CRSP cheat sheet

The BCRSP competency model organizes CRSP practice into broad competency domains (e.g., health and safety sciences, management systems, risk management, communication, ethics/professionalism, and business/legal context) that the examination blueprint maps to weighted question areas.

Examination weighting follows the blueprint: each competency domain carries a defined percentage of scored items, so study time should be proportional to those published weights rather than to personal comfort with a topic.

Hierarchy of controls (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE) is a core decision rule: prefer controls higher in the hierarchy; PPE is the last line of defence and never a sole substitute for feasible higher-order controls.

Risk assessment formula: risk = probability (likelihood) × severity (consequence). Risk scoring drives prioritization; residual risk is assessed after controls are applied.

Exposure limits: compare measured worker exposure to the applicable occupational exposure limit (e.g., 8-hour TWA, STEL, ceiling) and apply the hierarchy to reduce exposure below the limit with an appropriate margin.

Incident causation models (e.g., energy-release, multiple-causation, and systems/barrier models) guide root-cause analysis; the goal is identifying systemic contributing factors, not assigning individual blame.

Audit and inspection findings should be classified by risk and tracked to closure with assigned responsibility and target dates; verification of effectiveness distinguishes a closed action from a merely completed one.

Ethics and professionalism: the CRSP acts within competence, discloses conflicts, protects confidential worker health information, and reports hazards to appropriate authority when internal resolution fails.

Legal/regulatory context: OHS duties are typically shared among employer, supervisor, and worker under a general duty clause plus specific regulations; the precautionary/internal responsibility principle requires controlling hazards even absent a specific standard.

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) underpins OHS management systems: Plan = hazard identification, risk assessment, legal and other requirements, objectives; Do = implementation and operational control; Check = monitoring, measurement, audit; Act = management review and corrective action.

A management system requires documented policy with top-management commitment, defined roles and responsibilities, competence/training records, and controlled documentation.

Hazard identification sources include incident and near-miss records, inspection findings, job hazard analysis, worker reports, exposure monitoring, and change management reviews for new processes or equipment.

Hierarchy of controls is applied within operational control: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls (procedures, training, rotation), then PPE.

Emergency preparedness requires identified potential emergencies, written response plans, trained responders, drills with documented evaluation, and post-drill corrective actions.

Contractor and procurement control: pre-qualification of OHS performance, defined OHS requirements in contracts, orientation, and monitoring of contractor activities.

Management review inputs typically include audit results, incident trends, compliance status, objectives progress, and worker consultation; outputs include resource decisions and system changes.

Performance indicators split into lagging (injury rates, lost-time claims) and leading (inspections completed, training hours, near-miss reporting, corrective actions closed on time); leading indicators are preventive.

Risk assessment process: identify hazards, determine who is exposed and how, estimate probability and severity, evaluate against tolerability criteria, apply controls, record residual risk, and set a review interval.

Risk matrix decision rule: a hazard with high severity but low probability is not automatically low priority - irreversible or fatal outcomes (e.g., falls from height, confined-space atmospheres) require control regardless of calculated likelihood.

Qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative methods exist; select the method proportionate to the complexity of the task and the consequence of failure.

ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable) principle: controls are required unless the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk reduction achieved.

Hierarchy of controls order: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE; combination of controls is used where a single control is insufficient.

Exposure assessment uses sampling strategy (representative, worst-case, task-based), comparison to OELs, and statistical confidence; results are communicated to exposed workers.

Change management: any change in process, equipment, chemicals, or staffing triggers a re-assessment of risk before implementation.

Risk register content: hazard, location/task, exposed persons, existing controls, risk rating, additional controls, responsible person, target date, residual rating, review date.

Incident investigation sequence: secure the scene and prevent recurrence, preserve evidence, gather facts through interviews and records, establish timeline, determine contributing causes, recommend corrective actions, and verify implementation.

Distinguish immediate causes (unsafe acts/conditions) from root causes (management system deficiencies such as inadequate training, poor design, or missing procedures).

Injury statistics: incidence rate = (number of injuries × 200,000) / total hours worked; 200,000 = 100 workers × 40 hours × 50 weeks, the standard base for the OSHA-type rate.

