Cory Anderson passed the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) examination in January this year and in doing so received BCSP’s 50,000th active credential. BCSP is humbled and honored to have so many dedicated safety professionals join us in our endeavor to protect the public, and it’s certainly fitting that we would reach such a milestone in our 50th year. We reached out to Anderson to ask him for his thoughts on the importance of safety and why seeking certification was a priority for him.
Anderson entered the industrial workforce out of high school and began his journey to the safety profession in much the same way as many safety professionals we’ve spoken to over the years. There wasn’t necessarily a defining moment that propelled him into becoming safety certified; it was an ancillary connection that quickly morphed into an appreciation and desire to protect his coworkers.
“I always had a profound respect for the safety representatives for the companies I worked with,” said Anderson. “I truly felt they cared about the safety of the people…it was a way of life that I wanted to be a part of.”
Anderson graduated with his B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health from Columbia Southern University. He knew he wanted to continue his professional development but was unsure of what route to take. It was after he spoke to his organization’s Vice President of QHSE, along with other safety professionals, that he understood the value the ASP certification could provide both professionally and personally.
“Professionally, the ASP or CSP has the ability to open doors for one’s career either through advancement in an organization or the ability to move to an organization whose core value includes safety,” said Anderson. “Personally, obtaining a safety certification can give a safety professional a stable foundation to provide for themselves and their family by having a career that has the ability to provide them with a safe and secure future.”
Anderson works in the Well Site Services Division of Oil States International, which is very active in the development of safety professionals and supports the efforts of their employees to obtain BCSP certifications. All safety professionals at Oil States International work with managers and develop an annual written personal development plan that attempts to drive long-term success. “Every aspect of the employees’ journey is supported by the organization,” said Anderson.
For Anderson, the value of safety lies within the stories we hear each week. “There isn’t a week that goes by that we don’t hear of another unfortunate workplace accident or fatality,” he said. He believes it’s the safety professional’s duty to take the extra step to make safety a value and that it’s something we live and work by every day.
“When we take that extra step of making safety a value over a priority, our workers will be less likely to take those shortcuts where the priority of safety is overcome by the priority of operations,” said Anderson.
Anderson also encourages safety professionals considering safety certification to take the next step. “We as safety professionals need to be ready to support and guide [organizations] along the way by staying on top of the latest rules, regulations, and trends,” he says. “For those considering safety certification, I say take that next step in your career, you won’t regret it.”
BCSP would like to thank Anderson and all BCSP certificants for your dedication to the safety profession. Together we are people saving people!