President); Richard A. Pollock, CSP; Mario A. Varela, CSP; Cece M. Weldon, CSP, CHST, STSC; and Treasa M. Turnbeaugh, PhD, CSP, ASP, CET (Chief Executive Officer, Board Secretary).
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L-R:
C. Christopher Patton, CSP, ASP, 2017 BCSP Board President;
Linda F. Martin, CSP, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET, 2017 BCSP Board Vice President; and Patricia C. Cruse, CSP, CET, BCSP Board Treasurer
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Celebrate Outstanding Accomplishments in Safety with a BCSP Award of Excellence
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If you or a colleague of yours has an exceptional list of accomplishments and would like to highlight them as part of a celebration of safety excellence, consider a submission for the BCSP Awards of Excellence.
 The BCSP Awards of Excellence (AoE) program recognizes top CSPs, OHSTs, CHSTs, STSs, and STSCs who best represent certificants' outstanding leadership, knowledgeable expertise, and commitment to the advancement of the SH&E profession.
The sixth annual AoE ceremony will be held at the American Society of Safety Engineer's (ASSE) Professional Development Conference,
Safety 2017, on June 22, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. Recipients will receive medallions in recognition of their dedication and be honored at an awards luncheon in the presence of nearly one thousand other safety practitioners.
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Growing the Next Generation of Safety Professionals
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Safety, as a recognized profession, is young; but safety professionals? Not so much.
In 2011, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a
study
assessing the current supply and future demand for OS&H professionals, and the desired professional competencies required for the next five years. The findings are consistent with what BCSP and many other safety organizations are seeing reflected in their own members' demographics: the existing safety workforce is ageing, and the gap between current professionals nearing retirement and the influx of new professionals to replace them is growing.
This poses a significant challenge to the future sustainability of the SH&E profession. Even the federal government is getting involved, as evidenced by
the establishment of a working group
within the
National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) in 2016 to address this issue.
As the leader in defining and maintaining the technical competency standards for safety professionals, BCSP has an important role to play in this effort. BCSP is working actively with NACOSH to develop recommendations for growing the profession into the future.
At the collegiate level, BCSP works with universities to create a clear pathway to professional safety practice through the Qualified Academic Program (QAP), leading to the designation of the Graduate Safety Professional (GSP). To reduce the financial burdens facing aspiring safety professionals, BCSP also donates generously to scholarships for safety students and university safety programs, giving $210,000 in 2016 alone.
BCSP is also seeking to address the challenge of getting children and young adults interested in safety careers-long before they need to make important life decisions about post-secondary education and career planning.
BCSP has begun outreach to school counselors across the country, providing them with information and resources for advising their students on pursuing careers in safety. In July, BCSP gave a presentation at the American School Counselors Association's (ASCA) annual conference and exhibition and met with counselors eager to learn more about the many career opportunities in safety and paths for entering the profession. BCSP intends to work closely with the ASCA moving forward and connecting with students at all learning levels-from kindergarten through 12th grade-to ensure the next generation knows the safety profession exists and aspires to join it when they grow up.
If you are interested in learning more about BCSP's youth outreach, or would like BCSP to work with a school in your area, please contact Erica Poff, BCSP Government Affairs and Outreach Manager, at
[email protected]
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A slide from BCSP's presentation for youth
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BCSP Expands Access to GSP Qualified Academic Programs
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BCSP is proud to announce the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) program has expanded its Qualified Academic Programs (QAP) list.
 The GSP is a designation available to graduates from eligible safety degree programs which meet BCSP GSP QAP standards, allowing graduates to fulfill the Certified Safety Professionals' (CSP) credential requirement. To qualify as a QAP, the curriculum of an academic degree program in safety, health, and environment must demonstrate a substantial overlap with the Associate Safety Professional (ASP). By adding even more QAPs to the list, BCSP is providing more opportunities for students to advance on the path toward the CSP certification.
BCSP has added 10 new QAPs to the
GSP QAP List, and is open to evaluating new applications.
Feedback on the QAP expansion has been positive, and BCSP is pleased to welcome the new programs. Dr. Joseph Cali, Chairperson of Safety Management at Slippery Rock University says, "The magnitude of the response from our December graduates and Alums was overwhelmingly positive that Slippery Rock University's Safety Management Degree has been approved as a Qualified Academic Program by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Their comments indicated that the GSP has now provided them with a pathway to pursue a CSP and they are extremely proud that the Board of Certified Safety Professionals has recognized the quality of their Safety Management Degree."
BCSP will be adding new GSP Qualified Academic Programs (QAPs) every month. If you have applied for the ASP certification and are interested in applying for the GSP designation, please contact us at +1 317-593-4800. We look forward to assisting you.
For more information on the GSP and to view the full list of QAPs, please visit www.bcsp.org/gsp.
