Session No.

503

Advancing Your Professional Safety Practice

Roger L. Brauer, Ph.D., CSP, PE
Executive Director
Board of Certified Safety Professionals

Introduction
During this session, the objective is to review some trends in professional safety practice, review
some of the factors that impact pay for safety professionals, and to summarize factors that make a
difference in advancing in a professional safety career.

Trends in Professional Safety Practice

Professional safety practice is changing. Over the last decade, there are several trends that have
impacted professional safety practice. This section will review some of those trends.

Convergence of Safety, Health, Environment, and Ergonomics

One of the trends that has occurred during the last decade or more is the convergence of many
areas of specialization into a single field of practice. While specialization may continue to exist,
the majority of safety professionals must be sufficiently fluent in several specialized areas to be
able to perform basic functions and to know when to seek the specialists and where to find them.
With the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 and similar federal legislation
covering the environment and with the expansion of ergonomics, system safety and similar
specialties about that time, the general concept was that one should chose among safety, industrial
hygiene, environment, ergonomics, and other specialties within those broad areas of practice or
there were specialties within safety. The concept was more of a stovepipe one in which safety was
separate from all of the others. In fact, definitions of practice at the time often characterized the
differences. For example, industrial hygienists tended to define safety as dealing with traumatic
injury and illness, while industrial hygiene dealt with chronic and repeated exposures.
Environmental professionals and ergonomists were generally separate from both safety and
industrial hygiene.
Much of the convergence has been driven by business practice. With the move toward doing more
with fewer people, companies combined safety, health, environmental and often included
ergonomics in the same department. In a larger company with specialists in all of these areas, the
persons in lead positions are likely to have a background in several areas based on education and
work experience. For the small employer that is likely to have only one position for all of the

areas, the goal is to fill the position with as much breadth in the person filling the position as
possible. One of the results today is that academic programs are seeking to include courses in other
areas of specialization for a program named for one of the traditional specialties.
Recent data compiled by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) illustrates the change.
When those holding the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation were asked to characterize
their professional responsibilities in their current position, only 13% of respondents stated that they
worked in safety only. About 40% had responsibility for safety and health and another 40% had
responsibility for safety, health and environment. In addition, the majority of CSPs identified
ergonomics as a part of their professional practice.
In a similar manner, even methods of specialized areas of practice, such as system safety, are now a
standard part of the academic programs preparing student for entry into the safety profession.
System safety methods are identified within OSHA standards, especially the process safety
standard. As a result, these methods, at least at a basic level, are integrated into general safety
practice. One could cite other areas, such as risk analysis, loss control, etc. as essential elements of
practice compared to a few decades ago.
Other studies of the roles that safety professionals play recently conducted by BCSP also illustrate
this convergence. The current method for defining the content of a certification examination
requires an analysis of what practitioners do and the knowledge and skills needed to be able to
perform the functions and tasks of practice. The analysis is used to define the examination
blueprint for the certification. In the current examination blueprint for the examinations leading to
the CSP designation, the three main functions all include safety, health and environment as part
of the descriptive statements. Panelists agreed that the practice of the safety professional today
does include more than what was traditionally characterized as belonging to safety only.

Consulting
For a while, there was a rapid increase in the number of safety professionals engaged in consulting
services. During the 1980s, less than 7% of all CSPs were engaged in consulting. During the
1990s, partly as the result of downsizing by corporate America, a number of CSPs were forced into
consulting businesses. The portion of CSPs engaged in consulting services, either on their own or
for a firm, grew to about 15% by 2000. There are no solid studies to show whether that has
changed significantly in the last few years.

Business Impacts and Bottom Line Metrics

Another trend in professional safety practice is being able to tie results of safety programs to a
companys bottom line. Concepts, such as total quality management, six sigma and continuous
improvement provide means for linking safety results to shortened cycle times, reduced error rates
and increased productivity. In addition, many companies use concepts such as being a good
neighbor and corporate image as a means for attracting and retaining customers. The importance
of safety and protecting the environment are part of a companys image.

The three reasons for safety are still valid: compliance with the law, concern for people, property
and the environment (morality), and cost. Many companies have elevated safety and its related
fields beyond compliance and toward the overall performance of the company for its stockholders,
customers, and stakeholders.
The successful safety professional today must understand the metrics of business and how to
convert results of safety programs into such metrics. Safety cannot be an add-on function, but must
be an integral part of the company culture in order to be effective today. We can no longer teach
executives a separate vocabulary for safety, but must convert safety to executive language.

