Why get a Safety / EHS Certification

In addition to whatever level of education you have achieved, as a Safety Professional, one should always consider adding one or more certifications to your portfolio of credentials. You may ask, “Why would I need a certification if I have ‘X’ number of years of experience or I have my bachelor’s or master’s degree?” There are at least three solid responses to this. First, the certification process guarantees you have been tested by an independent body to ensure you have the body of knowledge for your profession.  This in no way implies you are better or not than any other safety professional, but it does provide a security blanket to the hiring decision makers that they have a knowledgeable person. Second, in order to maintain your certifications, you need some sort of Continuing Education Units (CEUs), gathered in a predetermined time period. This tells your hiring manager that you continue to learn and remain current with your knowledge as opposed to a degree earned five, 10 or 20 years ago. Third, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has researched and determined that professionals with a certification earn substantially more money than those with similar education and experience and no certifications.

So which certifications should one consider?

It almost goes without saying that the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification, through the Board of Certified Safety Professional (BCSP), is the most widely recognized, and considered by many to be the gold standard, certification, especially to non-safety professionals. However, there are many others that may be specifically relevant to your career and experience. Here are some of the nationally recognized certification authorities:

Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) WWW.BCSP.ORG

COSS https://cosstraining.org/

National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP) www.NASP.org

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Board for Global EHS Credentialing www.gobgc.org (formerly AIHA)