Fourth Quarter 2023

Message from the President of the Board

Bruce K. Lyon, CSP, SMS, P.E., ARM, CHMM

Reflecting on a noteworthy 2023, this newsletter has served as an effective platform for highlighting a variety of themes integral to safety practice and advancement. We have discussed the value of mentorship, the importance of collaboration, and the need for strong ethical principles. As we round out the year and I conclude my time as Board President, I would like to impress upon you one more key theme – the importance of innovation.

Technology continues to progress, providing exciting new tools to help safety professionals further protect people and the environment. Some of the greatest advancements today are happening in the area of artificial intelligence (AI). It is critical for today’s safety professionals to harness the power of new technologies in a way that solves problems and helps people.

AI and other technologies have extraordinary implications in areas such as assessing and managing risk, training, analyzing data, and more. These technologies are also still young, developing, and not without dangers. It is incumbent upon safety leaders to consider the possibilities of new technologies, finding innovative and creative ways to take advantage of their strengths while avoiding their potential risks. Forward-thinking safety practitioners can truly shape the future of the profession by focusing not only on the tasks of today but on the possibilities of tomorrow. As Albert Einstein notably said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

BCSP hopes to inspire your imagination and professional growth through ventures like The Hub, our newly launched library of safety resources; the Global Learning Summit, our high-quality, low-cost professional development event coming again in May 2024; our biennial Research and Innovation Summit, held earlier this year; and more. We hope you find these platforms and programs beneficial in your career journey.

It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Board President this year. As I pass the baton to Ashok Garlapati and move into the role of Past President, I am excited to continue serving BCSP as we look toward the future, building upon a tradition of excellence. I would especially like to thank 2022 President Dr. Leslie Stockel for her outstanding service and leadership as she completes her time on the Board.

As we head into 2024 with a mind toward innovation, remember this – don't be afraid to fail. Failure is a learning opportunity that leads to success. Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.

BCSP Board of Directors

President

Bruce K. Lyon, CSP, SMS, P.E., ARM, CHMM

Vice President

Ashok Garlapati, CSP, QEP, CFIOSH, FASSP

Treasurer

Jay R. Harf, PhD, CSP

Past President

Leslie Stockel, PhD, CSP, SMS

CEO, Secretary

Christy Uden, CAE, IOM

Directors

Teresa A. Cole, CSP

Mary Hjorth, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Bruce D. Hollcroft, CSP, ARM, CHMM

Daniel G. Hopwood, MPH, CSP, SMS, ARM

Patricia A. Kagerer, CSP, ARM, CPCU, CRIS

Regina McMichael, CSP, CIT

Donald A. Robinson, PhD, CSP, P.E., ARM-E

Mike Sutton, CFRE, CFRM

BCSP Unveils "The Hub"

New platform aims to equip, connect safety professionals

In alignment with a continued quest to equip safety practitioners for protecting the people and environment around them, BCSP has unveiled an exciting new platform for professional development.

Known simply as The Hub, this repository of information is designed with all safety professionals in mind, featuring content for those at various stages of their careers, from diverse backgrounds, and with different responsibilities.

It features content in a variety of formats – from articles and eBooks to videos and webinars to podcasts and interviews – designed for a range of learning styles.

From the frontline worker to the senior executive, The Hub has something to offer. Visit BCSPHUB.COM to check it out today. Users with a BCSP profile can log in to view content using their credentials, while new users can sign up for a free account.

“We are thrilled to unveil The Hub as a further outgrowth of our commitment to enhance careers, reaching beyond certification. Open to everyone, The Hub provides access to a library of resources that will assist safety practitioners at all career stages in carrying out their daily responsibilities, aid their professional growth, and advance safety practice as a whole.”

-- Christy Uden, CAE, IOM, BCSP CEO

Visit The Hub Today

BCSP Welcomes New Board Officers, Members

BCSP has elected new Board Members and Officers to guide the organization in 2024.

The following individuals will serve BCSP credential holders in leadership roles in the upcoming year:

Board President: Ashok Garlapati, CSP, QEP, CFIOSH, FASSP

Vice President: Bruce D. Hollcroft, CSP, ARM, CHMM

Treasurer: Jay R. Harf, PhD, CSP

Past President: Bruce K. Lyon, CSP, SMS, P.E., ARM, CHMM

BCSP also welcomes new Board members Gary Clevenger, CSP, CRIS, and Sarah Long Sparks, CSP, SMS.

BCSP thanks current Past President Leslie Stockel, PhD, CSP, SMS, who concludes her time on the Board at the end of the year.

