Welcome to this Fourth Quarter 2017 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
Chris Patton, CSP, SMS, ASP
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BCSP has accomplished much in 2017, and as a result many new opportunities now exist.
More than a year's work was realized with the launch of the Safety Management Specialist (SMS) certification in July 2017. In development, subject matter experts and other volunteers contributed their expertise, outlining the skills, knowledge, and experience required of those who would hold the SMS. In beta testing, over 1,100 safety professionals sat for the exam. Experienced safety professionals now have a high-quality certification, which completes BCSP's continuum of safety practitioner certifications.
The SMS is now accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to the ISO 17024 international standard, earning 25 recertification points for those holding other BCSP certifications.
I am pleased to announce that the BCSP Board decided to form the BCSP Foundation to be established in 2018, to continue to support students and valuable safety programs; please
see the article in this issue for the exciting details. This year alone BCSP provided $262,000 to Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP®) Qualified Academic Programs (QAP), funding student scholarships and programs' accreditation through ABET or AABI - these contributions will be one future focus of the BCSP Foundation. Additionally, BCSP welcomed over 20 new QAPs in 2017, which prepares the basis for indoctrinating many more graduates into the world of professional certification early in their career to advance the profession and for career enhancement.
SH&E students' dedication to the field was remarkably displayed in the recent
#ChooseSafety video competition, for which they created videos highlighting why they chose to study safety, their goals, and inspiration. These videos are available for use in outreach as part of the #ChooseSafety campaign, shared during our conference exhibits, available for use for SH&E academic programs' recruitment, and for use in student-led promotion of careers in safety.
In 2017, BCSP was quite busy expanding our outreach. BCSP established or renewed important agreements with key organizations:
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA)
- The National Center for International Cooperation in Work Safety, State Administration of Work Safety (NCICS-SAWS) -People's Republic of China
Safety practice was also advanced around the world with credential recognition extended to:
- Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria's (ISPON) Member in the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (MISPN)
- State Administration of Work Safety's (SAWS) (People's Republic of China) Certified Safety Engineers (CSE)
- International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization's (ITC-ILO) Master in Occupational Safety and Health
These agreements will provide important pathways forward for professional safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practitioners and connect organizations committed to proactive safety programs.
Also, it was my pleasure to honor a few of our current safety leaders at the BCSP
Awards of Excellence ceremony in Denver in June. These BCSP certificants have defined the profession, sharing knowledge gained through study and experience, leading and advancing SH&E practice and setting an example to follow for colleagues worldwide.
My term as the President of the BCSP Board of Directors concludes at the end of this year. Our
2018 Officers and Board Members are an exceptional group who are ready to continue turning new opportunities into positive change.
I thank my fellow Board Members for making this year's achievements possible and BCSP staff for their accomplishments in advancing safety through certification. I, the Board, and staff all appreciate those professionals who joined us as
subject matter experts at role delineation and cut score panels, for item writing, and as survey respondents, keeping us attuned to industry needs. I share this gratitude with our BCSP certification ambassadors, mentors, other certificant volunteers, and all of our certificants.
BCSP is the Gold Standard for safety certification because of each of you.
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 SMS Certification Accredited by ANSI
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 The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has recognized the Board of Certified Safety Professionals'
Safety Management Specialist (SMS) certification by awarding it accreditation.
ANSI is the primary source for internationally recognized standards in government, business, and professional practice. It is considered the world's leading accreditation body.
"The SMS certification's accreditation through ANSI demonstrates that it meets the highest standards as an objective measure of individuals' safety competency," says BCSP's COO, Christy Uden, CAE, IOM. "Similar to how achieving a credential sets a practitioner apart from his or her peers, ANSI's accrediting our SMS program confirms its exceptional quality."
This includes the SMS as one of BCSP's "gold standard" safety credentials.
"BCSP policy and practices, along with Board, staff, and volunteers' commitment to the advancement of safety, have built and sustained our leadership as a certification body," says BCSP's CEO, Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE, IOM. "The SMS, in less than a year's time, has had over 1,000 practitioners sit for it. It meets a need for the certification of the experienced safety practitioner and this accreditation is confirmation of the SMS's objectivity, reliability and validity."
The SMS is accredited by ANSI under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard for personnel certification programs. Its ANSI identification number, 0646, can be used to confirm the certification's accreditation in ANSI's online database.
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Contributions to SH&E Education Spur Creation of BCSP Foundation
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BCSP contributed approximately $262,000 to
GSP QAPs and their students in 2017. In recognition of the importance of education to the safety profession, the BCSP Board of Directors has passed a motion for the creation of the BCSP Foundation.
"One of the distinguishing features of a profession is a specialized body of knowledge," says Chris Patton, CSP, SMS, ASP, the President of the BCSP Board of Directors. "This knowledge is maintained and shared by our educational institutions. It is important we support those programs of demonstrated quality, and the students committed to putting knowledge to practice."
For the second consecutive year, BCSP has provided scholarships to students of QAPs, awarding 31 dedicated individuals $5,000 each, a total of $155,000. To assist academic programs in highlighting their meeting the highest of standards, BCSP gifted funds to 32 ABET or AABI-accredited QAPs for annual maintenance of accreditation and provided 31 gifts to QAPs for accreditation or reaccreditation through ABET or AABI, awarding $32,000 and $75,000, respectively.
