According to the BCSP, a safety professional is one who applies the expertise gained from a study of safety science, principles, practices, and other subjects and from professional safety experience to create or develop procedures, processes, standards, specifications, and systems to achieve optimal control or reduction of the hazards and exposures that may harm people, property, or the environment. A Certified Safety Professional (CSP) is a safety professional that has met and continues to meet all requirements established by BCSP and is authorized by BCSP to use the Certified Safety Professional title and the CSP credential.

There are two examinations leading to the CSP credential, which are the Safety Fundamentals exam and the Comprehensive Practice exam. They both consist of 200 multiple-choice items with four possible answers, with only one correct answer on each question. Candidates will have five hours to complete the Safety Fundamentals examination and five and one-half hours to complete the Comprehensive Practice examination. Exams are delivered via computer-based testing, with results immediately available right after answers submission.

The BCSP has defined a comprehensive BOK with the same domains, responsibilities, knowledge, and skills applied to both exams. They differ somewhat in the portion of items applicable to each domain. Also, the Safety Fundamentals examination aims at measuring basic knowledge while the Comprehensive Practice examination aims at testing the application of experience gained through professional safety practice.

The new exam blueprint has the following topics:

• Recognizing Safety, Health, and Environmental Hazards
• Measuring, Evaluating, and Controlling Safety, Health, and Environmental Hazards
• Safety, Health, and Environmental Training and Management
• Business Principles, Practices, and Metrics in Safety, Health, and Environmental Practice.