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The registered safety professional system in the United States

2016-06-21View Original

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1. Overview: Professionals are generally familiar with the Society of Safety Engineers in the United States, which has a history of over 90 years, but they may not be aware that the title of \"safety engineer\" does not actually exist in the U.S. The Society of Safety Engineers is essentially a membership-based society for professionals in occupational safety, with functions similar to those of ordinary professional societies. In the United States, a “safety engineer” is actually referred to as a certified safety professional. Registered safety professionals are not only experts in safety engineering; they also possess deep expertise in areas such as corporate safety management and loss control in insurance companies. This is perhaps why the title \"safety professional\" is used rather than \"safety engineer\". The registration of safety professionals in the United States began in 1969. Based on the findings of a study conducted by the American Society of Safety Engineers at that time regarding the assessment of professional qualifications and the recognition needs of specialists in the field of occupational safety, a non-profit certification body for safety professionals was established in Illinois. Since then, the organization has continued to function as the authority responsible for organizing exams, issuing certificates, and managing registrations for safety professionals to this day. The agency also accepts applications from foreigners. The certification of registered safety professionals is handled by the registration authorities, which assess the applicants’ educational background, professional experience, and professional examinations in order to evaluate their capabilities and skills comprehensively. Those who meet the requirements are issued with certification certificates and registered. Safety engineers recognized by registered agencies are widely acknowledged in the industry. According to data from 2000, there were over 16,000 safety professionals registered with that agency ; The average annual salary of registered safety professionals is around $75,000, which is $10,000 to $20,000 higher than the average salary of industry professionals without such registration. In practical work experience, over 50% of certified safety professionals hold mid-to-senior level professional leadership positions ; Each registered safety professional oversees the work of an average of 13 safety professionals. In terms of talent recruitment, 50% of job advertisements for professionals require or seek candidates with a qualification as a certified safety professional. 2. The system for recognizing and registering safety professionals is similar to the systems used in many industries in the United States for evaluating and managing the qualifications of professionals; the recognition and registration of safety professionals are not under **’s direct control, nor do these agencies have any direct connection with **. It is essentially a matter handled by private organizations or academic institutions. The institution received accreditation from the Council of Professional Committees in Engineering and Science, as well as from an **accrediting body (a non-** body), in 1993 and 1994 respectively. These two agencies reevaluate the organizations that grant accreditation to safety professionals every 5 years. When safety professionals approve registered institutions for reviewing academic qualifications, they also rely on the records kept by non-**institutional higher education accreditation bodies and engineering technology accreditation bodies to evaluate the applicant’s university of graduation as well as the curriculum of their major. The board responsible for recognizing and registering safety professionals is jointly headed by a committee of 14 executives, who represent the general public, the organizations that assist in this recognition process (such as the American Society of Safety Engineers, the American Safety Council, the Society for Safety Management, etc.), and the registered safety professionals themselves. Safety professionals acknowledge that the registration agencies have introduced the registered safety professional program in response to market needs, and have employed various market-based strategies to ensure that this program gains widespread acceptance and recognition in the market. 3. Educational requirements for safety officers: Over the years, the educational standards set by recognized registration bodies for safety officers have not remained constant; rather, they have been slightly adjusted based on the overall level of formal education attained by professionals in this field. Among those who currently hold the qualification of certified safety professionals, 50% have a bachelor’s degree, 40% have a postgraduate degree, and 7% only have an incomplete degree (obtained after attending university for two years). This represents a significant improvement compared to previous educational levels. But basically, the accrediting bodies recognize a Bachelor’s degree in safety and health standards with 48 standard model credit points (with a meaning different from university credits) – equivalent to a degree obtained after 4 years of full-time study at a university – as the minimum educational requirement for seeking registration as a safety professional. Meeting the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in safety and health professional standards is just one of three ways to achieve this; there are two other paths as well. First, obtain an associate degree in safety and health, and then gain two years of work experience in the field of safety ; Second, obtain a bachelor’s degree in another field first, and then gain two years of work experience in the safety field. Of course, the above-mentioned academic certificates must be issued by a university recognized by the Higher Education Accreditation Council, after completion of a curriculum approved by the Engineering and Technology Accreditation Board. Otherwise, various remedial course plans must also be completed. 