Health and Safety Technician study guide
Health and Safety Technician · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Construction Health and Safety Technician® (CHST®) is a certification offered by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) for people who carry safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) responsibilities on construction projects and jobsites. According to BCSP, those duties may be all or only part of the role, and the expertise may span one or more significant projects. Candidates may work for an owner, a general contractor, a subcontractor, or a firm involved in SH&E practice and/or construction. BCSP notes that many employers assign construction SH&E functions to people in critical worker-leading roles, and that many practitioners use the CHST as a path to larger SH&E roles. To sit for the exam you need three years of construction safety experience in which at least 35% of job duties required technical SH&E skills and knowledge, plus a passing exam score, an annual renewal fee, and ongoing recertification. Once BCSP determines eligibility, you have one year to take and pass the examination, which costs $300 for a single exam and is delivered by computer at a Pearson test center; official results are available as soon as you submit. Topics on this exam: CHST examination content area 1 (blueprint not enumerated in source). The Health and Safety Technician study guide has 1 section and about 409 words.
01Hazard Identification and Control
Content area 1 tests how a technician finds hazards on a construction site, ranks them, and selects controls that hold up during an inspection and after an incident. Items draw on 29 CFR 1926 Subpart C, job hazard analysis, and the hierarchy of controls. 1926.20(b)(1) requires an accident prevention program; (b)(2) requires frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials, and equipment by a competent person. A competent person (1926.32(f)) identifies existing and predictable hazards and is authorized to take prompt corrective action.
409 words, about 2 minMore study resources for Health and Safety Technician
- Practice questionsA construction safety technician is reviewing the written hazard communication program for a site where employees handle silica-containing concrete.
- FlashcardsHierarchy of Controls. Ranking of hazard controls from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment.
- Cheat sheetHierarchy of controls, most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Key termsHierarchy of Controls. The ranked order of hazard remedies from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.
- Study planMap the full CHST content outline into a one-page checklist of every task and knowledge area, flagging which items you already know versus which are new.
- Common mistakesField practice blends several standards, and experienced technicians trust remembered rules of thumb over the specific subpart that governs the task in the question.
- Exam-day guidePrint or save the scheduling confirmation the provider sent you.