Greetings!
Welcome to the Third Quarter 2013 BCSP eNewsletter. No matter which certification or designation you hold with BCSP, or if you are in the process of attaining one, we've 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. If your email address is going to change and you would like to continue to receive this eNewsletter, please contact customer service to update your information. |
Sustainable and Strategic Leadership
Rixio Medina, CSP, STS, CMIOSH
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In protecting people, property, and the environment, safety is a critical component of sustainable business practices. BCSP certifications are understood to be a reliable method of ensuring safety and creating sustainable safety leadership. Maintaining sustainable safety practice in a changing world requires that proven methods like certification be combined with strategic leadership. BCSP is the gold standard in safety certification because of its willingness to seek input, evaluate conditions and seize opportunities. Strategic leadership served a growing safety, health and environmental (SH&E) practice when it switched from paper and pencil examinations to more accessible computer-delivered examinations. As the SH&E profession became global, BCSP modified exam content to replace references to nation-specific regulations with the internationally applicable standards and achieved internationally recognized ANSI accreditation. Our journey continues today. BCSP leadership just returned from a meeting of the International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO), networking with international safety organizations to plan for the needs of the profession globally. BCSP is part of an INSHPO effort in analyzing international safety standards, work which the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) supported with a ten-thousand dollar donation that the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently matched. In August, the BCSP Certificant Advisory Committee provided BCSP leadership with their perspective on the state of SH&E practice. The discussion we had with the diverse set of certificants included the possibilities of further educating employers of each BCSP certification examination's domains so they could make the best decisions in job placement, strengthening the knowledge of BCSP certifications at schools with ABET-accredited SH&E programs, assisting military person returning to the civilian workforce, providing electronic means for candidates to access their certificant profiles, and many other opportunities. In addition to BCSP's dialogues with these SH&E stakeholders, applicant and candidate growth has itself spurred the Board of Directors, committees and staff to initiate a series of updates to make the processes of pursuing and maintaining a BCSP certification more intuitive. A few of these upcoming changes are addressed in this eNewsletter. The November meeting of the BCSP Board of Directors promises to provide us a fantastic opportunity to continue to build from the knowledge gained in this busy third quarter. In conjunction with the input provided to us by our sponsoring organizations, collaborative partners, certificants, and staff, strategic leadership keeps BCSP at the forefront of sustainable, SH&E developments.
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 Safety Professional Robin Schelling, STS Builds Sustainable Safety Program
Chevron Using Program with BCSP Certifications to Strengthen Safety
| Robin Schelling began work as a Health and Environmental Safety (HES) Specialist at Chevron in March 2008. Soon after, she achieved her Safety Trained Supervisor� (STS) certification and started planning to attain the Certified Safety Professional� (CSP). Dedicated to the safety of her coworkers, Schelling is now engaged in the implementation of a new HES Competency Program that uses BCSP certifications to validate and sustain her colleagues and her own SH&E knowledge. "My role is to seek out, understand, educate, and apply the rules and regulations put in place for an incident free workplace," she says. "My passion and dedication to the field of safety is endless."
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Robin Schelling, STS
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It was an incident that occurred when Schelling was younger that led to her commitment to safety. "My very first job as a teenager was in a fast food restaurant," she says. "I recall working the closing shift with my shift manager. He wanted to leave early so he left me to clean the kitchen and lock up. I put on latex gloves and began cleaning around fryers that had been turned off approximately 30 minutes prior. My hand suddenly slipped into the fryer. The pain was debilitating." Schelling went to the emergency room, and fully recovered, but the experience stayed with her. "That event made me realize that everyone deserved to go home from work each day without injury or illness," she explains. "It made me want to ensure the safety of those around me."
Schelling began working in the health field while in high school, and later became a Department of Transportation (DOT) officer for the state of Utah. Eventually, she was able to become a member of Chevron's safety team, for which she feels fortunate.
"Chevron encourages employees to fulfill their career aspirations by providing employment opportunities in a variety of different disciplines," Schelling says. This support gave her the opportunity to build on her safety practice by achieving certification. There were a couple of reasons she chose BCSP certifications. "First, the Board of Certified Safety Professionals has always been the entity that safety professionals admire as the ultimate achievement in the safety profession," Schelling explains. "Second, I was researching safety certifications as part of a competency program for Chevron and thought that obtaining the STS would give me good feedback for the program."