"An organization with such a strong commitment to building safety practice calls for the formation of a foundation," says Christine McConnell, who has joined BCSP as Foundation Manager. "The BCSP Foundation will continue BCSP's work advancing the profession and expand our capabilities for positive impact on students, workers, and communities."
"Investing to create and grow a safer global community; protecting those we serve," has been chosen as the foundation's mission. Its vision: "Safety is a global core value."
The BCSP Foundation is filing for incorporation as a 501(c)3, with an anticipated official launch date in early 2018.
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BCSP Announces New Board Members, Officers
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The following BCSP Board Directors were elected as officers on the 2018 Board and will begin their terms in January: Linda F. Martin, CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET will serve as 2018 Board President; Richard A. Pollock, CSP, ASP as Vice President; and Mario A. Varela, CSP, ASP as Treasurer.
BCSP welcomes, and looks forward to contributions from, Joaquin M. Diaz, CSP, CHST, OHST; Daniel T. Lyons, CSP; Michael H. Overholt, CSP, OHST; and Leslie R. Stockel, CSP, SMS as they join the Board of Directors in 2018.
 Martin, 2018 Board 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.
 Pollock, 2018 Board Vice President, is the President of Rivendell Safety Consulting, LLC, and is the Past President of Comprehensive Loss Management, Inc. (CLMI), which he founded in 1984. Through CLMI, he established himself as an international authority and speaker on several topics, including safety performance, training, management system, ergonomics, human behavior and regulatory related issues. Of special note is Pollock's work in the construction trades, where he helped develop over one hundred separate safety and OSHA compliance training programs. In addition to his work with CLMI, Pollock served as the Vice President of Professional Development of the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE), was a member of that organization's Board of Directors for seven years, and most recently served as the ASSE Society President and Chair of the Board of Directors. He achieved his CSP in 1983
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 Varela, 2018 Board Treasurer, is the Senior Director-Corporate Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) at Fresenius Kabi USA, where he is responsible for safety in the company's pharmaceuticals and medical devices divisions. He has served as Chair of the Spanish-Translations Review Subcommittee, Safety Professionals and the Latino Workforce (SPALW) at ASSE for many years. Varela's contributions led to his receiving ASSE's 2010-2011 Charles V. Culbertson-Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for contributions to the Society at the National level. He has over 25 years experience as a safety professional, and has held the CSP since 2000.
BCSP would like to express the deepest gratitude to Patricia C. Cruse, CSP, CET; John E. Hodges, CSP, OHST; Cheryl L. Marcham, PhD, CSP; and Cece M. Weldon, CSP, CHST, STSC; who left us as Board Members in 2017.
The 2018 Board of Directors includes: Joaquin M. Diaz, CSP, CHST, OHST; V. Raymond Ferrara, CFP (Public Director); Joshua J. Franklin, CSP, SMS, CET; Jim S. Kreinbrink, CSP; Daniel T. Lyons, CSP; Linda F. Martin, CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET (President); Michael H. Overholt, CSP, OHST; C. Christopher Patton, CSP, SMS, ASP (Past President); Richard A. Pollock, CSP (Vice President); Leslie R. Stockel, CSP, SMS; Mario A. Varela, CSP (Treasurer); and Treasa M. Turnbeaugh, PhD, CSP, ASP, CET (Chief Executive Officer, Board Secretary).
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BCSP Announces Winners of #ChooseSafety Video Competition for QAP Students
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BCSP invited students from Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP®) Qualified Academic Programs (QAP) to share why they value safety, aim to achieve the Certified Safety Professional® (CSP®) certification, and wish to inspire others to #ChooseSafety as part of a video competition.
After receiving many great videos, BCSP has selected the video competition's winners
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Miriah Cherry
Indiana State University
1st Place
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Gina McKinney
Slippery Rock University
Honorable Mention
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Aymen Burhan
Southeastern Louisiana University
2nd Place
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Peiwen Chen
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Honorable Mention
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Clark Adams
Murray State University
3rd Place
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Shawn Lax
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Honorable Mention
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These students drew from their desire to pioneer, some turning adversity to opportunity, all adamant about building safety that ensures others are safe from harm. They have truly amazing stories.
Their videos are now available on BCSP's YouTube channel and will be released on other BCSP social media as part of the #ChooseSafety campaign
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| #ChooseSafety Video Competition 2017 |
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BCSP Award of Excellence Submissions Accepted
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 Join us in celebrating the outstanding SH&E practice of BCSP certificants by submitting accomplishments of yours, a mentor, or a colleague for consideration for recognition with a
BCSP Award of Excellence (AoE).
AoE submissions must be received by BCSP on or before February 28, 2018 to qualify.
BCSP's Annual Awards of Excellence (AoE) ceremony acknowledges top CSPs, OHSTs, CHSTs, STSs, and STSCs who best represent certificants' outstanding leadership, expertise, and commitment to advancing SH&E practice.
