Who is ASHSP?

The Alberta Society of Health and Safety Professionals (ASHSP) is a professional association incorporated in the Province of Alberta under the Societies Act on November 27, 2017.

The ASHSP is seeking to have the practice of health and safety in Alberta recognized as a true Profession, with legally protected title, scope of practice protection, and a Professional Regulatory Organization to provide oversight and protect the public interest and safety of Albertans

Currently, in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS), there is no legal title protection or scope of practice protection. This means anyone can call themselves an OHS professional and claim to be competent in understanding, interpreting, and applying OHS legislation and best practices.

There are a number of OHS practitioners, both certified and uncertified. Though some possess the necessary skills, aptitude, knowledge, and training to do the job well, there are others who do not possess such attributes.

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Our Mission

Professional regulation is needed in order to assure the public that those who practice in this vital area are competent to do so. It is essential to the public interest and for the integrity of our profession to have OHS become a fully-recognized profession, protected and regulated by law.

A regulated profession includes the following three elements:

  • A Professional Regulatory Organization – established to ensure members adhere to standards of competent and ethical practice;
  • Title Protection – only members of the professional regulatory association will be able to use certain title(s), which are protected by law; and
  • Scope of Practice Protection – only members in good standing with the professional regulatory association can legally perform certain types of work.

The ASHSP is pursuing a joint model, bringing together many of the sub-disciplines under the OHS profession (e.g., workplace health and safety professionals, occupational hygienists, etc.) to be regulated by one provincial body.

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The Goal

The goal of the ASHSP is to create the professional regulatory organization under Alberta legislation, thereby establishing a self-regulating body for the OHS profession in Alberta.

The primary purpose of the professional regulatory organization is to protect the public interest and the interest of public safety. Regulatory oversight of the OHS profession is required to protect the public interest. The public interest includes:

  • worker health and safety;
  • future workers’ health and safety;
  • workers’ families and loved ones who are also impacted by workplace injuries and illnesses;
  • the societal costs of workplace injuries and illnesses (e.g., healthcare, insurance, etc.); and
  • the economic costs of workplace injuries and illnesses (e.g., recognizing the fact that occupational health and safety is good for business, preserves the reputation of Alberta industries, and ensures competitive advantages both in Alberta and abroad).
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ROADMAP TO THE OHS PROFESSION

Step 1

Create the Alberta Society of Health and Safety Professionals

Step 3

Establish Governing Body, Registration Committee, Practice Review Committee, and Disciplinary Committee

Step 5

Establish a Disciplinary Process

Step 7

Establish Educational Requirements and Educational Institution Accreditation

Step 9

Apply to Government to Establish a Professional Statute and be Reconstituted as a “Registered Association”

Step 2

Determine scope for inclusion (e.g. CRSP, CSP, CMIOSH, ROH, CIH, ROHT, CRST, CHSC, CSO, auditor, etc)

Step 4

Create a Code of Ethics

Step 6

Develop Experiential Training Program

Step 8

Develop competency and capability testing

Step 10

Work to Establish Scope of Practice Protection

Membership

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