2017 Current Changes Index

Eligibility/Application

Effective Date: December 1, 2016

• The Graduate Safety Practitioner® (GSP) designation will be available at new Qualified Academic Programs, which may be viewed on the GSP webpage in the GSP QAP List, and which will continue to be updated as new programs are added.

Effective Date: January 1, 2017

• Should an applicant wish to transfer an application fee from one certification application to another (e.g., from the STS to the STSC), an additional $25 fee will be assessed.

Effective Date: May 1, 2017

• GSP applicants may submit a copy of their college transcript.
  • Official transcripts in an original, sealed envelope, or sent electronically from the awarding college, will only be required when a GSP applicant is audited.

Effective Date: June 1, 2017

• The National or International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (NEBOSH) will be accepted as a qualifying credential for the Certified Environmental, Safety, and Health Trainer (CET) certification.

Effective Date: June 1, 2017

• The Diploma/Certificate in Industrial Safety, as issued by the State Government Departments/Boards of Technical Education, Government of India, meets the qualifying credential requirement for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP).
  • This includes the prior recognition of the Diplomas in Industrial Safety from the Central Labour Institute in Mumbai and the Regional Labour Institutes in Chennai, Faridabad, Kanpur and Kolkata, and extends that recognition to other sources of this specific Diploma/Certificate.

Effective Date: July 1, 2017

• The Safety Management Specialist (SMS) will be accepted as a qualifying credential for the Certified Environmental, Safety, and Health Trainer (CET) certification.

Effective Date: August 29, 2017

• The Certified Safety Engineer (CSE), as administered by the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), People’s Republic of China (PRC), will be accepted as a qualifying credential for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

Effective Date: September 12, 2017

• The Master in Occupational Safety and Health from the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO) will be accepted as a qualifying credential for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

Effective Date: October 3, 2017

• The Safety Management Specialist (SMS) certification no longer requires a High School Diploma or GED.

Effective Date: November 10, 2017

• The OHST, CHST, and CET certifications no longer require a High School Diploma or GED.

Effective Date: November 10, 2017

• Any credentials that meet the CSP’s credential requirement will now meet the CET’s credential requirement.

Effective Date: January 1, 2018

• Several changes to the GSP program will take effect:
  • Those graduating on or after January 1, 2018, will have one year from their graduation date to apply for the GSP.
  • Those attaining the GSP on or after January 1, 2018 may hold the designation for a maximum of six (6) years.
  • Graduates who obtained their degree during the time-period prior to January 1, 2018 and fall within a QAP’s “Applicable Dates” as noted on the GSP QAP List may apply for the GSP through January 1, 2020.

Effective Date: January 1, 2018

• BCSP will discontinue application fee waivers for the CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STS, STSC, and CET certifications to students who graduated from an ABET program in the last three years, however BCSP will continue to waive application fees for the GSP designation for those who graduate from approved QAP schools.

Examination

Effective Date: Upon update of an examination, beginning 2017

• To ensure that exams reflect current best practices, BCSP works with safety professionals periodically to update the “blueprints” on which it bases its exams. Exams are then updated accordingly.
  • BCSP will notify the public of upcoming new blueprint exam form releases on its website one (1) month prior to the new exam form release.
  • Upon the new exam form release date, any candidate who has purchased the old exam form will have two (2) months to sit for that form of the exam form or will be automatically switched sit for to the new exam form.

Effective Date: By July 31, 2017

• The Safety Management Specialist (SMS) will be released, following the new SMS1 blueprint.

Effective Date: August 1, 2017

• The Occupational Health and Safety Technologist® (OHST) examination will change according to its regular update schedule, following a new OHST5 blueprint.

Effective Date: August 15, 2017

• The Safety Trained Supervisor® (STS) examination will change according to its regular update schedule, following a new STS3 blueprint.

Effective Date: August 15, 2017

• Having an examination authorization will no longer prevent a candidate from applying for an eligibility extension.
  • Candidates must be in the last 60 days of their eligibility time period and have not previously purchased an extension for the certification.

Recertification/Renewal

Effective Date: November 15, 2016

• The Certified Environmental, Safety & Health Trainer® (CET) now requires 2.8 Recertification Points each Recertification Cycle (down from 3) for teaching, developing, and/or attending courses on instructional techniques.

Effective Date: January 1, 2017

• The following credentials grant BCSP certificants who attain them recertification points in Category 10:
  • The Commissioned Inspector from the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors grants 3 points.
  • The MISPN from the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria grants 25 points.
  • The Diploma/Certificate in Industrial Safety, as issued by the State Government Departments/Boards of Technical Education, Government of India, grants 25 points.

Effective Date: March 1, 2017

• • Certificants who are retiring can hold their certification in retired status should they meet the following requirements:
    • They have held certification a minimum of ten (10) years, and they have completed two (2) Recertification cycles.

• • To maintain a certification in retired status:
    • No more than 200 hours of safety practice annually is allowed.
    • A Retired Annual Renewal Fee is required each year (beginning with 2018 renewals).

• A certificant holding a certification in retired status must indicate their status as in the following examples:
  • Name, CSP Retired
  • Name, CSP (Retired)
  • Name, CSP Ret.
  • Name, Certified Safety Professional (Retired)

Effective Date: April 1, 2017

• The Certified Public Health (CPH) credential grants BCSP certificants who attain it 5 recertification points in Category 10.

Effective Date: July 1, 2017

• The following credentials now grant BCSP certificants who attain them the listed recertification points in Category 10:
  • The Certified Quality Auditor credential, as awarded by the American Society for Quality (ASQ), grants BCSP certificants who attain it 3 recertification points.
  • The Physical Security Professional, as awarded by ASIS International, grants BCSP certificants who attain it 10 recertification points.

Effective Date: October 1, 2017

• The following credentials now grant BCSP certificants who attain them the listed recertification points in Category 10:
  • The Certified Safety Engineer (CSE) credential, as awarded by the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) of the government of the People’s Republic of China, grants BCSP certificants who attain it 25 recertification points.
  • The Master in Occupational Safety and Health, as awarded by the University of Turin, Italy and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO), grants BCSP certificants who attain it 25 recertification points.
  • The SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), as awarded by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), grants BCSP certificants who attain it 3 recertification points.
  • The SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), as awarded by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), grants BCSP certificants who attain it 3 recertification points.
  • The Certified Crane Inspector credential, as awarded by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), grants BCSP certificants who attain it 3 recertification points.