Lost-time injury rate uses the same formula with lost-time cases in the numerator; severity rate uses days lost × 200,000 / hours worked.

Frequency and severity are separate dimensions: a low-frequency, high-severity event pattern (e.g., falls) may be masked by aggregate rates, so rates should be segmented by hazard and work group.

Near-miss reporting is a leading indicator; a healthy reporting culture shows high near-miss volume relative to recordable injuries.

Data analysis should use trend, benchmark, and stratification; small denominators make single-year rates unstable, so multi-year or rolling averages are used.

Corrective action effectiveness is verified by re-inspection, monitoring, or observation after a defined interval; documentation closes the loop.

Adult learning principles: training is most effective when content is relevant to the learner's tasks, participatory, practiced, and reinforced; a one-time classroom session without practice rarely changes behaviour.

Training needs analysis determines required competencies by role (worker, supervisor, contractor) before designing content.

Kirkpatrick levels of evaluation: reaction, learning, behaviour, results; the CRSP should evaluate beyond reaction to confirm behaviour change and outcome improvement.

Competency verification includes knowledge testing, practical demonstration, and supervised performance; records must show who was trained, on what, by whom, and when.

Hazard communication requires workers to understand labels, safety data sheets, and pictograms in a language and literacy level they comprehend.

Communication of risk uses plain language, absolute numbers where possible, and acknowledgement of uncertainty; fear-based messaging alone tends to produce denial rather than action.

Consultation with workers is a legal duty in many jurisdictions and improves hazard identification; joint health and safety committees require defined membership, meeting frequency, and follow-up on recommendations.

Behaviour-based safety observation programs require trained observers, non-punitive feedback, and data trending; programs that punish reported at-risk behaviour suppress reporting.

Professional practice requires acting only within one's competence and obtaining specialist input (e.g., occupational hygiene, ergonomics, engineering) where the task exceeds it.

Conflict of interest: disclose any financial or personal interest that could influence OHS recommendations, and recuse from decisions where objectivity is compromised.

Confidentiality: personal health information is shared only with a need to know and with consent as required by privacy law; aggregate data is used for program decisions.

Whistleblower/refusal situations: workers have the right to refuse unsafe work in most jurisdictions; the CRSP supports the process and documents the hazard assessment.

Legal liability: OHS legislation imposes duties on employers, supervisors, and workers; due diligence is demonstrated by documented, systematic, and enforced OHS measures.

Regulatory inspections: the CRSP prepares records, accompanies the inspector, and manages orders and compliance timelines; non-compliance can lead to orders, fines, or prosecution.

Business case for OHS: costs include direct (claims, fines) and indirect (downtime, replacement labour, morale); prevention investment is justified by reduced losses and improved productivity.

Professional development and ethics: continuing education maintains competence, and the CRSP upholds honesty in reporting data and findings.

Hazard categories to recognize: physical (noise, vibration, temperature, radiation), chemical (dusts, vapours, gases), biological, ergonomic (force, posture, repetition), psychosocial, and safety (machinery, falls, electricity, confined spaces).

Noise: exposure limits are typically 85 dBA 8-hour TWA with a 3 dB exchange rate; hearing protection reduces exposure but does not eliminate the hazard.

Confined spaces: hazards include oxygen deficiency/enrichment, flammable gases, and toxic atmospheres; entry requires atmospheric testing, ventilation, attendant, and permit.

Machine safeguarding: guards and devices prevent access to danger zones; lockout/tagout isolates energy sources during maintenance.

Ergonomics: musculoskeletal disorder risk increases with force, repetition, awkward posture, and vibration; controls include workstation redesign and tool selection before administrative rotation.

Chemical exposure: route of entry (inhalation, skin, ingestion, injection) determines control strategy; skin absorption can defeat respiratory-only controls.

Electrical safety: de-energize and verify, use lockout, maintain approach distances, and use GFCI protection in wet locations.

Fire: fire tetrahedron (fuel, oxygen, heat, chain reaction); extinguisher selection matches fire class (A, B, C, D, K).