Construction Health and Safety Technician
Quick Jumps: Benefits of CHST + Eligibility and Examinationn + CHST Review and Study Sources + CHST Retired Status
The Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) Certification Program
The Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) certification is designed for individuals who demonstrate competency and work part-time or full-time in health and safety activities devoted to the prevention of construction illnesses and injuries. The CHST certification meets national standards for certifications.
Candidates for the CHST certification are typically employed as safety and health specialists on construction job sites, serving in either full-time or part-time positions. Typical individuals are responsible for safety and health on one or more significant construction projects or job sites. They may work for an owner, general contractor, subcontractor, or firm involved in construction or construction safety.
The CHST program recognizes that many employers assign responsibility for construction safety and health functions to those with very important roles in protecting workers. Many construction safety professionals use the CHST as a stepping stone to greater roles in safety and health and, in some cases, to the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification.
To retain the CHST certification, individuals must:
- Pay an annual renewal fee
- Meet Recertification requirements
The CHST program is nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Benefits of CHST
Benefits of the CHST certification for construction health and safety practitioners include:
- Satisfaction from knowing you meet a standard of your professional peers;
- Self-esteem because you have respect of other health and safety professionals for your professionalism;
- Recognition from an employer or potential employers for health and safety qualifications;
- Potential recognition from an employer through increased job responsibility and/or pay;
- Improved ability to compete for construction health and safety positions; and
- An annual wallet card noting certification.
The CHST certification benefits employers because it:
- Is helpful when selecting a qualified construction health and safety professional;
- Is a means for improving safety and health in the workplace through competence and confidence;
- Improves the company image for worker protection;
- Increases worker and public confidence in the employer’s construction safety and health program; and
- Enhances company profitability and quality by reducing construction accidents, illnesses, and insurance claims.
There are several routes of entry into the CHST certification. The program accepts candidates who gained knowledge of safety and health through academic preparation coupled with job experience in construction. It also accepts those who developed expertise through construction job experience and job safety and health training.
Eligibility and Examination
Candidates must meet the following requirements to be eligible to take the CHST examination:
- Candidates must have a High School Diploma/or GED and
- If a candidate has no college experience, they need 3 years of construction experience where at least 35% of the work includes safety duties or
- If a candidate has an associate’s degree or higher*, they would need 2 years of construction experience with at least 35% of the work includes safety duties or
- If a candidate has any ABET accredited safety-related associate degree or higher* they would need 1 year of construction work where safety is at least 35% of the job duties.
* Degrees that may be substituted for experience are noted in BCSP's education standards.
Interim Designations
Candidates not yet meeting the experience requirement, may take the CHST examination. Upon passing the exam, candidates are awarded the Associate Construction Health and Safety Technician (ACHST). It is a temporary designation denoting progress toward the CHST certification.
ACHSTs may put "Associate Construction Health and Safety Technician" or "ACHST" after their name and they receive a wall certificate to display and a press release announcement. ACHSTs need not meet recertification requirements, but must pay an annual renewal fee (prorated the first year). Once all CHST experience qualifications are met, the ACHST is awarded the CHST certification.
BCSP will no longer award new ACHST designations after December 31, 2013.
CHST Review and Study Sources
Because candidates for BCSP examinations often ask where to locate review courses and study materials, BCSP maintains a list strictly as a courtesy. For a detailed list, click on the Review and Study Sources page. Additionally, BCSP has created a Library of Safety Practice containing the most up-to-date source material for every domain on the exams.
CHST Retired Status
This status means a person is no longer active as a health and safety practitioner on a part-time or full-time basis. It does not necessarily mean that someone is retired from active employment in general.
Retired Status will be discontinued on December 31, 2013. To return to Active Status, Retired Status holders can reinstate before that date or reapply.
PDF Library - Application Forms
CHST Application Checklist
CHST Candidate Handbook CHST Application Form CHST Experience Form CHST Reference Form CHST Experience Update FormPDF Library - Professional Development Assistance
Application Fee Waiver Brochure Department of Veterans Affairs Pays the Costs of a License or Certification TestPDF Library - Blueprints & Study Guides
CHST Exam Blueprint throughJune 30, 2013
CHST Exam Blueprint beginningJuly 1, 2013
CHST Blueprint References Examination ReferencePDF Library - Test Assistance
Self-Assessment Brochure and Examinations Order Form Computer-delivered Examinations through Pearson VUE Understanding and Interpreting Your Examination ScorePDF Library - Recertification
Recertification Guide PDF Library - Community
Certificate Replacement Order Form Retired Election Form BCSP Professional Advancement Mentor Form Literature/Tabletop Order Form BCSP Code of Ethics Criminal Conviction PolicyIf you would like to use BCSP certification logos, see our guidelines on BCSP Logo Use.
The Value of Safety
If you represent an organization that would like to use BCSP certification to foster an effective, efficient, and engaging safety culture in your work, please visit our Business Development page The Value of Safety.
