CCHEST Certifications

In addition to the Certified Safety Professional certification, BCSP administers certifications in safety and health for people working in technician and technologist positions. Some examples of occupational health and safety activities are making work site assessments to determine risks, potential hazards and controls, evaluating risks and hazard control measures, investigating incidents, maintaining and evaluating incident and loss records, and preparing emergency response plans.

BCSP operates these certifications through their Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists, or CCHEST division. CCHEST, formerly the ABIH/BCSP Joint Committee, was started in 1985 and has operated the Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST) program for over twenty years. In 1992, the Construction Divisions of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the National Safety Council (NSC) sought a similar credential for construction safety positions and for first-line supervisors in construction. From this initiative, the Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) program was started in 1994 and the Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) program in 1995.  In 2007, CCHEST began offering an experience-based certification for loss control practitioners, the Certified Loss Control Specialist (CLCS). CCHEST became a division of BCSP at the end of 2008.

These certification programs offer recognition among safety and health practitioners, demonstrate competence to employers and others, increase employee confidence in occupational health and safety programs, help improve company profitability through reduced incidents and losses, and enhance the company image. The CCHEST certifications are viewed by many in safety practice as a stepping stone toward career advancement along the path toward attaining the CSP credential.

If you want more information about these programs, contact CCHEST Customer Service or visit the CCHEST website.

The Safety Trained Supervisor

The STS certification provides a means for employers to verify first-line supervisors and managers of safety and health knowledge. The program requires applicants to meet minimum education and experience requirements and demonstrate knowledge of basic safety and health standards and practices. The examination contains 100 multiple choice questions, is two hours long, and covers the breadth of safety and health functions supervisors must know. It is available every business day throughout the U.S. and Canada..

CCHEST has operated the STS program since 1995, beginning with the STS-Construction examination. CCHEST has expanded the STS certification with the STS-General Industry and STS-Petrochemical examinations. In May 2002, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health signed an agreement recognizing the Safety Trained Supervisor in Construction.

The STS is specified (or required) in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) construction and service contracts.

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