When individuals in Chevron's operations staff began seeking HES roles as part of their personal career development plan, Schelling's supervisor asked her if she could build a HES Competency Program. "The purpose of the program was to provide information to the staff about the training available to them and the personal achievements they could obtain along the way," Schelling notes.
The program she designed consists of two tracks, each track laying out a five to seven year plan for an employee to obtain the appropriate training in the SH&E profession, as well as providing personal achievement through certification and designations. The degreed track recommends the employee seek the CSP. The experienced track recommends that the employee seek the STS, as well as the Occupational Health & Safety Technology� (OHST) certifications. In 2013, Chevron HES leadership sent the approved program to HES field leaders, provided them with support to deploy the program to their direct reports, and agreed to pay the fees associated with the approved classes, certifications and designations.
By establishing SH&E programs that consistently encourage training, confirmation of knowledge, and achievement, companies build sustainable safety leadership. Schelling has started to build such a program at Chevron. Her goal? Schelling says, "My goal as a safety professional is to ensure that all employees go home to their families safely each day."
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BCSP Certificants Receive Prestigious Awards
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Many BCSP certificants have been recognized for their contributions to SH&E practice in the last year. These certificants' exceptional accomplishments earned them top awards from a variety of safety organizations. S. Z. Mansdorf, PhD, CSP, CIH received the American Industrial Hygiene Association's (AIHA) Distinguished Service Award for "a record of service that has advanced both the profession and the associations that represent (its) members." Dr. Mansdorf has an impressive record of service, having served in the army as a Bioenvironmental Engineer, taught as an adjunct associate professor, provided industrial hygiene services as the owner of his own company, and provided leadership as Senior Vice President of Safety Health and Environment for a multi-national company. He served on the BCSP Board of Directors from 1998 to 2003.  | |
L-R: Richard Pollock, CSP; Paul Shelton, CIH; Leo DeBobes, CSP
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Leo J. DeBobes, CSP received the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) 2013 Edgar Monsanto Queeny National Safety Professional of the Year Award. DeBobes is dedicated, serving as Assistant Administrator for Emergency Management and Regulatory Compliance at Stony Brook University Hospital, Clinical Assistant Professor and Environmental Health Concentration Advisor at Stony Brook University's School of Health Technology and Management, and Associate Professor, Fire Protection Technology Program Coordinator at Suffolk Community College, as well as being the Administrative Director of the Suffolk Regional Resource Center for Emergency Preparedness. He served two terms as the ASSE Long Island Chapter President and currently serves as Assistant Administrator for ASSE's Public Sector Practice Specialty.  |
L-R: Richard Pollock, CSP;
Darryl Hill, PhD, CSP
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Darryl C. Hill, PhD, CSP was honored as an ASSE Fellow at Safety 2013. Dr. Hill is the Executive Director H&S global employee relations for Johnson Controls. He has experience as an adjunct assistant professor at Oakland University since 1996, and is an Occupational Safety and Health program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). He served as ASSE president from 2010 to 2011. David B. West, CSP, CHMM was recognized by the International System Safety Society (ISSS), receiving the organization's Professional Development Award for his contributions to the field of system safety. West is a Vice President and operation-level Chief
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L-R: Charles Muniak, CSP; David West, CSP
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Safety Engineer with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and is the Treasurer for the BCSP Board of Directors. As Chairman of the SAE International (formerly TechAmerica) G-48 System Safety Committee, West worked as part of a select G-48 working group that prepared and published an ANSI-approved standard for best practices in System Safety. Teresa Cole, CSP, CSHM; David Lee Jewell, CSP; and George Kennedy, CSP are the latest BCSP certificants to receive recognition, each being honored with Distinguished Service to Safety Awards (DSSA) at the National Safety Council's (NSC) Congress and Expo earlier this month. "These individuals are living out the Journey to Safety Excellence philosophy in the organizations in which they work, and are helping to save lives and prevent injuries," said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO. "These DSSA recipients have laid the foundation for the future of safety and we are indebted to them for their lifetime dedication to safety and health." BSCP is glad to count these individuals among our certificants and congratulates each on their achievements.  | |
L-R: Carl Jorgenson; George Kennedy, CSP;
Teresa Cole, CSP, CSHM; David Lee Jewell, CSP
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Seeking Nominations for the 2014 Awards of Excellence
|  The Board of Certified Safety Professionals is now welcoming nominations for the 2014 BCSP Awards of Excellence (AoE). Recognizing the contributions of CSPs, OHSTs, and CHSTs, certificants may nominate themselves or colleagues for these prestigious awards. Each candidate is evaluated by the BCSP Awards Committee, and the top certificants are honored at the annual awards ceremony.
