Issue 6
March 2018
BCSP Partners eNewsletter
  

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.

 

Partners in Practice
Treasa M. Turnbeaugh, PhD, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE 
   
Safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practice has a breadth and depth that are important to understand when working for its advancement. Safety certification, if it is to play a role in the improvement of safety practice, must be of quality, must address needs, and must be widely recognized.
 
The Safety Management Specialist (SMS) certification recently joined the Certified Safety Professional® (CSP®) and Associate Safety Professional® (ASP) in achieving accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard for personnel certification programs. In doing so, as a certification designed by BCSP utilizing our best practices, with the support of industry stakeholders, volunteer certificants, and others, the newly accredited certification illustrates why BCSP certifications are considered the gold standard.
 
BCSP provides a comprehensive set of certifications that address the continuum of safety responsibilities in an organization's safety culture. In the case of the SMS, the certification was well received by US military servicemembers. BCSP recently visited the United States Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker to express appreciation for their participation in the SMS Beta exam and support their safety initiative.
 
In the interest of meeting the needs of organizations embracing safety, BCSP joined the OSHA Alliance in February. As OSHA provides guidelines, tools, and other forms of support to organizations that embrace safety, BCSP certifications complement this effort, providing not only an objective measure of safety competency, but a method of designing a safety team from the supervisory to professional level. BCSP encourages participation in the Safe + Sound campaign and National Safety Stand-Down and will provide further resources on the OSHA Alliance on the BCSP Partners webpage.
 
BCSP certifications are increasingly recognized around the world as well. As a member of the International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organizations (INSHPO) and contributor to the globally applicable OHS Professional Capability Framework, BCSP was a signatory to the Singapore Accord, a significant step toward safer and healthier workplaces. BCSP recognized several international credentials as meeting the CSP application's credential requirement as well.
 
The International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO), one such organization, recently joined us for a webinar on safety certification. Students pursuing the Master in Occupational Safety and Health as part of the Turin School of Development (TSD) at the University of Turin, Italy, received information and asked questions that would support their achieving the CSP. The webinar was hosted as part of the BCSP Ambassador Program.
 
I am consistently impressed by the efforts of our Partners, certification sponsors, certificant mentors, those who volunteer in the design of certifications' examinations or in their beta testing, and those reaching out to colleagues and company leaders who make the case for safety certification through information and accomplishment.

Together, we advance the safety profession.
 
OSHABCSP and OSHA Form Alliance

BCSP and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have formed an alliance to provide information and guidance to safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) practitioners and other stakeholders so they can best protect workers' safety and health.

During the two-year agreement, BCSP will work with OSHA to engage safety and health professionals and their employers in Agency outreach initiatives, such as the Safe + Sound Campaign and the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. BCSP will also contribute in the development of OSHA resources to assist small and medium-sized employers in identifying situations that may benefit from a safety and health professional's expertise and finding the right professional to help.

"As BCSP provides safety practitioners the opportunity to demonstrate their experience, skills, and knowledge through quality, accredited certification, and OSHA supplies stakeholders with guidelines and resources to strengthen their safety programs, this alliance is a natural fit for the two organizations," said BCSP CEO Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE. "By enhancing careers and advancing the profession, BCSP and OSHA's combined initiative will better protect people, property, and the environment."

BCSP sets technical competency criteria and certifies safety, health, and environmental practitioners worldwide. The organization has approximately 45,000 active credentials, with those who hold them engaged in advancing the occupational safety and health profession.

Through its Alliance Program, OSHA fosters collaborative relationships with groups committed to worker safety and health, such as trade and professional organizations, unions, consulates, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses, and educational institutions, to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. Alliance partners help OSHA reach targeted audiences, such as employers and workers in high-hazard industries, and give them better access to workplace safety and health tools and information.

More information on the BCSP-OSHA Alliance can be found on the BCSP Partners webpage.

L-R: BCSP CEO Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt; BCSP Board President Linda Martin, CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET

MilBCSP Provides Opportunity to US Military Servicemembers 

The US military is embracing certification to ensure servicemembers' safety and provide them a path to civilian employment. BCSP recently visited the United States Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker to support the organization.
 
"It is important that servicemembers be able to anticipate change and have a readiness to adapt, whether that is part of protecting our country or protecting the safety and health of their colleagues," says Dr. Brenda Miller, SMS, Senior Safety Advisor and Functional Chief Representative for Career Program-12 (Safety and Occupational Health) at the United States Army Combat Readiness Center. Dr. Miller achieved her SMS as part of the examination's 2017 beta release, alongside many other Army servicemembers.
 
BCSP Board Member and Airman Josh Franklin, CSP, SMS, STS, CET recently expressed similar thoughts from the perspective of the Air Force in his blog, connectingEHS. "Senior leaders care about Airmen and the Air Force. We connected education and credentialing with this value, knowing our Air Force would be better off with highly skilled professionals, and Airmen would have better futures with advanced certifications."
 
BCSP safety certifications are recognized and highly regarded by every branch of the US military. BCSP certifications have been mapped to 764 military occupations across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines Corps, and Civil Services. Each branch's Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) program includes the full set of BCSP certifications and, of the 63 safety certifications identified by Navy COOL, three BCSP certifications (the ASP, CSP, and CHST) are currently the only three considered "In Demand".
 
The COOL programs offer vouchers for payment of fees related to achieving or maintaining credentials, issued on a first-come, first-served basis. BCSP certifications are eligible for COOL vouchers from every branch of the military.
 
"Recognition of servicemembers' commitment is important to BCSP, and we are grateful for these opportunities to provide something in return," says Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh, CSP, ASP, CET, IOM, CAE, the CEO of BCSP.
 
