AIHA and Board for Global EHS Credentialing Want You to Be a Game Changer
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (Aug. 18, 2023)
AIHA has released a new short video, titled “Be a Game Changer: Level Up on Health and Safety at Work,” that highlights the critical role played by occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professionals. The video, developed in collaboration with the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC) and Kru Creative, aims to spread awareness of accessible resources and support systems to address workplace hazards and create safer working environments. “Be a Game Changer” may be accessed through AIHA’s website and on YouTube.
Workers exposed to hazardous environments may suffer immediate health consequences or face chronic, long-term effects that take years to manifest. These experiences extend beyond individuals to affect their families and communities. If workers don’t have access to resources, knowledge, and professional expertise, the cycle of suffering continues. The new “Be a Game Changer” video informs the public about how OEHS professionals identify risks, assess hazards, and implement preventive measures to mitigate workplace hazards.
AIHA CEO Lawrence Sloan stressed the importance of OEHS professionals in protecting workers. “All workers deserve to be protected from hazardous conditions, and OEHS professionals play a central role in ensuring their health and well-being,” he said. “This video highlights the value of their expertise and unwavering commitment to making positive impacts on workers’ lives and on the broader community.”
According to Subena Colligan, CIH, CSP, the chair of BGC, “The unwavering commitment of OEHS professionals, including AIHA members and those distinguished by BGC credentials, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life for global working populations.”
“This video serves as a window into our ongoing efforts, fosters greater visibility, and paves the way for aspiring and established practitioners to join us in cultivating healthier workplaces worldwide,” she said.
“We invite everyone to watch the video and discover how OEHS professionals are making a significant difference in our communities,” said Sloan.
Members of the public may contact an OEHS professional through AIHA’s online Consultants Listing. Additional information may be accessed through AIHA’s Public Resources webpage.
About AIHA
AIHA is the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring occupational and environmental health and safety in the workplace and community. Founded in 1939, we support our members with our expertise, networks, comprehensive education programs, and other products and services that help them maintain the highest professional and competency standards. More than half of AIHA’s nearly 8,500 members are Certified Industrial Hygienists, and many hold other professional designations. AIHA serves as a resource for those employed across the public and private sectors as well as to the communities in which they work. For more information, please visit www.aiha.org.
About the Board for Global EHS Credentialing
The Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC) is the premier global credentialing body for professionals who protect and enhance the health, safety, and environment of people at work and in their communities. Our rigorous, reliable, and valid credentialing process elevates the expectations of professionals who work in the environment, health, and safety (EHS) fields and allows them to demonstrate their commitment and ability to work at the highest levels. BGC understands the importance of impartiality in carrying out its certification activities, so the board and staff manage conflicts of interest and ensure the objectivity of all certification activities. For more information, visit gobgc.org.
QEP / EPI Examination Update Project
06/06/2023
As announced during the 2022 BGC annual Forum, thirty-five environmental professionals were appointed in 2021 to GES and QEP Job Analysis (JA) Panels, with 17 and 18 members, respectively, by the Board for Global EHS Credentialing® (BGC®). They identified the domains, tasks, knowledge, and skills essential to performing an EPI and a QEP. Working closely with the psychometric and testing services company, Certiverse, the panelists were instrumental in evaluating environmental practice and combining four separate QEP specialty areas — water quality; air quality; waste management; and environmental science, management, and policy — into comprehensive content outlines for updating the two exams. A sample of Qualified Environmental Professionals then validated the content outlines to create the GES and QEP examination blueprints. The JA panelists and QEPs validating the content outlines represented a variety of practice settings, geographic regions, educational levels, and years of experience. Environmental Subject Matter Experts (SME) from across the globe have created updated blueprints to serve as the basis for the updated QEP and GES exams.
The BGC Board has now approved these blueprints, and they can be found at QEP and GES Blueprint on GoBGC.org
The updated blueprints and exams reflect the challenging cross-media and cross-discipline expertise that today’s environmental professionals must have to provide their employers, the broader community, and planet Earth with the needed advice and protection in these challenging times.
The updated QEP and GES exams are anticipated to be available in Fall 2023. Starting January 1, 2024, only the new exams will be available for approved applicants.
Over the next several months, BGC will post further updates on how the new blueprints and exam questions were developed, so stay tuned!
NOTE: The GES exam is taken by all Environmental Professional In-Training (EPI) candidates and all QEP candidates that did not earn the EPI designation.
To produce the updated GES and QEP blueprints, thirty-five environmental professionals were selected in 2021 for the GES and QEP Job Analysis (JA) Panels, with 17 and 18 members, respectively, by the Board for Global EHS Credentialing® (BGC®). They identified the domains, tasks, knowledge, and skills essential to performing an EPI and a QEP. Working closely with the psychometric and testing services company, Certiverse, the panelists were instrumental in evaluating current environmental practice and combining four separate QEP specialty areas — water quality; air quality; waste management; and environmental science, management, and policy — into comprehensive content outlines for updating the two exams. A sample of Qualified Environmental Professionals then validated the content outlines to create the GES and QEP examination blueprints. The JA panelists and QEPs validating the content outlines represented a variety of practice settings, geographic regions, educational levels, and years of experience.
2023 Fee Announcement
9/1/2022
BGC has made changes to our infrastructure to improve services, make your data more secure, manage your certification, and provide digital badging to promote your achievement as a BGC credential practitioner. We have kept annual fees constant since 2017 in spite of rising operational costs; however, effective with the start date of the 2023 fee payment cycle, the annual renewal fee will increase to $170 for active BGC credential holders ($85 for the EPI designation).
The Board and staff of BGC believe that service improvements and initiatives will bring benefits that will result in BGC credentialed practitioners being even more widely recognized for their role in protecting workers, the public, and the environment. As always, BGC will work with you if you are experiencing financial hardship.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
