Is Earning an ASP or CSP Worth It?

Earning an Associate Safety Professional (ASP) and/or Certified Safety Professional (CSP) licensure is an involved process that helps an individual (and by extension their company) gain credibility within the safety industry by providing the highest standard of safety consultation possible. The ASP and CSP exams are at least 5 hours (5 hours & 5.5 hours respectively), have 200 questions and cover a wide range of domains (7 and 9 respectively). Needless to say, if you have one, or both, they are well earned.

Why are these certifications so important and why should you obtain either or both?

Today, more and more industries, companies and construction projects see safety as more than just what OSHA requires them to focus on. There is an increased push to provide clear and consistent messaging about the safety, health and wellness of employees. Additionally, making sure the spaces where operations take place are well maintained and safe keeps a workforce safe and can reduce or eliminate operational downtime. Maintaining a high standard of workplace and employee safety is not easy, and having someone who has relied on only years of experience isn’t enough to remove risk. It takes more.

ASPs and CSPs are the next step in qualifying the capabilities of an individual so a company or project has confidence that the folks they bring on to develop and oversee safety at a job site have the necessary skills and education.

According to the Board of Certified Safety Professionals an ASP & CSP:

“are persons who perform at least 50% of professional level safety duties, including making worksite assessments to determine risks, assessing potential hazards and controls, evaluating risks and hazard control measures, investigating incidents, maintaining and evaluating incident and loss records, and preparing emergency response plans. Other duties could include hazard recognition, fire protection, regulatory compliance, health hazard control, ergonomics, hazardous materials management, environmental protection, training, accident and incident investigations, advising management, record keeping, emergency response, managing safety programs, product safety and/or security.”

With each certification capable of so much, individuals who have obtained their ASP, as well as progressed to getting a CSP, are in high demand. Third-party consultants who employ a number of individuals with these certifications can mobilize quickly at a site or integrate smoothly into an organization and have a positive impact on health and safety.

No matter the size of your project or organization, the overall outcome and your bottom line can only see improvements with certified safety professionals on hand to minimize risk.