I would like to thank Robin Angel and the outgoing Board of Governors for their dedication and commitment to the BCRSP and our strategic goals. I am excited to be taking on the role of BCRSP Chair and to be working with all the governors to advance our strategic priorities.
I look forward to working with the incoming Board of Governors who represent such a great cross section of expertise, skills, and knowledge. I am keen to continuing work in progress with returning board members. And I welcome our new governors; Rebecca Chow, Christine Cousins, and Philip Johnson, and hope to work closely with them during my tenure. For the full Board of Governors list click here.
One of my goals for my term as Chair is to ensure we meet our strategic goals as laid out in the 2022-2025 BCRSP Strategic Plan. As per the strategic plan, by 2025 our goals are to be recognized by industry, post secondary institutions, media, governments, and other associations as the accepted certifying body for OHS professionals and a credible and influential thought leader regarding the broader OHS landscape in Canada. We will also be highly visible among employers and safety professionals, and our role in the broader safety environment is clear to all interested parties.
At the recent Annual General Meeting (June 19, 2023), the Board highlighted many of the achievements Robin references in her outgoing Chair’s message. Personally, I am excited about the work to advance recognition of the safety professional through the title protection initiatives.
In 2022 BCRSP utilized the services of Innovative Research Group to conduct public opinion polling in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. We asked the public polled ‘should there be minimum standards to call yourself a ‘safety professional’? The results were overwhelmingly in favour.
BCRSP will continue to engage with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Alberta Society of Health and Safety Professionals, and other interested parties, through meetings and discussions on how we can collectively advance recognition of the profession.
At the recent Governing Board meeting, the Board approved an annual renewal fee increase which you can read more about in this edition of the BCRSP Report. The annual fee increase will ensure the BCRSP is able to continue to deliver world class certification programs, and to invest in the future of the safety profession through initiatives such as the accreditation of OHS Post Secondary education, advocacy around title protection, support collaborative research through INSHPO, and growing the recognition of the CRSP® and CRST® certifications.
There is much work to be done and I look forward to meeting the challenge and moving us closer to our strategic goals with the help of the Board of Governors, our many dedicated volunteers and our management team. If you have any feedback for the Governing Board, you can submit via e-mail.