"It is a great pleasure to recognize the hard work and dedication of our certificants with these awards," says Dr. Treasa Turnbeuagh, CSP, CET, CEO of BCSP. "To thank our accomplished colleagues for their dedication to advancing safety professionalism, and be joined by hundreds of others wishing to do the same, makes the annual AoE ceremony the high point of each year."
Award of Excellence guidelines, nomination forms, and further information are available on the BCSP Award of Excellence webpage.
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Utility Company Certifies Its First Group of Safety Trained Supervisors
| This past summer nine members of electricity provider Idaho Power became the first group of supervisors from the company to achieve their STS certification as part of a new pilot program.
The pilot program was initiated by Jon Post, STS, who saw the STS certification as a way to enhance the safety knowledge of managers. Post presented the idea to Idaho Power Safety Director Jim Duke, CSP, STS, who saw it as fitting the company's commitment to safety.
"When Jon approached me, I immediately gave him the green light to explore the options," Duke explained in an interview. "After evaluating several formalized processes and programs, we met with Boise-based URS Corporation, to hear what they've achieved with this particular program."
The two companies were able to compare their programs and the proactive measures they had in place to enhance safety. The biggest difference between the programs was URS's use of the STS. Post subsequently contacted BCSP to set up an Idaho Power-specific program that provided all the necessary information needed for their safety team to apply for the certification and sit for the STS examination.
"Safety awareness is encouraged among all employees, not just those in safety positions," says Duke. "This program provides leaders with the knowledge and skills to effectively and safely lead their teams in any job they do."
Nine members of the Idaho Power safety team went on to pass their examinations and become STS certificants.
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Back, L-R: Lavelle Coulter, STS; Joe Passalacqua, STS; Jason Qualls, STS; Scott Taylor, STS; Jon Post, STS. Front: Nick Oliver, STS; Jon Tate, STS; Jim Duke, STS; Jeff Jester, STS
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| The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) inducted Rixio Medina, CSP, STS, BCSP Board of Directors President, into its Hall of Fame on Sept. 27, 2013.
Medina received both an Associate and Bachelor's degree in Fire Protection and Safety Technology from OSU. Medina enrolled in the university after becoming interested in fire protection and safety as a teenager in Venezuela. "My dad introduced me to a fire chief who had received an Associate Degree in Fire Protection from OSU," Medina explains. "He was the first person to talk to me about the profession."
Mentoring and volunteer service were habits that Medina soon adopted himself. While at OSU, Medina studied hard to overcome limitations with the English language. He became President of the Latin American Student Association and assisted hundreds of non-English speaking Venezuelan students in English as Second Language training and college.
As a safety professional, Medina continued his service by serving as a BCSP Board Member, contributing to the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) Safety Professionals and the Latino Workforce (SPALW) common interest group, and as a Board Member on the United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
Also inducted into the CEAT Hall of Fame were engineers Robert Schaefer and Rick Webb. Read more about all of these distinguished professionals on the OSU website.
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CET Certification's Examination to be Updated February 1, 2014
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 The Certified Environmental, Safety and Health Trainer� (CET) examination will be updated on February 1, 2014. The examination will change to reflect the results of the 2013 CET role delineation study, a study done to ensure BCSP certifications represent the needs of the SH&E profession.
While the examination will expand from 110 questions to a total of 200, the basic content of its blueprint is similar. However, the new examination blueprint is more detailed than the prior blueprint, which should help those considering taking the test better assess their readiness by providing additional insight into the core competencies the examination measures.