AoE recipients will be recognized at the AoE ceremony, to be held at the American Society of Safety Engineer's (ASSE's) Professional Development Conference, Safety 2018, in San Antonio, Texas.
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Quality Examinations Maintained by Subject Matter Experts' Collaboration
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Setting the standard in safety certification requires certification exams be relevant to current practice. BCSP examinations are of high quality because of the many subject matter experts (SME) who join us each year for job task analyses, item writing, and passing score workshops.
In the last year, SMEs joined BCSP's Examinations Department for the CHST Job Task Analysis Panel; CSP, ASP, CHST, and STSC Item Writing Workshops; and the SMS and CHST Passing Score Panels. The very creation of the SMS was made possible by the service of
these individuals to the advancement of safety practice.
"BCSP certification holders' participation in exam development and revision processes is imperative in ensuring BCSP exams continue to advance the profession by providing an objective measure of knowledge and skills that are critical for safety personnel to effectively execute successful SH&E programs worldwide," says BCSP Examinations Director, Susan Gould, CSP, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC. "BCSP owes a world of thanks to all the SMEs that participated in our activities in 2017. We hope they all left with a more in-depth understanding of the detailed process in which all BCSP exams are developed and look forward to hosting multiple exam development and revision activities in 2018."
BCSP's new Indianapolis headquarters has proven to be an outstanding setting for exam panels and workshops, with a spacious meeting room, café, and library. In 2018, there will be a Job Task Analysis Panel for the CET; Item Writing Workshops for the CSP, SMS, OHST, CHST, STS, and CET; and a Passing Score Panel for the CET. For any activity, participants must hold the certification in question. Travel expenses associated with joining a panel or workshop are reimbursed.
If you are interested in being considered for participation in 2018, please
contact Susan Gould.
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New BCSP Career Center Launched
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 The BCSP Career Center, designed specifically for BCSP certificants and the organizations that seek them, has been updated and redesigned.
The new BCSP Career Center, launched last week, boasts a more intuitive interface and is easily used on mobile devices. Starting a profile costs nothing, individuals seeking new opportunities may post anonymous or open resumes at no charge, and employers have a variety of options to advertise open positions.
Certificants who use the BCSP Career Center can, after enrolling, further complete their profiles, uploading resumes and entering the certifications they hold, allowing employers to more easily identify them as candidates.
Employers can outline the qualities they seek in a safety practitioner, including the certifications they would like applicants to hold, allowing job seekers to find opportunities most relevant to them.
Both job seekers and employers can set up email alerts for automatic notification when a potential match is found.
If you are looking to build a stronger safety program through certification or are interested in enhancing your career in SH&E, bookmark
jobs.bcsp.org.
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Recertification Quiz Program Updated
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The BCSP Recertification Quiz Program-which offers complimentary quizzes based on the technical contents of the well-circulated membership organization journals
Professional Safety (ASSE) and
Safety + Health (NSC)-provides BCSP certificants 0.1 recertification points for each quiz they take and pass.
The quiz program was recently included in the myBCSP app. The web-based version, at
quiz.bcsp.org, has now been updated. Quiz results from the web-based version will no longer be sent to users' emails. Instead, quizzes completed and passed online or in the app will now appear in the Archives section of the site when users are logged in.
This new Archives section allows users to view the official results for quizzes they have passed, print them, or download them. All pass results will be stored in this location, making it easier to track points earned and access documentation of those points.
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Ethics are an important component of professional certification. The
BCSP Code of Ethics is something certificants can take pride in. As the reputation of BCSP certifications grows, there has been an increasing number of individuals sharing copyrighted material, claiming to hold certification when they do not, and/or making fraudulent claims about their relation to BCSP.
Unauthorized use of BCSP credentials and other acts that show disregard for the Code of Ethics carry consequences.
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Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST) to Undergo Name Change
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Since the OHST was developed by the Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists (CCHEST), a joint venture between BCSP and the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH), the OHST examination has contained a majority of items related to occupational hygiene. This name change is being made to ensure that the name of the examination more accurately represents the exam's blueprint content. Historically, all Certified Industrial Hygiene Technologists (CIHT) were transitioned to the OHST credential because CIHT was discontinued. In transitioning the name of the certification, it is BCSP's goal to more accurately reflect exam content.
Those who currently hold the OHST will receive new certificates in conjunction with the change.
The OHST logo and exam content will remain the same.
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BCSP
Board of Directors
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C. Christopher Patton, CSP, SMS, ASP
(President)
Linda F. Martin, CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET
(Vice President)
Mario A. Varela, CSP
(Treasurer)
Treasa M. Turnbeaugh, PhD, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE, IOM
(Secretary and CEO)
John E. Hodges, CSP, OHST
(Past President)
V. Raymond Ferrara, CFP
Joshua J. Franklin, CSP, SMS, STS, CET
Jim S. Kreinbrink, CSP
Richard A. Pollock, CSP
Cece M. Weldon, CSP, CHST, STSC
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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
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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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Earn Recertification Points with myBCSP
Take quizzes and earn recertification points with the myBCSP app! Available for iPhone and Android.
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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.
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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 2016 Certificants
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Congratulations to everyone who achieved certification last year!
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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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