4. Procedures for the certification exam for safety officers: The procedures for this certification exam have undergone some changes since the establishment of the organizations responsible for recognizing and registering safety officers in 1969. In the first year after its establishment, the agency recognized, without requiring exams, a group of individuals as registered safety professionals based on proof of their professional competence: those with a bachelor’s degree or higher and over 10 years of experience in safety-related fields, or those without a formal education degree but with over 18 years of experience in such fields. The first-level examination system was introduced in 1972, and the second-level examination system was adopted in 1978 to certify registered safety professionals. The examination scheme below is the one that has been in effect since 1997. Applicants who meet the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in the Safety and Health Professional Standards model can proceed with the certification examination process for Certified Safety Professionals. Before obtaining the certificate, one must pass two exams: the Basic Safety Professional Exam and the Comprehensive Safety Practice Exam. Since 1998, it has been stipulated that to work in certain specialized fields after obtaining the certificate, one must also pass the relevant professional examinations. Once applicants meet the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in the safety and health professional standard curriculum, they can apply to take the basic safety professional exam; upon passing it, they will receive an assistant safety officer certificate. An assistant safety officer is not a recognized professional qualification, but it does signify that the applicant has reached a very important stage on the path to becoming a certified safety officer. The content of the basic safety professional examination covers six areas: basic sciences and their applications, project management and evaluation, fire protection, design of safety facilities and safety equipment, environment, and system safety and product safety. Among these, basic sciences and their applications account for 35%, while each of the other five areas accounts for 13%. Applicants who meet the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in the safety and health professional standards program, and who also have 4 years of work experience along with having passed the basic safety examination, can apply to take the comprehensive safety practice examination. By passing the comprehensive safety practice exam, one can obtain a certificate and qualify as a registered safety professional. After obtaining the qualification as a registered safety engineer, new professional examinations were introduced in 1998, different from those that had been in use prior to 1997. The new professional examination is one that applicants take after obtaining their certification, in order to gain greater recognition in a specific area of safety ; This new professional examination currently offers three specializations: building safety, safety ergonomics, and system safety, with additional specializations under consideration. It can be obtained by passing one or several new professional exams, and a maximum of 15 points can be earned as performance points to maintain eligibility as a registered safety professional (explained in detail later); however, it does not confer any title or designation higher than that of a registered safety professional. 5. Management of safety engineers: After obtaining a certificate and gaining registration status, registered safety engineers must also fulfill many obligations and responsibilities, including paying annual fees. The most important of these responsibilities is that, to maintain their status as registered safety professionals, they must accumulate 25 credit points across 10 different professional activities within a period of 5 years. A performance score report must be submitted for review before the end of the fifth year since qualification was obtained ; If the review is not passed, the qualification as a registered safety specialist will be lost. After losing registration status, one can reapply to take the comprehensive safety practice exam within the next 5 years; if passed, the registration status will be restored, otherwise it will be lost permanently. Therefore, registered safety engineers must keep records of their daily professional performance. If it is necessary to temporarily leave safety professional practice due to work arrangements, personal reasons, military service requirements, etc., an application can be made to the authorized registration body for safety professionals, and the \"qualification leave\" system can be applied for; during this period, one is not required to fulfill the responsibilities and obligations of a registered safety professional, and of course, cannot use the title of registered safety professional either. If a registered safety professional is no longer needed or is unable to meet the requirements of the registering authority, they can apply for the termination of their qualification. 6. Other registration qualifications in the field of safety: In addition to the Certified Safety Professionals mentioned in this text, the United States also has Certified Occupational Safety and Health Technicians and Construction Safety Technicians. These certifications are established and administered by a joint committee composed of the agencies that certify safety professionals and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. It is relatively easy to obtain the qualification for these \"instructors\"; no educational background is required. Although their prestige and recognition cannot compare to that of certified safety professionals, they are still accepted and used in the field of occupational safety and health in the United States.

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