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New BCSP Recertification Quiz Program to Launch
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BCSP will launch a new, updated version of the Recertification Quiz Program in January.
If you hold one or more BCSP certifications, you can earn 0.1 recertification points by passing an online quiz provided by the program. Users must set up an account, but the program and quizzes are complimentary, provided so certificants may demonstrate knowledge based on the technical contents of well-circulated membership organization journals like NSC's Safety + Health, and ASSE's Professional Safety.
Bookmark bcsp.org and check news there frequently so you always get the latest updates on this and other BCSP programs.
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Updates to BCSP Certifications
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There are several updates being made to attaining and maintaining BCSP designations and certifications.
As mentioned earlier in this
enewsletter, the GSP program's number of QAPs is expanding. Keep an eye on the QAP list on the
GSP webpage for the latest information on this path to the CSP.
Effective immediately, Certified Environmental, Health and Safety Trainers (CET) are required to earn 2.8 Recertification Points each Recertification Cycle for teaching, developing, and/or attending courses on instructional techniques. This requirement was lowered from 3 points.
The Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST) and Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) certifications will each have beta examinations that will undergo testing in early 2017. The OHST5 beta exam will be available for purchase from January 30 through February 24, 2017, and administered from February 13 through March 24, 2017. The STS3 beta examination will be sold from February 27 through March 24, 2017, and administered from March 13 through April 21, 2017.
To stay informed of the latest changes happening at BCSP, see the news and alerts sections at BCSP.org and check out changes logged in the
2017 Current Changes Index.
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BCSP
Board of Directors
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John E. Hodges, CSP, OHST
(President)
C. Christopher Patton, CSP, ASP
(Vice President)
Patricia A. Cruse, CSP, CET
(Treasurer)
Treasa M. Turnbeaugh, PhD, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE, IOM
(Secretary and CEO)
Cece M. Weldon, CSP, CHST, STSC
(Past President)
Jack H. Dobson, Jr., CSP
Joshua J. Franklin, CSP, CET
James A. Gentry, DBA, MBA
Cheryl L. Marcham, PhD, CSP
Linda F. Martin, CSP, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET
Richard A. Pollock, CSP, ASP
Mario A. Varela, CSP, ASP
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Subscribe to Unique BCSP eNewsletters
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BCSP offers unique eNewsletters: The Partners eNewsletter, designed for sponsors, business persons using our certifications, collaborating agencies; and the Collegiate eNewsletter, for university faculty and students.
Click to subscribe to unique BCSP eNewsletters.
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Current Changes Index |
Over the course of the year, a range of policy changes, procedure updates and other modifications occur. We want to make everyone aware of these changes on a regular basis, as well as keep an archive of the announcements.
Visit the Current Changes Index page on our website to find the most up-to-date policy and procedure information.
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CMS Tutorials
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If you will be using the BCSP Certification Management System (CMS) for the first time, you may want to view our CMS video tutorials.
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Your Source for
Safety Expertise
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A Who's Who listing over 1,000 safety professionals, eSafetySource helps individuals and companies find certificants that can assist them with their particular safety needs.
Enroll in or search eSafetySource.
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Mentor Program
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The BCSP Mentor Program recognizes certificates who assist the career development of other safety practitioners.
Credential holders who are interested in mentoring an applicant, should visit the BCSP Mentoring webpage.
Those currently mentoring are honored in the Mentoring Honor Roll.
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BCSP's Toolkit for Advancing the Safety Profession
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Banner displays are a great way to promote BCSP certifications and earn Recertification credit. A display is available to any certificate holder for use at chapter meetings, regional or local conferences, career fairs, and other safety-related seminars, meetings, and presentations. BCSP ships to and from any U.S. venue and provides literature at no cost.
If you would like to reserve a display, fill out a Banner Display Request. Displays are first come, first serve, and must be returned.
Presentations on safety certification can also be done for Recertification points, and BCSP has many resources that can be used for presentations, including pre-made PowerPoints, on our Articles and Presentations webpage.
Item writing illustrates your safety knowledge, earning you Recertification points as well. Find out more on our Item Writing webpage.
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Unauthorized Use of Our Credentials
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BCSP pursues cases of individuals claiming to hold our credentials without permission. We pursue those cases in which there is clear evidence of the unauthorized use and the individual has a clear responsibility, control, or knowledge of the use. Evidence may be a business card, resume, letter, website, or other publication. If there is no clear evidence, BCSP cannot act on the case.
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BCSP 2015 Certificants
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Congratulations to everyone who achieved certification last year!
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Share News of Your Achievement
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Career Center
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The BCSP Career Center connects job seekers with prospective employers in the safety, health and environmental industry. Results are just a click away!
The Career Center allows job seekers who hold any of our credentials to post an anonymous resume in our resume bank for free.
For companies looking to hire individuals who hold our credentials this is your direct route to qualified individuals.
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