Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and the
Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and the
Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists (CCHEST)

I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

September 26, 2003, BCSP
September 13, 2004, Alliance Addendum signed with CCHEST

Overview

Through the Alliance and addendum, OSHA, BCSP and CCHEST are using their collective expertise to help enhance safety professionals' education and professional expertise and promote the value of increasing safety competency in the workplace. OSHA, BCSP and CCHEST are encouraging safety and health professionals to continue to strive for enhanced knowledge of workplace safety and health programs, processes, and regulations by providing information and guidance regarding the value of safety and health professionalism and accredited certifications. In addition, the groups are educating individuals on how to achieve accredited certifications, such as the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) offered by BCSP and the Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST), Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), and Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) offered by CCHEST.

Implementation Team Members

Evaluation Period

September 26, 2004 - September 25, 2005

II. Implementation Team Meetings

III. Results

1. Events and Products
   
   Training and Education Goal
    
   • Participate in reviewing and sharing the results of the BCSP studies regarding the functions, tasks, knowledge, and skills that are needed for safety and health practices to define a job performance metrics for safety and health professionals and develop related safety curricula that could be incorporated into training and education courses, including those offered by OSHA's Ed Centers.
   Products
   
   Job Analysis Reports
   
   BCSP and CCHEST provided job analysis reports for the CSP, OHST, CHST and STS certifications to OSHA and OTE staff.
   
   CSP Knowledge and Skills
   
   BCSP and CCHEST completed an analysis of knowledge and skills covered on the CSP and OHST certifications and developed a subject outline of knowledge and skills required for practice in these areas. This information was provided to OSHA’s Office of Construction Services and OTE.
   
   Ethics in the Safety Practice
   
   BCSP provided an electronic copy of its slides and text from a presentation on ethics in the safety practice that BCSP funded at the 2004 American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Professional Development Conference to OSHA staff.
   
   Outreach and Communication Goals
    
   • Develop materials and programs to promote the awareness of and the value and benefits of achieving safety and health certifications.
   Products
   
   BCSP Database of Safety and Related Academic Programs in the United States
   
   BCSP completed a comprehensive database of approximately 720 academic programs in safety and allied fields of study at accredited United States colleges and universities and placed it on the BCSP Web site with a search engine for locating programs by state, academic program level and subject area. In addition, BCSP contacted the academic programs listed in the database to update records and to determine whether specific courses or the entire program was available via distance learning. This information was added to the Academic Program database. BCSP provided OSHA with the link to its database and the Agency posted the link on the OSHA-BCSP-CCHEST Alliance Web page under the Products and Resources section.
   
   Professional Safety
   
   BCSP developed an article in December 2004 on the CPS certification that was published in Professional Safety, a magazine of the ASSE an Alliance Program participant. The article mentioned the OSHA-BCSP-CCHEST Alliance.
    
   • Speak, exhibit, or appear at conferences, workshops, meetings, or other events and use print and electronic media, including OSHA's and BCSP's Web sites, or other resources to disseminate OSHA - or BCSP developed information on safety and health certification.
   Events
   
   American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Professional Development Conference, Safety 2005, Ernest R. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 12-15, 2005
   
   On June 15, 2005, "Supporting SH&E Careers in Government," was presented during ASSE’s annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The workshop panelists included Roger Brauer, Executive Director, Board of Certified Safety Professionals, Stewart Burkhammer, OSHA’s Office of Construction Services and Brad Giles, Washington Group International (an Alliance Program participant). Topics covered in the workshop provided government employees in the safety, health and environmental fields with career development information, including the paths and milestones for professional level certification.
   
   In addition, BCSP/CCHEST shared information on the OSHA-BCSP/CCHEST Alliance from their exhibit booths at six national safety and health conferences including the National Safety Congress in Orlando, Florida and the Construction Safety Conference in Rosemont, Illinois. Representatives from the OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance Implementation Team exhibited at 51 regional, state, local, and company conferences during the year to promote the Alliance and distribute safety and health information to the attendees. For more information on the number of site visits please see the "Alliance Program Reach" table.
   
   Products
   
   OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance Website
   
   OSHA developed an OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance Website on the Agency's Webpage that includes the OSHA and BCSP Alliance agreement, CCHEST addendum, news releases, and milestones and successes. This Website is kept up-to-date on a regular basis.
    
   • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects for achieving safety and health certification that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
     
     BCSP/CCHEST representative, Dr. Roger Brauer, gave presentations on safety and health certification for several Chapters of the ASSE.
      
   • Encourage safety and health professionals to assist in the mentoring of individuals interested in achieving accredited professional certification.
   
   BCSP Mentoring Program
   
   BCSP/CCHEST implemented a Mentoring Program by which individuals holding a CSP certification can gain recognition by helping other safety professionals advance their careers through certification. The BCSP Mentoring Programs Web page can be found on the organization’s public Web and provides information on the program, resources on mentoring and the application form.
   
   Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals
    
   • Define joint research objectives and projects that could link the elements of safety professionalism to the enhancement of the safety and health profession.
     
     During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.
      
   • Exchange information regarding case studies and lessons learned by employers and individuals resulting from improving safety professionalism and achieving of safety and health accredited certifications.
     
     During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.
      
   • Convene and participate in forums and round table discussions on improving safety and health practices and professionalism, such as the International Safety Conference in 2005, and the DOL Annual Safety Day event.

   2005 Department of Labor Safety Day, Washington, D.C. June 1, 2005

   BCSP representatives staffed an exhibit booth at the 2005 Department of Labor Safety Day held June 1, 2005 in Washington, D.C.
   
   In addition, Mr. Roger Brauer participated in several forums and round tables and discussed the value of safety and health professionalism and accredited certifications including discussions with the Department of Defense (DOD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
    
2. Executive Summary
   
   During this reporting period the OSHA-BCSP/CCHEST Alliance continued to focus on encouraging safety and health professionals to strive for enhanced knowledge of workplace safety and health programs, processes, and regulations by providing information and guidance regarding the value of safety and health professionalism and accredited certifications. In addition, the organizations’ are educating individuals on how to achieve accredited certifications, such as the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) offered by BCSP and the Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST), Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), and Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) offered by CCHEST.
   
   The OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance implementation team completed a number of successful projects that advanced safety and health accredited certifications and promote the Alliance Program. The OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance Web page feature links to related documents, activities and events, and milestones and successes, links to the BCSP/CCHEST Database of Safety and Related Academic Programs in the United States, BCSP publications; Career Paths in Safety and The Career Guide to the Safety Profession.
   
   OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST representatives have given several presentations to promote the Alliance, the value of safety and health professionalism and the value of accredited certifications at a number of national conferences including the National Safety Congress, the AIHA Conference and Exposition, the Construction Safety Conference, the World Safety Congress and the VPPPA conference. In addition to the national conferences, BCSP/CCHEST representatives exhibited at 51 regional, state, local and company safety conferences during the reporting period.
    
3. Alliance Program Reach

IV. Upcoming Milestones

In the coming year, the OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance will continue to promote OSHA’s Alliance Program and compliance assistance resources to BCSP/CCHEST members and others in the safety and health profession. The Alliance Team members will continue to update the OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance Web page on the Agency’s Web site. In addition, BCSP/CCHEST will develop a BCSP/CCHEST Alliance Web page on the organization’s Web site.

Representatives from the Alliance Implementation Team will continue to promote safety and health certification and professionalism through speaking and exhibiting opportunities at national, regional, local and company conferences, schools and other safety related events including the National Safety Congress, American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference, and the ASSE Professional Development Conference. In addition, BCSP will conduct meetings with governmental and private sector organizations to discuss the value of certifications. The OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance will also join with other Alliance Program participants in supporting the North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, April 30-May 5, 2006, which is sponsored by the ASSE.

The OSHA-BCSP/CCHEST Alliance will work with the Washington Group International, another Alliance Program participant to develop a case study on the successful implementation and impact of the organizations Safety Trained Supervisor Certification Program. OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST will also develop a fact sheet on the "Value of Certification," that can be distributed at OSHA or BCSP/CCHEST events.

Further, BCSP/CCHEST will recognize the OSHA and BCSP/CCHEST Alliance in career publications printed and distributed by BCSP/CCHEST.


Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances with input from Roger Brauer,