Certified Health & Safety Consultant (CHSC) Designation

The Certified Health and Safety Consultant (CHSC) designation recognizes and promotes excellence in professional consulting in the area of occupational health and safety. CHSC holders have successfully completed specialized training on law, ethics, the consulting process and communication. They are CSSE members that have passed mandatory examinations; met prescribed academic and experience
standards; and maintain professional liability protection.

Registry of Current CHSC Designates

• Click here for a registry of CSSE members who hold the CHSC designation.

Benefits

The Consulting Certification program promotes professional development and practice standards in occupational health and safety consulting. This program applies equally to internal company health and safety advisors or external consultants in private practice. Individuals functioning in any way as professional advisors and consultants will benefit through the acquisition of a designation that signifies to employers, fellow workers, clients and the public that the practitioner:

• has achieved a certain standard of professional qualification;
• has received training in and been examined in “consulting process” aspects;
• is cognizant of legal and professional liabilities attendant to acting as a consultant;
• adheres to a Code of Conduct that is peer administered; and
• carries professional liability insurance (and hence, has achieved standards acceptable to an underwriter).

The CHSC program will increase career opportunities and stand as a clear signal of qualification to the marketplace and the community.

How Does the CHSC Designation Differ from Other Certifications?

There are several well-recognized professional registration and certification programs for health and safety practitioners already in existence in Canada and the USA. These programs evaluate and designate on the basis of demonstrated mastery of technical knowledge and managerial aspects of the field. These programs do not evaluate, nor do the designations signify competence in, the application of technical and managerial knowledge within the context of a consulting relationship.

Steps to Certification

Since all CSSE courses can be taken as professional development, the Education Course Registration Form provides an applicant with the opportunity to indicate his or her interest/intention to pursue the Certified Health and Safety (CHSC) designation by indicating on the form the "Designation Stream".

Members qualify for the CSSE’s CHSC designation by meeting the following criteria:

• Currently be an internal or external health and safety consultant and have a minimum of three years work experience in occupational health and safety.
• Submit the completed application form
• Possess an acceptable prior academic or professional qualification in health and safety
• Maintain a current membership with the CSSE upon completion of the courses
• Complete courses and examinations in Obligations and Liabilities of the OH&S Professional, Consulting Skills and Applied Risk Communication Skills for the OH&S Professional
• Achieve 75% (minimum) on each of the three examinations
• Go through Qualification Review by the CSSE Education Committee
• Supply proof of current professional liability insurance (minimum $1,000,000) to the CSSE, initially and then annually

Upon successful completion of all the requirements, the OHS Consultant must maintain the designation through prescribed maintenance activities, including providing annual proof of professional liability insurance to the CSSE office.

Failure to conduct any or all of the maintenance activities will result in revoking of the consultant’s designation.

Grandparenting existing health and safety consultants will not be practiced by the organization.

Application:

To download the application form for the CHSC designation, please click here: CHSC Application (PDF).

You need Acrobat Reader to view PDF Files. This is a free download from Adobe. Click here to download and install Acrobat Reader now.