In addition to the COOL programs' vouchers, BCSP offers application fee waivers to active duty, reserve component personnel, and veterans with a copy of official orders or official discharge papers, submitted upon application. Examination fees are further eligible for reimbursement by the US Department of Veteran's Affairs under various entitlement programs.
 
BCSP, safety professionals, and the military have expanded servicemembers' access to quality certification. The opportunity to demonstrate safety knowledge and skills has never been more accessible for those who choose to pursue it.

L-R: CP-12 FCR Program Manager Tamara Nazario;  Senior Safety Advisor, FCR for CP-12  Dr. Brenda Miller, SMS; Director of Army Safety David Francis; BCSP CEO 
Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE; 
BCSP Strategic and Global Relations Director Erica Poff, CAE; US Army Safety Center Safety and Occupational Health Manager Gabriel Boyd, GSP, OHST

AmbBCSP Ambassador Program Reaching Aspiring Safety Practitioners

To raise awareness about the value of accredited safety certifications, BCSP established the BCSP Ambassador Program in 2017. The BCSP Ambassador Program is an outreach initiative that engages select volunteers among BCSP certification holders to represent BCSP at events and speaking engagements with stakeholders in the safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) field. BCSP Ambassadors spoke at more than 15 events last year and continue to raise awareness about the value of certification in 2018.
 
Chris Patton, CSP, SMS, ASP, BCSP Board Past President and BCSP Ambassador, recently led a webinar for students pursuing the Master in Occupational Safety and Health from the Turin School of Development at the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organziation (ITC-ILO).  As part of the credential recognition between the ITC-ILO and BCSP, these students will meet the CSP application's credential requirement upon graduation.
 
Carl Heinlein, CSP, OHST, STSC, BCSP Ambassador visited the ASSE Student Chapter at Slippery Rock University to share with them the value of certification and answer questions as well. Slippery Rock's Bachelor of Safety Management program is a Graduate Safety Practitioner ® (GSP ®) Qualifying Academic Program (QAP). Students enrolled in QAPs are eligible to receive the GSP designation upon graduation, creating a direct path to the CSP.
 
The 2018 BCSP Ambassadors include:
  • Joshua Franklin, CSP, STS, CET
  • Ashok Garlapati, CSP
  • Bradley Giles, CSP, STSC
  • M. E. "Eddie" Greer, CSP
  • Carl Heinlein, CSP, OHST, STSC
  • Cheri Marcham, PhD, CSP
  • Linda Martin, CSP, ASP, OHST, CHST, STSC, CET
  • Regina McMichael, CSP, CET
  • C. Christopher Patton, CSP, ASP
  • Rick Pollock CSP, ASP
  • Kathy Seabrook, CSP
  • Mario Varela, CSP, ASP
  • Clinton Wolfley, CSP, CHST, STSC
Ambassadors often present as part of conferences, join those promoting safety as a career on college campuses, and attend a variety of other official events. If you would like to request an ambassador present at your event, contact the BCSP Ambassador Program.

Carl Heinlein, CSP, OHST, STSC and
Slippery Rock University students

SafeJoin the 2018 Safe + Sound Campaign

The second annual Safe + Sound Week will be held August 13-19, 2018. 

The event is a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the value of workplace safety and health programs. These programs can help employers and workers identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness. Throughout this week, organizations are encouraged to host events and activities that showcase the core elements of an effective safety and health program, including management leadership, worker participation, and finding and fixing workplace hazards. 

For more information and to sign up for email updates, visit the Safe + Sound Week webpage.



In This Issue
BCSP Sponsoring Organizations

BCSP's sponsoring organizations help ensure that the governance of BCSP includes broad representation from across the safety profession by recommending Board Members. These organizations do not provide funding or support to BCSP or its operations. They do provide their members with a variety of services important to safety professionals.

American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), 1974

 
Send Us Your News

Consider the BCSP Partners
eNewsletter your eNewsletter.  

Contact Colan Holmes , BCSP Communications Manager, with any SH&E industry or professional practice story ideas.

Newsletters and Annual Reports Archive

BCSP keeps an archive of all of its eNewsletters and Annual Reports. You can view these other publications in the eNewsletter section of the About BCSP webpage's resources column. 
 
The ASSE Guide to Hiring the Right Occupational Safety and Health Professional is a helpful tool for HR professionals, safety managers, and anyone looking to hire quality safety personnel.

The information is provided to ensure the quality of organizations' safety practitioners. You may download the guide, and sharing it is encouraged.
 
Promoting the  
Value of Certification 

BCSP will be exhibiting at the following conferences in the remainder of 2018:

RIMS 2018  
Booth # 322
April 16-18
San Antonio, TX, USA

AIHce 2018
Booth # 1739
May 21-23
Philadelphia, PA, USA

NECA Safety Professional Conference

Booth #10
May 21-23
Louisville, KY, USA
 
ASSE Safety 2018
Booth #1733
June 3-5
San Antonio, TX, USA

ASCA Annual Conference
Booth # 218
July 14-17
Los Angeles, CA, USA

Safety+ (National VPPPA Conference)
Booth # 236
August 28-31
Nashville, TN, USA
 
NSC Congress and Expo
Booth #720
October 20-26
Houston, TX, USA
 
Please stop by our booth. We would be glad to meet you!
 
BCSP's Toolkit for Advancing the Safety Profession


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 borrow a display, fill out a Display and Literature Request Form. Your request will be received by Nick Peaper, BCSP's Marketing and Outreach Assistant. Banner displays are available on a first come, first served basis.

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.

 
 
 
BCSP Career Center

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.