ADVANCING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PRACTICE

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

GOALS
Review Trends in Practice Review Factors Affecting Pay What Makes a Difference in a Career

TRENDS IN PRACTICE

TRENDS IN PRACTICE
Convergence of Safety, Health, Environment and Ergonomics
Generalist vs. specialist Source for this trend Safety professionals dont just do safety Specialized methods apply to general practice

TRENDS IN PRACTICE
Consulting
1980s: Less than 7% 1990s: Doubled to about 15% Recently: Slow continued growth

TRENDS IN PRACTICE
Reasons for Safety
Morality Compliance Cost Business value

Link Safety to Business

Bottom line Business metrics

TRENDS IN PRACTICE
Pushing Safety Deeper into an Organization
Old:
Safety professional directed, taught, led, cheered Safety department: Focus for safety

New:
Safety integral with business units, tied to metrics Safety a part of business culture Safety leaders: managers, supervisors, workers Safety Department: coordinator, special help

TRENDS IN PRACTICE
OLD: Work Execution
Identify & correct hazards Conduct training

NEW: Leadership
Train others to identify & correct hazards Training requirements, manage delivery, & assess effectiveness Coordinate, assist

Direct

TRENDS IN PRACTICE
Old: Bachelors degree or less
1980: 25% had less than a bachelors degree

New: Advanced degree is strong trend

2000
44% of CSPs had advanced degree < 6% have less than a bachelors degree

2004
50% or greater with advanced degrees

TRENDS IN PRACTICE
Quality in Credentials through Accreditation
Academic
Institutional accreditation Program accreditation

Certification
Growth in designations (240 in SHE&E in U.S.) Few meet certification accreditation (~ 15) (NCCA, CESB, ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024)

SALARIES & PAY FACTORS

SALARIES IN GENERAL
1998 1998 2000 2003 2004 ISHN ASSE BCSP NSC BCSP 609 977 4,800 478 106 $46,000 $68,056 $75,291 $64,665 $84,245

SALARIES IN GENERAL
90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 98 ISHN 98 ASSE 00 BCSP 03 NSC 04 BCSP

SALARY FACTORS
Leadership (supervising other professionals) Dual certification/licensure Longevity
Age, years in profession, years certified

Education
Degree level and degree field

SALARY FACTORS
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Leadership Longevity CSP CSP+ Educ-Level Educ-Field

WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN A CAREER?

CORE COMPETENCIES
The Core Competencies (Functions, tasks, knowledge & skills)
ASSE: Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position CSP Job Analysis Study
CSP Examination Guide: Examination Blueprint BCSP Technical Report 2001-1

Other studies

LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Technical path Leadership path
Theories and principles Techniques of leadership Creating a vision Guide, direct, mentor, coach Shared leadership Servant leadership

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Written Verbal Listening & understanding Foreign language

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY
The New Tool Box
Visual media Data capture and analysis Data management Data and information sharing/transfer Training and training management Leap ahead technologies

THINKING IN BUSINESS TERMS

Metrics
Global By organizational unit Leading vs trailing

Safety is not an add on

Convert to business jargon Convert to business metrics

VISIONING
Think With a Vision
Think Long Term (Where are you going?) Act Short Term (How to get there)

WEARING OTHERS SHOES

Understand others Flexible roles Changing work groups Involve others None of us alone is as smart as we are collectively

SUMMARY