Welcome to the BCSP Partners eNewsletter!

The BCSP Partners eNewsletter is an eNewsletter designed to share information about organizations which play a part in advancing the safety profession. In it you will find news from our sponsoring organizations, resources from collaborative efforts, and perspectives from companies using BCSP certifications.

 

We encourage you not only to read the eNewsletter, but to share your ideas on what you would like to see in it.

 

While preparing the BCSP 2013 Annual Report a few weeks ago I emphasized the team effort that led to our growth. In the same way BCSP is dedicated to the advancement of the safety profession, our partners work every day to strengthen the safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practice.

The number of companies that use BCSP certifications continues to grow. STS Sponsors have long utilized certification as a method of creating sustainable safety leadership, and continue to be some of its strongest advocates.

In effort to reach new audiences around the globe, BCSP is also engaged in several collaborative partnerships. It is important to understand the needs of SH&E practice in different regions and cultures, and the International Network of Safety & Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO) is developing a Global Competency Framework for SH&E professionals. As a certifying body, BCSP is glad to contribute to INSHPO in that aim.

In fact, I write this article from India, where I have met with members of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) for the country's first ASSE Professional Development Conference, Safety India 2014. This was a great success and demonstrated the desire for global certification via BCSP.

It is our hope that, wherever you are, and wherever you may travel, our certification sponsors, collaborative partners, or Sponsoring Organizations provide you a community of like-minded SH&E professionals who share and promote our mutual interest in protecting people, property and the environment.

 

STS Sponsorship grew to account for over 5,000 Safety Trained Supervisors� (STS) in 2013, and STS Sponsor PCL Construction assisted with an impressive 55 new STSs in the company's first year as a participating organization.

Albert Valenzuela, HSE Manager at PCL Construction, initiated the company's STS Sponsorship in their California Buildings District. "I find comfort and value in letting our workers know that we care about their well-being and safety while on a PCL project," he explained. "Our workers are true professional tradesmen who build someone's dream, ideas, and concepts. They must have a skill set which requires attention to detail and a strong work ethic to get these jobs done. The least we can do is make sure they make it home to their love ones at the end of each day."

The project had the support of Rich Baldwin, CSP, PCL Construction's Director of HSE, who stated "the value that is apparent is the visible confidence in leading a safety process that an STS certified supervisor exhibits."

PCL provides the requisite training, study materials to prepare for the test and of course, the costs of the testing and certification. "We advertise the availability of the certification widely and nearly all supervisors and managers who have an interest also have the basic qualifications to begin the pursuit of STS," explains Baldwin. "This has been a volunteer program, not a requirement to complete, and yet we have had many supervisors and managers take the challenge and achieve their STS," Valenzuela adds. "This says a lot about the caliber of supervisors we work with at PCL; not only are they great builders but they believe in our safety culture."

Baldwin entered the safety profession in 1974, and his experience has taught him the connection between personal development and safety excellence. "My passion for safety increases when I see the progress that, at least in part, my efforts may have made possible," he says. "Working hard, studying diligently and continually improving the ability to protect workers is nearly always recognized and continually increased responsibility is the reward."

"Safety is now, and will continue to be, a focal point on our sites and a value for all supervisors and workers," states Valenzuela, who developed a strong commitment to safety after he entered the field as a PCL safety coordinator in 2005. "Working safely will not be a priority, but a value:  Priorities may change, but values are maintained," he explains. "Safety is about our families, our co-workers, and our communities."

The STS certification was developed for managers, supervisors, safety committee members, foremen, crew chiefs, superintendents, and project managers who have safety as an adjunct responsibility to their jobs. Companies and employers that use the STS report greater participation in project safety. The certification ensures a high level of safety in their business culture, effectively reducing liability costs and improving company reputation.

Organizations that sponsor STS certification can be found on BCSP's STS Sponsorship webpage.

 

The organizations with which BCSP is affiliated provide a variety of important information and services that support SH&E practice.

Sponsoring Organizations nominate individuals to serve on the BCSP Board of Directors. They also provide their members with a variety of member services, including journals, conferences, continuing education courses, books, and many other valuable services for safety professionals.

BCSP further partners with organizations that share its mission. In 2012, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and BCSP signed a partnership to provide information and resources that improve occupational safety and health at workplaces throughout the United States. On a global scale, BCSP supports the efforts of the International Network of Safety & Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO).

 

All these organizations can be explored in further detail on the new Partners webpage.

 

BCSP requires that candidates for the CSP show a proven knowledge of the safety, health and environmental (SH&E) profession by holding a qualified SH&E credential at the time they apply for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification. These not only include the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) and Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP), but also credentials through other professional organizations that have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BCSP.

BCSP currently has MOU's that cover safety professionals who are either: 

• Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIH)
• Chartered Members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH)
• Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP)
• Professional Members of the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) 

All persons applying for the CSP use the same application forms. This is to ensure all requirements are met, including experience and education level. If an applicant meets all requirements and holds one of the certifications or membership levels covered by a MOU, he or she does not need to take the ASP examination.

Each of the organizations listed provide quality credentials and BCSP is glad to recognize safety professionals who have achieved them.

 

There are many great conferences safety practitioners are organizing, planning presentations for, and looking forward to attending this year. Check out the reports on the events that have occurred, consider attending one of these many hosted by exemplary SH&E organizations, and stop by and see BCSP at the conferences we are attending.

American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exposition (AIHce)
May 31-June 5, 2014
San Antonio, TX

American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) PDC - Safety 2014
June 8-11, 2014
Orlando, FL
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference & Expo
June 9-12, 2014
Las Vegas, NV

International System Safety Training Symposium (ISSTS)
August 4-8, 2014
St. Louis, MO

Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals (AHMP)
August 24-27, 2014
New Orleans, LA

VPPPA
August 25-28, 2014
National Harbor, MD

National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expo
September 13-19, 2014
San Diego, CA

Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE)
September 14-17, 2014
Calgary, Canada

In This Issue

Newsletters and Annual Reports Archive

Tabletop 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 borrow a display, fill out a  Tabletop Display Request Form and email it to Anne Price, BCSP Marketing Specialist. Displays are first come, first serve.

Presentations on safety certification can also be done for Recertification credit, 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 credit as well. Find out more on our Item Writing webpage.