Pushing SHE Deeper Into the Organization

Another trend involves moving safety deeper into the organizational structure and making it a part
of a companys culture. In the past, when there was a safety problem, it was turned over to the
safety professional to be solved. Many safety professionals were also cheerleaders, encouraging
managers and employees to be safe.
Over the years, there has been an emphasis on hazard recognition and reduction through
engineering and administrative methods. There has been an emphasis on monitoring behavior and
encouraging improved and safer methods for work. While these and other approaches were able to
reduce injury measures significantly, it often appeared that there was a limit to their effectiveness.
Successful companies today are increasing the knowledge and understanding about hazards, hazard
recognition, safety control options, and immediate solutions to safety problems by engaging
managers, supervisors and even workers. This is accomplished through training that covers how to
recognize and understand hazards, what can be done to reduce or eliminate them, what approaches
should be used in planning and organizing work to prevent dangerous situations, and empowering
workers and work leaders to solve the safety issues before they lead to injuries, death and other
losses. The result is moving safety to a new level of performance and contributing to the
companys bottom line through productivity enhancements.

Leadership vs. Work Execution

In the past, a typical role for a safety professional was planning and organizing safety programs,
focusing on hazard recognition, evaluation and control and advising management. While those
responsibilities have not disappeared, the role for the safety professional has. In the past, much of
the responsibility of the safety professional involved execution of activities related to safety. The
shift is toward leading, managing and coordinating that work and preparing others to handle the
execution.
Consider one area of responsibility, that related to training. It has been estimated that OSHA
standards specify to employers over 50 training requirements for employees. In addition, the
OSHAct requires employers to inform each employee about hazards related to their work, a broad

training requirement. In the past, the safety professional developed much of the training materials
and conducted many of the training courses. Today, much of the training content is available
commercially in many different formats, such as print, video, CD-ROM, Internet, etc. When live
training is conducted, it is likely to be assigned to people at a technician or technologist level or
outsourced. The role of the safety professional has been elevated to compiling training
requirements, selecting appropriate materials, managing training delivery, defining training plans
and budgets, ensuring training completion and evaluating training effectiveness.
The safety professional today has a much greater leadership role. Execution is less a part of
practice today than it was in the past.

Increasing Educational Standards

The educational background for safety professionals has changed tremendously. In 1980, about
25% of all members of ASSE had less than a bachelors degree. By 1990, there was a significant
reduction in the portion of ASSE members with a bachelors degree. Concurrently, there was no
increase in the portion with bachelors degrees. The shift was to advanced degrees. In one sense,
the entire safety profession grew during that decade by one academic month per year, a
phenomenal increase in educational level for the profession.
The increase in educational level continues. In 2000, a BCSP study identified that 44% of all CSPs
had advanced degrees. A recent study indicates that the percentage with advanced degrees is now
about 50%. ASSE membership data show a similar rate of increase in advanced degrees among
those in the safety profession.

Quality in Credentials
In 1969, ASSE established BCSP as a separate corporation responsible for certification for the
safety profession. The American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) was formed a number of
years earlier to provide certification for industrial hygienists. Certifications emerged for
environment and ergonomics, as well. Today, there are about 240 designations in the U.S. in the
broad field of safety, health, environment and ergonomics.
A dilemma for safety professionals who use certification to distinguish themselves in the job
market, for employers who may rely on certification to assist in evaluating candidates for positions
or in encouraging continued professional development, and for government organizations that may
want to ensure competence in contracted work is having some assurance that a certification means
something.
Similar to accreditation for academic programs, accreditation for certifications has emerged as a
third party, independent evaluation for certification programs. The accreditation process provides
stakeholders assurance that a certification program is a quality program and does ensure
competence in core knowledge and skills of practice.

Accreditation organizations with standards for certification of persons and processes for evaluating
certifications for compliance include the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA),
the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB), and the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI). NCCA began in the 1970s through a grant from the U.S. Department
of Education. It has led the standard setting process for certifications in the U.S. CESB emerged
in the 1980s from a national symposium on credentialing in engineering and related fields outside
of state licensing of engineering practice. ANSI is the U.S. standards organization responsible for
implementation of a relatively new international standard on certification of persons, ISO/IEC
17024. The U.S. was the first country to implement accreditation of certifications under this
standard and 84 countries have now signed on to the standard.
Of the 240 or so credentials in the U.S. in the broad field of safety, health, environment and
ergonomics, there are about 15 that currently hold some form of accreditation under these
standards. Accreditation now provides certification buyers and users a basis for confidently relying
on a certification program.

