A GSP needs three years of relevant working experience. This experience should include working in a laboratory or an industrial setting. A safety engineer may have the required training and experience but may lack the knowledge to become an effective safety practitioner. So the first criteria that I look at is whether a person has the knowledge and experience to do the job. If not they are not a good candidate to become a GSP.
A person does not need to have the most formal training or education to become a GSP. They just need to have the general knowledge of safety training and certification. However this does not mean that they can take any safety training and certification courses. This would be considered as being unprofessional conduct.
The second requirement is that the applicant must be a UBC graduate. I have always seen graduates from the University of Calgary as being very qualified to become a GSP. This is because the school that they graduated from is known for having excellent graduates. However anyone from another university or institution will do just fine.
The third requirement is that the practitioner must have been in the workplace for a minimum of five years. This shows that he/she is ready to do the job. It shows that he/she has the experience in the workplace. It also shows that the practitioner gets regular training and has a portfolio of employers. These employers are companies that the employee works for or has worked for in the past. This information is important as it shows that the individual is dedicated to the work and is able to perform.
The fourth requirement is that the individual must have a valid Canadian work permit. In the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, this is a requirement for all employees in these regions. This may be a little bit more difficult to obtain. This is because the employees do have rights when it comes to obtaining work permits. They have to show that their employer did not discriminate against them on the basis of their disability or personal illness.
The fifth requirement is that he should have had relevant and adequate training. This is especially important when the person wants to apply for an adjustment of their work permit. The practitioner needs to have been trained by a Canadian Red Cross Society registered therapist or a member of the Canadian Registry of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. There is a difference between these two types of training. The register of therapists does not provide therapeutic training and members of the registry are required to have at least twenty hours of training annually.
The requirements for the graduate safety program are quite extensive. They include all of the documentation that is needed to support the applicant’s claims and provide proof that they meet all the requirements to be accepted as a good candidate for the position. The program also requires them to complete a written safety program and to participate in continuing education training every two years. This ensures that everyone who is involved in the safety program and works with patients has a strong understanding of its objectives and implementation.
