Certifications: How They Make EHS Pros More Effective
05/13/2020 by YellowBird
The amount of time and effort poured into getting certifications is something to be proud of! Here we’ll dive into a couple different certifications and why they are important to YellowBird and the EHS Community.
ASP/CSP
The bread and butter of the safety world, the Associate Safety Professional and Certified Safety Professional are the first steps into certifications. Both tests are five hours and 200 questions covering a large range of questions. These certifications let potential employers have faith in your knowledge and ability to complete safety related tasks.
Deeper into CSP, there are different specializations you can certify in such as a CHST for Construction or CIT (Certified Instructional Trainer). But I already have my CSP, why do I need more? If you’ve been on LinkedIn, you know safety professionals love their acronyms and the more the better! If you have your eye on a certain industry, these specific certifications help you further your career in dedicated spaces such as construction or training.
Industrial Hygienist vs Certified Industrial Hygienist
Industrial Hygiene is top of mind especially in the world of COVID-19. So what does the certification give you that being a regular IH doesn’t? Being a subject matter expert is regarded with high expectations, even more so as a CIH. With 16 different subject areas to certify in, it’s a lot of knowledge to retain but also gives you a leg up to help your potential clients. If you go to a job site for one function, for example noise levels but while you’re there, you also notice some of the ergonomics could use some adjustments, you can increase your value by being a one stop shop for all things industrial hygiene. This certification is highly valued especially in today’s climate.
One last thing to keep in mind, when spending so much time, effort and money on these certifications, don’t let them expire! An easy way to remember to renew any certification is to create a calendar event for a month before it is set to expire so you have plenty of time to renew with any lapse in time.
We know EHS Pros love their acronyms, we’d love to hear about your favorite certification in the comments! Sign up as a YellowBird Pro today.