Salary Information and Impacts

There are many factors that affect someones pay. The goal of this section is to establish some
basic pay information and to explore what role some factors have on pay.

Overall Salary Increase

Recent salary surveys identify what safety and health professionals earn. A readership survey
conducted by the Industrial Safety and Hygiene News in 1998 showed that the average pay for
readers was $46,000. A report on a survey of its members by ASSE in 1998 indicated that the
average pay was $57,675. In 2000, a study by BCSP of individuals holding the CSP designation
showed the average pay at $75,291. A readership survey in November 2003 by Safety + Health
listed pay information that averaged $64,665 for respondents. A pilot study conducted by BCSP in
February 2004 indicated an average pay for CSPs of $84,245.
Table 1 is a summary of these data adjusted to 2004 using an annual inflation factor of 3% as an
estimate. Based on the two BCSP studies, the average annual pay increase for the last four years
has been right at 3% annually.
Table 1. Summary of Recent Salary Reports for Safety Personnel with Annualized Adjustments
Year of
Data
1998
1998
2000
2003
2004

Number in
Reported
Source
Study
Average Pay
ISHN
609
$46,000
ASSE
977
$57,675
BCSP
4800
$75,291
NSC (S+H)
478
$64,665
BCSP
106
$84,245

Adjusted Pay in 2004

(3% Annual)
$54,280
$68,056
$84,326
$65,958
$84,245

There are a number of additional details in these and other studies that illustrate pay for safety
professionals. The purpose here is to establish a general range based on published data.

Impacts on Pay
There are many factors that affect ones pay. Known to most everyone are longevity and
experience (indicated by age and time in a profession), level of education, certifications or licenses
held, leadership and responsibility (measured by the number supervised and the position title), etc.
Because a large group responded, one can break down information in the 2000 BCSP study to gain
some insight into the relative value that some of these factors may have on pay. The pay range
(from lowest to highest) within each factor provides one index for judging the value of a particular
factor. For example, if one factor had a pay range from lowest to highest of $10,000 representing
the lowest level to the highest level for the factor and another had a pay range of $40,000 over its
range of values, one could conclude that the second factor had a greater impact on pay than did the
first factor.
A longevity factor, the BCSP study asked how long someone had been in the safety profession.
The range extended from 1-5 years to 35-40 years. The pay range for this factor was $25,000.
Another longevity factor in the study was how long someone had held the CSP designation. The
range extended from less than one year to 20-25 years. For this longevity factor the pay range was
$20,000.
The study also assessed education. One factor was degree level. The range ran from no degree to
associate, bachelors, masters and doctorate/professional degree. This range of education had a
pay range of $18,000. Another factor was the field in which a degree was earned, such as
engineering, business, safety and health, science, etc. For educational fields, the pay range was
$7,000.
Another group of factors might be organized under a concept of leadership. One factor in this
group was job title, which infers to some extent the level of leadership. Titles ranged from general
professional, to manager/supervisor, and to executive. This factor had a pay range of about
$20,000 from the lowest position of leadership to the highest. Another, more precise measure of
leadership was the number of other professionals supervised. About half of all CSPs did not
supervise another professional (none supervised). The number supervised continued from 1-5 to
more than 100. The pay range for number supervised was $40,000.
There are also some indicators regarding the value of the CSP designation itself. Based on the
ISHN survey of 1998, the pay for those holding the CSP designation was about $16,000 per year
greater than for those with no certification. Within the 2000 BCSP study, the pay for those holding
the CSP was compared to those holding the Associate Safety Professional (ASP), the latter
indicating someone closer to entry into the profession. The average pay difference between the
ASP and CSP was $17,500. The ASSE study of 1998 reported that those holding certification
earned about $10,000 per year more than did those who did not hold certification. In addition, the

