GABRIEL BOYD
Senior Safety Director
U.S. Army Cyber Command
Fort Gordon, Georgia
A groundbreaking U.S. Army initiative is elevating the professional credentials of its safety personnel by forging a vital link between military safety protocols and civilian professional certifications. Driven by a commitment to excellence, this effort is not only transforming the Army's safety culture but also reshaping global safety standards.
While serving as a ground accident investigator and a safety and occupational health (SOH) professional at the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center (USACRC) from to , I was fortunate to be a key player in strengthening the partnership between Army Safety and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). This collaboration proved pivotal in professionalizing the Army's safety workforce.
Bridging military and civilian safety standards
At the USACRC, we championed the integration of BCSP's globally recognized credentials into the career development of the Army's SOH (CP-12) workforce. We adopted certifications such as the Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Transitional Safety Practitioner (TSP), Safety Management Professional (SMP), and the Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST) as benchmarks for Army safety personnel. This leadership ensures that Army safety experts hold credentials that are respected worldwide, enhancing their credibility and providing greater career mobility after military service.
The initiative required expert technical advice to align the Army's risk management and mishap prevention protocols with BCSP's stringent international standards. However, this alignment was not without its difficulties. The effort navigated significant challenges, including:
- Curriculum synchronization: Aligning the Army’s specialized CP-12 training with the broader, industry-neutral standards of BCSP certifications. This required balancing unique military safety competencies, such as explosives and range safety, with foundational principles of occupational safety and health.
- Operational demands: Making a strong case for the long-term value of professional certification, which often competed with mandatory field training, deployments and other immediate readiness priorities in a high-tempo military environment.
- Bureaucratic hurdles: Amending established Army regulations and training programs to incorporate civilian standards demanded extensive coordination across multiple command levels.
By overcoming these obstacles, BCSP-recognized credentials became a cornerstone of the Army's safety professional development strategy. Now, holders of the Army's Professional Certificate in Safety and Occupational Health (PCSOH) can obtain the TSP, providing a direct pathway to earning the prestigious CSP.
Shaping future safety standards
In my current role as the command safety director/Fire, SOH (FSOH) command career program manager at U.S. Army Cyber Command, I’ve seen firsthand how a strong safety culture, founded on the principles espoused by BCSP, directly enhances mission readiness and success in a complex, constantly evolving operational landscape. Looking ahead, the Army continues to play a key role in developing new task domains for the revised OHST certification, anticipated to launch in . This initiative is set to modernize the exam to reflect current global health hazards, including those related to emerging technologies and evolving workplace stressors. The updated OHST certification will ensure its continued relevance as a premier credential for safety technicians across a wide range of industries, from manufacturing to the growing field of cyber-physical systems. These new domains will also create a clearer, more rigorous pathway for early-career professionals, helping to build a more robust global pipeline of qualified safety leaders.