BCSP Renames SMS Credential to Safety Management Professional (SMP)

The Safety Management Specialist® (SMS®) certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) has a new name.

To more fully recognize the vast experience, wide-ranging expertise, and leadership capabilities of those who hold it, the certification will now be known as the Safety Management Professional (SMP). The new name also aligns better with the supervisory level of safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) job titles for which the certification should be recommended.

“Those who hold our SMS – now SMP – credential have distinguished themselves through their years of dedication to safety practice and the depth and breadth of their knowledge and skills,” said BCSP CEO Christy Uden, CAE, IOM. “They are leaders in safety practice, and this new name more accurately embodies their level of achievement.”

While the name is receiving an update, the certification’s accreditation remains intact and its requirements remain the same. Eligibility requirements include the need for 10 years of experience in occupational health or safety and passing the certification’s rigorous exam.

The experience requirement is among the highest of any SH&E certification accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB).¹

Through the exam, SMP candidates must demonstrate their knowledge in diverse domains, including management systems, risk management, SH&E concepts, incident investigation and emergency preparedness, and the business case for safety.

BCSP began offering the SMP in 2017, and more than 1,700 SH&E professionals currently hold the certification. It is one of 10 total credentials BCSP offers for safety professionals at various career stages and with varying responsibilities.

SMP credential holders are encouraged to download their new digital badge and wall certificate from their BCSP online profile and to update the credential name on their resumes, email signatures, social media profiles, business cards, etc.

1. “ISO/IEC 17024 Personnel Certification Bodies” ANAB, 3 Oct. 2024, https://anabpd.ansi.org/Accreditation/credentialing/personnel-certification/ALLdirectoryListing?menuID=2&prgID=201&statusID=4