ASSE study of 1998 in comparison to an earlier ASSE salary survey showed that the rate of pay
increase for those holding certification was slightly greater than for those without certification.
With the convergence of safety, health, environment and ergonomics, more and more safety
professionals are achieving dual certification and licensing. In the study of CSPs in 2000, some
also held the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Professional Engineer (PE), or other credentials.
The pay range for certification and licenses was $32,000. Some combinations had average pay
below the CSP designation alone. For those holding both the CSP and CIH designations, the
average pay was nearly $7,000 greater than the CSP alone. For those holding both the CSP
designation and a PE license, the average pay was over $9,000 greater than that for the average
CSP. Since the CSP already adds about $15,000 per year over no certification, holding dual
certification or licensure could add nearly $25,000 more to pay compared to having no professional
credentials, the difference depending on which certifications or licenses were held.
Table 2 summarizes the pay range for the various factors noted above. The range suggests the
relative value that each factor may have on pay.
Table 2. Summary of Pay Ranges by Factor
General/Specific Factor
Leadership
Number Supervised
Certification
Dual Certification/Licensure
Longevity
Years in the Profession
Years CSP Designation Held
Education
Level of Degree
Degree Field

Pay Range
$40,000
$32,000
$25,000
$20,000
$18,000
$ 7,000

What Makes a Difference in a Career

When people enter a career field, they expect to progress through increasingly complex
assignments and roles with expanding responsibility, knowledge and skills. The goal of this
section is to explore some factors that are likely to make a difference in the opportunities one has to
advance in professional safety practice.

Core Competencies, Knowledge and Skills

To get started and become effective in basic tasks and functions of the safety profession, one must
acquire appropriate knowledge and skills for basic professional safety practice. Knowledge and
skills in key functions and tasks of practice comprise the core competencies of the safety

profession. Not everyone performs every task and function in a current position. However, the
safety professional should be able to perform the core competencies in various job settings found in
different industries.
What are the tasks and functions that safety professionals perform and where can one find a list of
the knowledge and skills applicable to the tasks and functions? One publication that is a resource
is the ASSE publication called Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position. It
provides an outline of the tasks and functions and summarizes the basic knowledge and skills for
someone who is a safety professional.
Practice in any field continues to change over time. BCSP is required by accreditation standards to
conduct studies periodically to define what people do in professional safety practice. The
information forms the outline for the examinations leading to the CSP designation. The outline is
called the examination blueprint. The studies ensure that the examinations cover what people
actually do in practice. The outline is also a valuable tool for others in defining what knowledge
and skills are needed and deciding on personal development plans. It can also be used to define
what academic programs preparing people for the safety profession should cover in terms of
knowledge and skill development.
The most recent BCSP study involved about 1,500 people in professional safety practice and is the
most comprehensive study of the safety profession in many years. The resulting outline of
functions and tasks and associated knowledge and skills appears in the CSP Examination Guide as
the examination blueprint for the Safety Fundamentals and Comprehensive Practice examinations.
The full report is BCSP Technical Report 2001-1.
These publications provide a framework by which safety professionals can check their mastery of
core competencies for professional safety practice. They are the starting point for a successful
career in safety.

Leadership Skills
Being able to lead others in a profession and to influence other leaders of a company or
organization is essential to advancing in a career. Those with the greatest pay are in leadership
positions.
Often during a career, one must choose a technical path or a leadership path. In a technical path,
one can continue to grow in expertise in the field of specialization. Others in the profession may
rely on the advanced knowledge and skills of the technical specialist. As a technical specialist, one
may be able to command higher pay and greater technical responsibility.
In a leadership path, one may be able to lead others in the same career field. As leadership
responsibility grows, a leader may be asked to influence other leaders representing other fields or
an entire organizational unit within a company. Being able to lead across disciplines or areas of
responsibility requires that one advance in other than the technical area alone. One must develop
knowledge and skills in understanding business issues and the core business of an organization.

One must be able to be a visionary and project where things can go, but help others move from
where things are.
Leadership often involves not simply what one needs to do, but devising how things are to be done.
Leadership involves understanding and influencing processes and methods to ensure effectiveness
of others.

Communication Skills
The ability to lead others and to be effective in representing ones core technical area as well as
representing broader areas of responsibility is founded on the ability to communicate effectively.
Clearly, every opportunity to organize and present written, graphical and spoken information helps
develop communication skills. Whether the opportunities appear in an academic setting, in a job
setting or in voluntary roles, they all help one improve communication skills. Being able to
organize information for a presentation and make the presentation is critical to success. Being able
to plan and organize newsletters, booklets, promotional materials, or other written materials is
essential.
In addition, there is a need to understand and to learn how to use communication media effectively.
Today, the ability to develop written material is also a critical skill for success. Knowing what
looks good in print and the differences between those who learn and understand through written,
spoken or graphical media is essential.