Recognizing Growing Certification Champions

BCSP's Certification Champions program honors organizations that invest in their safety cultures and employees through certification. Champions are recognized by level based on the number of credentials held within their organizations—Sapphire (5-24), Ruby (25-49), Emerald (50-99), and Diamond (100+)—and earn a wide array of benefits (PDF). Learn how BCSP can help you grow your safety culture by visiting the Workplace Safety and Certification page at BCSP.ORG.

BCSP is proud to recognize the following organizations that have attained a new level in the Certification Champions program for the first time this quarter (as of Dec. 1).

Ruby (25-49)

NorthStar Group Services, Inc.

Nutrien

RQ Construction

Wanzek

Sapphire (5-24)

Batson-Cook Construction

BL Harbert International

Central Plateau Cleanup Company

Concrete Strategies

Sukut Construction

University of Central Missouri

View All BCSP Certification Champions

Median Safety Salary Tops Six Figures in Latest Survey

Safety professionals with certification continue to make more

The median base salary for full-time safety professionals has surpassed $100,000.

That was just one finding from the latest salary survey conducted by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and the National Safety Council (NSC), analyzing data from over 9,600 respondents to identify the typical salary and benefits of safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) professionals.

The complete results, including a salary calculator and full report, are available online through the interactive SH&E Industry Salary Survey Calculator.

Full-time safety professionals responding to the 2023 survey had a median salary of $105,000, climbing $7,000 from the previous survey in 2020. Those who hold at least one safety certification (CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STS, STSC, CIT, CIH, CHMM, CHMP, CDGP) continue to earn roughly $18,000 more than those without a certification.

“The 2023 salary survey illustrates the value organizations place on those who keep their workplaces safe. With the median salary reaching six figures, and often even higher for those who hold credentials, safety professionals are not only making our workplaces safer but also building a prosperous future for themselves.”

-- Christy Uden, CAE, IOM, BCSP CEO

View the Salary Survey Calculator

Learn from Leaders with My Big Safety Challenge

Real People. Real Stories. Real Impact. Combining the safety expertise of BCSP with the leadership training mastery of Dale Carnegie to offer insight for tackling today's industry challenges.

Learn from the experiences of proven safety leaders to influence positive outcomes in your own organization.

Listen Now!

Share Your Safety Stories with Us

We want to tell your safety story. Whether it's a personal story of how you became involved with the safety profession, or a proud company safety moment, we want to hear from you!

If you have an interesting story to share, please contact safetystories@bcsp.org and a member of our team will reach out to you.

Your story could be featured on the BCSP social media channels, a promotional video, or many other avenues.

Looking For a New Career or Your Next Superstar Employee?

The BCSP Career Center connects job seekers with prospective employers in the safety, health, and environmental industry at no cost!

Posting open positions for companies looking to hire individuals who hold our credentials is also free. This site is your direct route to qualified individuals!

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Nominations Open for 2024 Awards of Excellence

SMS, CIT Holders Now Eligible for Nomination; Time Requirement Set at Five Years

Nominations for BCSP's 2024 Awards of Excellence are now open.

Celebrate the exceptional SH&E practice of BCSP certificants by submitting accomplishments of yours, a mentor, or a colleague for consideration.

The Awards of Excellence recognize top certificants who best represent outstanding leadership, expertise, and commitment to the advancement of the SH&E profession.

Nominations will be accepted for all eight BCSP certifications in 2024, with SMS and CIT credential holders eligible for consideration for the first time.

Updated in 2024, all credential holders must now have held their certification for five years to be eligible for an award in the certification's category.

Awards of Excellence: Guidelines | Nominate

BCSP Credential Holder Directory

The Credential Holder Directory offers a database for verifying individuals' BCSP certification status.

The directory is searchable by name, company, location, and more, featuring digital badges and credential information for each credential held.

Visit BCSP's Affinity Products Page

As a BCSP credential holder, you have access to exclusive products! Design custom BCSP Apparel in the BCSP store. Get unique pins and rings.

Through BCSP's collaboration with the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®), certificants further qualify for a 20% discount on first-year financial planning services with CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional members.

Click here for more info!

Safety For Nonprofits Seeking Volunteers

Use your expertise to help others and earn recertification points

People shouldn't get hurt when giving back. That is the firm belief behind Safety For Nonprofits, Inc. (S4NP). In a BCSP Webinar this fall, S4NP's Jack Geissert and Dave Crowley outlined their commitment to "increasing awareness of safety and health issues faced by nonprofit organizations and providing pro-bono advisory services at their workplaces," calling for volunteers to help them in their mission.

