Samantha Lushtak, MS, CSP, CIT became one of the first BCSP certificants to complete all 27 modules in the KSA Quest program, making her a KSA Grand Master.
An environmental, health, and safety professional with over 10 years’ experience, Lushtak earned her Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Instructional Trainer (CIT) certifications in 2017. As part of her recertification obligations, Lushtak earned 6.75 recertification points by completing the KSA Quest program and becoming a KSA Grand Master.
“I did not anticipate the amount of information I would remember from years past as I was going through each module,” said Lushtak. “The KSA Quests, once you are past the ‘scholar’ level, really force you to review more of your knowledge.”
The KSA Quest program is comprised of 25-question topic assessments based on subject areas geared for professional development. There are 27 topic assessments that span a variety of areas designed to challenge even the most tenured safety professionals.
“It was like a great SparkNotes review of everything I once knew,” said Lushtak. “I think this is a pretty valuable outcome; with standard [recertification] credits, one is far more likely to play to their strengths. The KSA Quests really force you to review more of your knowledge.”
Lushtak recently started her own company—Absolute EHS—and found that the KSA Quest was a convenient way to earn recertification points that worked around her busy work and personal schedule.
“I appreciated how convenient the modules were,” said Lushtak. “I was able to take 1-4 modules at night after my daughter went to bed or 1-2 during my lunch break; I loved the length and flexibility in the amount of time needed in one sitting.”
While it is possible for safety professionals to focus only on areas of strength in the KSA Quest program, Lushtak recommends, especially to those who call themselves generalists, trying all the modules as they will help highlight weaker areas of your expertise that may require a refresher.
“Know that it is unlikely that you will pass them all on the first try and use it as a tool to help highlight places where you may need to pay more attention,” said Lushtak.
As a self-employed private consultant, Lushtak can be called to action at any time, which isn’t always conducive for traditional recertification methods. While she enjoys giving talks at seminars and writing white papers, she also appreciates the flexibility with which the KSA Quest program allowed her to learn and earn recert points.
“The ease and flexibility of the [KSA Quest program] makes them a highly desirable way to earn recertification points. If BCSP publishes more programs like these, I would certainly do them.”
If you would like to begin earning recertification points using the KSA Quest program, login to My Profile where you will see a graphic that will take you to your KSA Quest platform.