Leveraging Technology
There are few in practice today who did not grow up in the age of television. The younger portion
of any professional group today has grown up in the age of computers, as well. All have grown up
in an age in which the telephone has been an everyday technology. However, only recently has the
telephone shifted from a place-oriented technology to a person-oriented technology. Associated
with these technologies are a wide range of other technologies for collecting, organizing,
researching, transferring and communicating information with or without paper.
These technologies have changed the tool box for everyone. It is a challenge to keep up with the
changes that expand and integrate these technologies. They have replaced the typing pool. They
have created the ability to store all of the writings of one person for an entire life on one small
storage device. They have provided the ability to collect business and scientific information
remotely with little human effort. They provide the ability to analyze information and form
associations among data elements that were not possible previously. They allow one to manage
and communicate information without the multiple layers of organizational structure that
companies used only a decade ago. They continue to impact and replace many of the activities of
the past and cause reorganization of work.
The professional who does not stay abreast of technological change is likely to become obsolete,

not from a lack of knowledge and skills in core competencies of a professional field of practice, but
because of the inability to fluently use the new tool box for effective practice. The professional
who adjusts with the changing tools, is able to continue being a valuable contributor.
Just like all other professions, technology changes and a changing tool box impacts professional
safety practice.

Thinking In Business Terms

Because there is a continuing shift from a moralistic foundation for safety to a business foundation,
it is essential that safety professionals expand their knowledge and skills to encompass those of the
business community. Being able to assess the impact of safety in business terms and knowing how
managers and leaders in a company and their business units are measured is critical. One can no
longer be effective in communicating the value of safety unless there is a clear understanding of the
metrics used in a business unit or for evaluating the performance of managers.
Two approaches are essential in working within the business community. The first is being able to
convert safety performance into business jargon and metrics. The second is being able to find ways
to integrate safety into the culture of an organization. One without the other is ineffective.

Thinking Long Term and Acting Short Term

Closely associated with leadership is being able to change the way one thinks. As we come
through school, we are led to believe that execution of work and timeliness are the keys. We get an
assignment and a due date and are expected to complete the assignment and await an evaluation of
what we did. We focus heavily on what we do and the immediate results of each effort. We think
that we are effective when we move forward incrementally to accomplish detailed objectives and
slowly move forward.
To be effective, one must learn to think with a vision. Thinking with a vision is different from
incrementally moving from where we are to establishing the target of where we can be and
identifying the routes for getting there and the roles that participants need to take. Thinking with a
vision involves reminding ourselves and others of what can be and what needs to be done to get
there, not simply identifying one more step from where we are at. Thinking with a vision creates
the opportunity to leap ahead, rather than crawl ahead. It allows one to influence change.
At the same time, the visionary person must be able to accept the reality of time, cost, people
resources the maturity of technology, and the culture for change and acceptance of change in an
organization as limiting the ability to achieve a vision and the rate at which it can actually be
achieved. One must be able to identify the barriers that limit achieving the target and finding ways
to continuing moving forward while attempting to remove the barriers.
In summary, a key to success is learning how to think with a vision and communicate that vision,
but act realistically in moving from where one is at currently and helping others deal with the

changes that provide the path forward.

Wearing Others Shoes

No one works by themselves. A key to success is being able to work with others. Today, it
requires one to change roles all the time. In one situation, one may be the leader. In another
situation, one is simply a contributor. The work groups of today are likely to be constantly
changing teams that form to deal with a problem or project and disband just as quickly to
reorganize around other matters.
No matter what role one plays at any time, it is critical to understand other people, the role that they
play, and the job or personal constraints that impact their role and performance. It requires being
able to wear other peoples shoes. It requires flexibility and understanding and adjusting to varying
situations and personalities. Wearing other peoples shoes may involve helping them understand
your field of competency. It may involve taking time to learn and understand their perspective. It
may involve having an appreciation for the fact that different people see and approach tasks
different ways. It requires being able to gain the confidence and cooperation of others or making
personal adjustments in different job roles.
Wearing other peoples shoes involves a constant focus on the fact that none of us alone is as smart
or effective as we are collectively.