S4NP has established operations in four states – Arizona, Colorado, Ohio and Massachusetts – and offers volunteer opportunities virtually for safety professionals outside those states. To learn more or to sign up as a volunteer, visit S4NP.ORG.

For BCSP certificants, safety-related volunteer work not only benefits others but also provides a vehicle for earning recertification points.

Under Category 3 of the BCSP Recertification Guide, credential holders can earn a maximum of 10 points each five-year cycle for service to professional societies, safety organizations, and safety units of certain other organizations, among others.

Watch BCSP Webinar with S4NP

"To help nonprofits be better and safer, that's really what our purpose is. We are the nonprofit that helps other nonprofits. We are the mechanism that helps our profession give back and remove some of the concern about professional liability."

-- Jack Geissert, CIH-Retired, Founder and President, Safety For NonProfits, Inc.

Invest in the Next Generation of Safety Professionals

Join the BCSP Foundation in its "Dollars for Safety Scholars" Campaign

With support from donors like you, the BCSP Foundation awards up to 40 scholarships to environmental, health, and safety students each year.

With your help, the Foundation can continue to grow the scholarship program and to provide financial assistance to deserving students and support the future of safety practice. The "Dollars for Safety Scholars" campaign seeks to raise $50,000 for that goal.

BCSP credential holders who donate will have the special "Donor" badge pictured above featured on their profile in the BCSP Credential Holder Directory.

"Receiving the scholarship impacted my academic career significantly. As a non-traditional student, the cost of my academic career loomed over me. Receiving this scholarship helped me get five steps closer to reaching my dreams."

-- Karly St. Aubin, QAP Scholarship Recipient

Donate Today

Prep for Your Exam!

BCSP offers exam training, both online and in-person, through BCSP examCORE*. Visit examCORE.ORG for more information.

Online trainings include: CSP, ASP + CSP Connect, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STS, STSC, and CIT. In-person training is currently available for the STS and STSC with more to come.

*To ensure impartiality, BCSP utilizes subject-matter experts for the development of the examCORE program and products who are independent from the certification examination development process.

Assess Your Knowledge

BCSP also offers Self-Assessments to help you determine your knowledge level in each subject area of an exam. Utilize the Self-Assessments to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, and test-taking pace and plan your studying accordingly.

Unauthorized Use of Our Credentials

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.

Report Unauthorized Use

Find Unauthorized Use on the Credential Directory

Present on Behalf of BCSP!

Presentations on safety certification can be done for recertification credit! BCSP has many resources available for certificants to use during presentations, including pre-made PowerPoints, technical reports, and videos.

These resources can be found on our Presentations and Outreach webpage.

Become a BCSP Webinar Presenter

Do you have wisdom or best practices to share? Valuable insights to reveal? BCSP Webinars wants you as a presenter.

To express interest in presenting, please view and complete the Webinar Presenter Interest Form. List your areas of expertise and submit the form for consideration.

If you have further questions, please contact webinars@bcsp.org.

Get Ready for GLS 2024, Coming in May

BCSP's Global Learning Summit (GLS) returns May 7-9, 2024, once again offering more than 100 hours of virtual professional development sessions and opportunities to network with colleagues around the world ... all for only $25 USD. Register now to reserve your spot.

The lineup for GLS 2024 is shaping up. With speakers like Thomas "Ryan" Davis, ASP, and Laurie Knape, CSP, ASP, both highlighted below, you won't want to miss out on this one-of-a-kind event.

Follow BCSP's social media channels for more speaker previews, and keep an eye out for the full speaker list to be revealed soon.

Share Events With Us

Have an upcoming job fair, conference, or chapter meeting that you would like to share with readers? Would you like to invite a BCSP representative to attend an event? We would like to hear about it!

Submit information on upcoming events using our new Event Request Form.

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.

Updated OHST, SMS Exams Coming Soon

Attention, candidates for BCSP's Safety Management Specialist (SMS) and Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST) exams:

BCSP will release updated versions of these exams on February 1, 2024. Candidates who purchased the current exam form may take that version if they sit for the exam before February 1.

New blueprints for each BCSP certification exam are created as part of the revalidation process every five years or more often, if necessary. The new blueprints reflect the consensus of the profession as to the knowledge and skills a minimally qualified candidate must possess to be deemed competent.

Exam blueprints for the updated SMS and OHST exams, along with a summary of the changes to each, are available on each certification's webpage at BCSP.ORG.

View Updated SMS Blueprint

View Updated OHST Blueprint