VPPPA, BCSP Sign Partnership Agreement
The two organizations will collaborate to improve the protection of workers and will encourage students and other professionals to choose occupational safety and health as a career and advance their competency in that field.
The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals have signed a partnership agreement. The two organizations recognize the benefits of a collaborative partnership to aid OSH professionals and practitioners, according to VPPPA, which is presenting its 33rd annual national conference, the Safety+ Symposium, this week in New Orleans' Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
The two organizations will use their collaborative efforts and expertise to improve the protection of workers through effective prevention strategies and technologies and will encourage students and other professionals to choose occupational safety and health as a career and advance their competency in that field.
The signing took place Aug. 28 during VPPPA's conference. VPPPA Chairperson Mike Guillory met with Chris Patton, CSP, president of the BSCP Board of Directors, to sign the agreement at the New Orleans Marriott.
"This agreement is advantageous for both VPPPA and BCSP. But, most importantly, it will benefit the health and safety community," Guillory said. "Protecting, educating, and advocating for our community is, after all, what we're all here to do."
"This partnership has been in the works for a number of years, and we're very thankful we were able to get to this point where we could sign this," said Patton, "and we're looking forward to working with [VPPPA] in the future."
[The VPPPA photo in this article shows, from left to right: BCSP Business Development Director Clint Wolfley, CSP, CHST, STSC; President of the BSCP Board of Directors Chris Patton, CSP, SMS, ASP; VPPPA Director-at-Large J. A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE; VPPPA Chairperson Mike Guillory; and VPPPA Executive Director Mike Maddox.]
BCSP on Aug. 29 announced a similar partnership agreement with China's National Center for International Cooperation in Work Safety, State Administration of Work Safety (NCICS-SAWS). They agreed to on mutual promotion of BCSP's Certified Safety Professional® and NCICS-SAWS's Certified Safety Engineer (CSE) credentials, and BCSP officially recognized the CSE as meeting the credential requirement for the CSP. This means individuals who hold the CSE and meet the CSP's education and experience requirements may waive the ASP examination and apply directly for the CSP.