Summary
There are many things that lead to success in a career.
In the safety field, a key is having the knowledge and skills in the core competencies that define
professional safety practice. It is realizing that professional safety practice has expanded to include
many aspects of safety, health, environment and ergonomics and various methodologies, practices
and principles for each area.
Advancing in the safety profession is keeping up with the increase in the general qualifications
represented by increasing education expectations and achieving quality credentials. It is
recognizing that professional qualification necessary to compete in the job market have gone up
significantly in this profession.
Advancing in the profession requires developing a range of skills as a leader, in understanding and
applying technology, in dealing with organizations and people. These new skills are essential in
being able to work in the dynamic and flexible work structures that are commonplace today.

Bibliography
1997 EHS Salary Survey: What youre worth and how to pump up your pay, Industrial Safety
and Hygiene News, August 1997: 20-21.

1998 ASSE Membership Compensation Survey - A Summary Report, Professional Safety,

March 1998: 45-47.
2003 Salary Survey: Safety managers see a stable future, Safety + Health, November 2003: 2833.
American National Standards Institute, General requirements for bodies operating certification
schemes for persons, ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024, 1819 L Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC
20036, 2003.
Board of Certified Safety Professionals, CSP Examination Guide, 208 Burwash Avenue, Savoy, IL
61874 (www.bcsp.org).
Board of Certified Safety Professionals, Job Analysis Study for Certified Safety Professional
Examinations, Technical Report 2001-1, 208 Burwash Avenue, Savoy, IL 61874, February 2001.

CAREER SELF EVALUATION

My Overall Career Goals
Short Term:
Long Term:

Where I Am

Where I Need to Go

Core Competencies (See Footnote A)

Rating of My Knowledge and Skills
Safety: Low Medium
High
Health: Low Medium
High
Envir: Low Medium
High
Ergon: Low Medium
High

Rating of Where I Want to Improve

Safety: Low Medium
High
Health: Low Medium
High
Envir: Low Medium
High
Ergon: Low Medium
High

Education
Associate Degree
Have
Bachelors Degree
Have
Masters Degree
Have
Doctorate/Professional Degree
Have

Goal & Field of study

Goal & Field of study
Goal & Field of study
Goal & Field of study

Quality Certifications
OHST/CHST
CSP
CIH, CAIH
QEP, CHMM
Other:
____________

Have
Have
Have
Have
Have Accredited

OHST/CHST
CSP
CIH, CAIH
QEP, CHMM
Other:
____________

Plan to Pursue
Plan to Pursue
Plan to Pursue
Plan to Pursue
Plan to Pursue Accredited

Leadership
Leadership Training
Had
Leadership Roles I Experienced
At work
As a volunteer

Leadership Training
Need
Leadership Roles I Am Pursuing:
At work
As a volunteer

Communications
Rating:
Written Poor Medium
Spoken Poor Medium
Present Poor Medium

Strong
Strong
Strong

Needs:
Written Low Medium
Spoken Low Medium
Present Low Medium
How to achieve:

High
High
High

Technology
Data Collection & Management
Communication Systems
Process Management
Internet
Networks
Other Technologies

Know
Know
Know
Know
Know
Know

Data Collection & Mgmt

Communication Systems
Process Mgmt
Internet
Networks
Other Technologies

Need to learn
Need to learn
Need to learn
Need to learn
Need to learn
Need to learn

Business Knowledge & Thinking

Business Theories
Know
Business Metrics
Know
Financial Statements
Know
Planning
Know
Know
Bud14eting
Organizing
Know
Other Business Skills
Know

Business Theories
Need to learn
Business Metrics
Need to learn
Financial Statements
Need to learn
Planning
Need to learn
Budgeting
Need to learn
Organizing
Need to learn
Other Business Skills
Need to learn

Visioning
I can set direction
Yes
I can convey a vision
I stay focused on goals
I can create a strategic plan

No
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
No
No

I can set direction Need Improvement

I can convey a vision
Need Improvement
I stay focused on goals
Need Improvement
I can create a strategic plan Need Improvement

I am good at working with others Yes

I am comfortable in different roles Yes

No
No

Working with others

Can change roles

Adjusting to Varied Roles

Need to improve
Need to improve

Personal Development Plan

2004:
2005-6:
2007-8:
2009-10:

A. Note: For a comprehensive listing of job responsibilities and applicable knowledge and skills for
professional safety practice, refer to the Examination Blueprints found in the CSP Examination Guide. It can
be downloaded from the BCSP web site: www.bcsp.org.