The International Society of Mine Safety Professionals (ISMSP) offers two professional certifications for the mining industry. Last week, we looked at the Mine Safety Professional (MSP) designation. This week, let's cover the Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP).

What Is a CMSP?

The CMSP designation recognizes a standardized level of training that meets specific requirements of the mining industry. To earn the designation individuals must have extensive experience in mine safety and pass a rigorous written test administered by the ISMSP.

As we discussed last week, the MSP designation is for safety professionals who have proven their commitment to safety, but have not yet accumulated enough experience to qualify for higher recognition. CMSP is the designation individuals earn once they gather the necessary experience.

The Qualifications of a CMSP

According to the ISMSP, to be eligible for CMSP recognition, an applicant must be primarily engaged in the practice of mine safety or one of its related specialties. They also must:

• Be certified as competent within the broad practice of safety or one of its relevant specialties by an organization recognized as qualified by the Society and have a minimum of five years in the mine safety profession; or
• Be registered or licensed by an approved agency as a Professional Engineer and have a minimum of five years in the mine safety profession; or
• Hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from a recognized college or university, and have a minimum of seven years in the mine safety profession; or
• Have a minimum of 10 years in the mine safety profession.

Candidates for the MSP and CMSP must also be members of the ISMSP.

The Costs of CMSP Designation

As noted last week, the initial ISMSP membership fee is $200, comprising $150 dues and a one-time $50 initiation fee (Depending on the type of membership desired, you can subscribe at higher rates. A Diamond Membership costs $2,500 per year). Yearly membership renewal dues are $150.

The ISMSP charges a $250 fee for administering the examination. The applicant may choose to prepare for the exam through self-study, or sign up for the preparation course ($1,000). The course material is made available via the internet.

Maintaining CMSP Designation

All individuals holding a CSMP designation must be recertified every five years. Recertification can achieved by accumulating a minimum 25 Professional Development Points (PDPs) or re-taking the CMSP examination. PDP's can be earned by attending seminars, conferences and coursework, membership in professional organizations, or through instructing and training. For those who may wish to re-take the examination, the ISMSP offers a review course.

Conclusion

If you want more information about the MSP or CSMP designation, contact the ISMSP at: PO Box 772, Jasper, GA 30143; (706) 253-3675; info@ismsp.com.

Be sure to check in again with SafetyXChange as we travel the world of safety accreditations to help advance your safety career.

HEROES OF WORKPLACE SAFETY

The Tale of a Life Dedicated to Mining Safety

By Woodrow Slone, Jr.

I grew up watching my dad come home each night from his shift in the mines. Many nights he would come home with some sort of minor injury. One night in particular (I was 5 or 6 at the time), dad came home with a very bad cut next to his left eye. I remember how upset my mother was because the hydraulic hose just missed dad's eye by less than half an inch. He could have lost his eye.

Painful Memories

Another memory burned into my mind is the newspaper spread out on the floor beside dad's bed. Each day mom would replace it with a "clean" one. The paper was there so that at night when dad was sleeping he could spit out the black wads of coal dust that he would cough up. My dad always told me, "Son, never go to work in the coal mines".

I followed his instructions and went to college, then began a career as a grade school teacher. Two months after I graduated college, dad was rushed to the hospital because he could not breathe. He was diagnosed with severe black lung and was told he could not work anymore. Over the next couple of years, I watched dad and mom cope with the loss of income and the uphill struggle dad faced trying to get his life together. I can still see him going to the store with his nasal cannula and his oxygen bottle.

Eventually, I left the school system and went to work for a local coal company. Third shift night clerk, safe job, better pay than teaching. Four years later, I was promoted to Safety Tech and spent 9 years getting the "Work Safe" message out to each employee. I became an EMT, and because we kept a company ambulance on site, I began administering first aid to injured coal miners. I dealt with everything from people dying from heart attacks to being killed in on-the-job accidents (I won't list the details).

Before Thanksgiving in 1993 mom called me. She was very, very upset. I rushed over to the house and found her holding dad upright in a chair. He was unconscious. After a quick assessment, it was painfully clear that my dad had suffered a major heart attack. After 45 minutes of performing CPR on him the ambulance arrived and the EMTs transported him to a local emergency room where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was ruled as complications due to black lung. Performing CPR on a close member of your family will leave a lasting impression.

A Life Dedicated to Safety in the Mines

The next year I was transferred underground and became a coal miner. I took my safety message with me and tried to be an example of how to work safe. (How well I did this or if I had any positive response, I do not know.) I am now back in the field of "safety" with a different company. I have two mines with 375 employees that I am responsible for. In the five years that I have worked for this company, I have helped deliver the message that a "Safe Mine is a productive mine." We have won two inter-company awards for being the most improved mines in our company and three inter-company awards for having the best I.R. in the company.

I am very fortunate to have worked and now work for a company that the message of "Safety First" is stressed from the president down to all levels of management. When Safety is a core value within a company it becomes a way of life. Being an effective Safety Professional is like being a good parent in many ways, always guiding, teaching and directing.

My Pledge

Let me close with this pledge: I will make a difference to someone. If I can keep one miner from developing black lung or keep one miner from experiencing a disabling injury, then I have been a success in my career in safety. Dedication to safety in the mines was my promise to my dad when I put him in the ground. My way of keeping that promise is to ensure that for as long as I live, the message "Safety First" is always heard in the hills of Eastern Kentucky.

Thanks,

Woodrow Slone, Jr.
Second Generation Coal Miner
Safety Coordinator
Excel Mining, LLC

WANTED:

PROFILES OF SAFETY HEROES

SafetyXChange would like to collect as many profiles as possible about real-life men and women who have worked to save lives and made a difference. Have you led a life devoted to workplace health and safety? Or do you know somebody who has? Please send your stories to catherinej@bongarde.com.

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