A copy of the new CET blueprint can now be found on the CET webpage.
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Changes Coming for Certification Applicants and Candidates
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As part of a project to streamline BCSP processes, changes will soon be made to BCSP's application process and candidates' eligibility time periods.
Starting immediately, applicants will no longer have to turn in Reference Forms. A percentage of CSP, OHST, and CHST applications will instead be randomly selected to have their Experience Form(s) audited. If an applicant's application is selected, they will be notified to provide documentation validating their experience.
Those who have applied and become candidates for examination will no longer have the option for a second eligibility extension. The expediency afforded by better developed preparation courses and electronic testing has led to these extensions' obsolescence.
These changes tighten BCSP's standards and enhance our certifications, as well as our certificants, value.
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|  BCSP's three Recertification Guides have been consolidated into one guide for Recertification for use by all BCSP certificants. This change will make Recertification easier for many persons holding multiple BCSP certifications. Minor changes have been made to the points earned for Recertification activities; Category 5, Writing Examination Items, the category having changed the most.
Should certificant's not meet Recertification requirements, the policy related to Reinstatement has been modified. Certificants who wish to Reinstate must reinstate before the end of the year in which they are invalidated, pay past renewal fee(s), pay any fees for the upcoming year (if assessed), and a $100 Reinstatement fee.
When it is time for you to Recertify, always be sure to use the latest Recertification Guide.
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BCSP Social Media Accounts Reach Milestones
| Greater numbers of BCSP certificants and their supporters are making use of social media to stay connected with the safety profession when online.
 The BCSP Facebook page will soon have over 1,000 fans. Facebook is the social media platform most useful for staying informed about BCSP-related events, offering the ability to follow news for the Annual Award of Excellence Ceremony by joining the page's Facebook event each year.  The use of Twitter at conferences propelled the BCSP Twitter account over the 500 follower mark this last summer. Safety professionals who use Twitter and follow BCSP can count on receiving tweets alerting them to the latest developments at BCSP, where they may find BCSP staff at conferences, and even special deals on applying for certification.  BCSP's strongest platform remains LinkedIn. In August, BCSP's LinkedIn company profile gained its 2,000th follower. The BCSP LinkedIn group is poised to surpass 10,000 members later this month, and remains one of the most active discussion groups of its kind on the social network. |
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| BCSP
Board of Directors
| Rixio E. Medina, CSP, STS
(President)
Lon H. Ferguson, Ed.D., CSP
(Vice President)
David B. West, CSP, P.E.
(Treasurer)
Treasa M. Turnbeaugh, Ph.D., CSP, CET
(Secretary and CEO)
Carl W. Heinlein, CSP, OHST, STS
(Past President)
Jack H. Dobson, Jr., CSP
James A. Gentry
Bruce Guiliani, CSP, CET, CIT
John E. Hodges, CSP, OHST
Edward J. Jones, CSP
Cece M. Weldon, CSP, CHST, STS
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Newsletters and Annual Report Archives |
BCSP maintains a PDF or web-based archive of our past newsletters and annual reports. Visit the About BCSP webpage and on the right sidebar you will find links to BCSP and former CCHEST newsletters and annual reports.
If you require something older than what is archived online, please give us a call at +1 217-359-9263.
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Subscribe to Unique BCSP eNewsletters |
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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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 CSPs, OHSTs, and CHSTs 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 form and email it to Anne Price.
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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Learn How You Can
Use BCSP Certification Logos
| As a BCSP certificant, a person may use their corresponding certification logo(s) on certain materials.
For details on how you might do this, please see the webpage on BCSP Logo Use.
BCSP's certification logos are each registered or pending marks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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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.
Unauthorized Use PDF Directory
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CSP 2013 Anniversaries
Do you know any CSP's who will meet their 10, 20, 30 or 40 year anniversaries of certification? Check the list of 2013 CSP Anniversaries. CSP Anniversaries | 2013
| Congratulations to everyone who achieved certification last year.
New CSP Certificants | 2012
New OHST Certificants | 2012
New CHST Certificants | 2012
New STS Certificants | 2012
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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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