The Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) Certification Program

The STS certification provides a means for employers to verify safety and health knowledge of first-line supervisors and managers. The program requires applicants to meet minimum education and experience requirements and demonstrate knowledge of basic safety and health standards and practices. CCHEST has operated the STS program since 1992, beginning with the STS-Construction examination. CCHEST has expanded the STS certification with the STS-General Industry and STS-Petrochemical examinations. Future expansion includes an STS-Mining examination.

The Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) certification program is intended for individuals who:
•    Are managers at any level.
•    Are first line supervisors of work groups or organization units.
•    Have a safety responsibility for a work group that is part of other work duties.

Safety Trained Supervisors are not safety specialists or safety practitioners. Typical candidates have a safety responsibility that is adjunct, collateral or ancillary to their job duties. Their main job duties are in a craft or trade, in leadership, supervision or management, or in a technical specialty.

The typical certified STS helps an employer implement safety programs at the worker level through supervisory, safety committee or similar safety and health leadership roles. Safety tasks often include monitoring for job hazards, helping ensure regulatory compliance, training employees in safety practices, performing safety recordkeeping tasks, coordinating corrections for safety problems within or among work groups, and communicating with safety specialists or management.

The STS safety responsibility is a part-time responsibility, usually less than 1/3 of the total job duties. If safety responsibilities involve a greater portion of job duties, the role is more likely to be that of a safety technician/technologist or safety professional.

The STS certification establishes a minimum competency in general safety practices. To achieve the certification, candidates must meet minimum safety training and work experience and demonstrate knowledge of safety fundamentals and standards by examination. Those holding the STS certification must renew it annually and meet recertification requirements every five years.

To gain eligibility for a Safety Trained Supervisor examination, you must be of good moral character and meet the following three requirements:

To achieve the STS certification, you must pass a Safety Trained Supervisor examination.

STS Examinations are offered by computer at testing center locations around the world every business day. The examination contains 100 multiple-choice questions and candidates have 2 hours to complete it. 

Choice of examinations:

Construction
Intended for managers, first-line construction supervisors, superintendents, foremen, crew chiefs, and craftsmen who have a responsibility to maintain safe conditions and practices on construction job sites.  This program typically falls under OSHA Safety and Health Regulations for Construction in 29 CFR Part 1926 and other construction safety practices. 

General Industry
Emphasizes general safety considerations applicable to all industries and relates to OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Standards found in 29 CFR Part 1910. 

Petrochemical
Specific industry version of the STS-General Industry examination.

Fees and Payments

There are fees associated with the STS certification.  Fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable between individuals.

• Application Fee: $105
• Examination Authorization Fee: $165  (for computer-delivered examinations taken inside the U.S. or Canada) 
• Examination Authorization Fee: $265 (for computer-delivered examinations taken outside the U.S. or Canada)
• Examination Authorization Fee (for examinations taken by pencil-and-paper at special locations)  

• STS Annual Renewal Fee   $50
• Examination Authorization Extension $50 
• Reinstatement Fee   $50

The application fee covers processing an application, establishing eligibility, and creating a candidate record.

The examination authorization fee covers arranging for and delivering an examination and subsequent results information.  The examination authorization fee covers one examination only and any retake requires paying an additional examination authorization fee.

The annual renewal fee covers retaining the STS designation on an annual basis.  For the first calendar year or portion of a calendar year, the fee is prorated for the remaining portion of the year after achieving the STS certification.  Payment of the annual renewal fee is subject to a late payment fee if payment occurs after the payment deadline.

Individuals or employers may pay fees.  Checks, money orders, and credit cards are acceptable forms of payment.  Make checks and money orders payable to CCHEST.  Pay all fees in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank.

Non-sufficient fund checks will stop action on the certification process for any candidate or certificate holder covered by the check and any related NSF fees are billed to the check originator.

The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) reimburses the cost of the Construction examination for qualified individuals.  Contact your regional VA office to establish whether you are qualified and for reimbursement procedures.

STS Review and Study Sources

Because candidates for CCHEST examinations often ask where to locate review courses and materials, CCHEST maintains a list strictly as a courtesy. For a detailed list, click on the Review and Study Sources page. Additionally, BCSP has created a Library of Safety Practice where anyone can find the most up-to-date source material for every domain on the exams.

The STS is specified in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) construction and service contracts.

The STS program is nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes the STS-Construction credential.  OSHA compliance safety and health officers consider it a factor in deciding on a focused inspection.

STS Examination Information  

Each STS examination (Construction, General Industry, and Petrochemical), which use computer-based formats, has 100 multiple-choice questions, some involving computations. Candidates have two hours to complete an STS examination. The exam is available every business day throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Please refer to the STS Candidate Handbook for the examination blueprints and calculator policy.

STS Recertification and Annual Renewal  

To retain the STS certification, the STS certificant must recertify every five years. The purpose of recertification is to help ensure that certificants remain knowledgeable in safety and health practices applicable to managers, supervisors, and work group safety leaders. National accreditation standards for certification programs require recertification.

The recertification cycle is based on the date a certificant passed the STS examination and achieved the STS certification. It officially begins on January 1 of the year following this date and ends on December 31 of the fifth full year. The first recertification cycle may be longer than five years because it includes the partial year after passing an STS examination.

Near the end of the five-year recertification cycle, CCHEST will notify the certificant that he or she must meet recertification requirements to retain the certification into another cycle.
There are several options for recertifying. The options include:
1.    Taking and passing any STS examination.
2.    Achieving the Construction Health and Safety Technician® (CHST) or Occupational Health and Safety Technologist® (OHST)/Certified Loss Control Specialist (CLCS) certification from CCHEST during the recertification cycle.
3.    Completing 30 hours of additional safety and health training or teaching during the five year cycle.
4.    Conduct training or teaching. To qualify, training must be formal, documented courses in any format, such as live, video, CD-ROM, Internet, or conference (local, regional, national, or within a company).
5.    Conduct routine work area or tool-box talks. To qualify, teaching includes any safety and health courses, excluding routine work area or tool-box talks. Count repeated courses only once, unless the course is changed significantly between offerings.

This 5-year cycle is based on the rate at which STS practice changes. CCHEST has determined that 5 years is a reasonable period to measure the activities in which a certificant engages to remain up-to-date with current trends in practice.

Annual Renewal:

The $50 annual renewal fee covers retaining the STS designation on an annual basis. For the first calendar year or portion of a calendar year, the fee is prorated for the remaining portion of the year after achieving the STS certification. Payment of the annual renewal fee is subject to a late payment fee if payment occurs after the payment deadline.

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