BLUEPRINT FOR THE

CANADIAN REGISTERED
SAFETY TECHNICIAN
EXAMINATION (CRSTEX)

2019

Developed by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals. All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

© Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals

6700 Century Ave, Ste. 100
Mississauga, ON L5N 6A4
Tel: (905) 567-7198 or 1-888-279-CRSP
E-mail: info@bcrsp.ca
www.bcrsp.ca
 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
Technical Specifications .................................................................................................................. 5
Developing the Set of Competencies.......................................................................................... 5
Competency Domains ................................................................................................................. 6
Structural Variables..................................................................................................................... 7
Contexual Variables .................................................................................................................... 8
Competency Weightings ............................................................................................................. 8
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 9
CRSTEX Examination Development Summary Chart .................................................................... 10
Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... 12
CRSTEX Competency Profile.......................................................................................................... 13
Applied Safety Fundamentals (ASF) ...................................................................................... 13
Auditing (AUD) ...................................................................................................................... 13
Ergonomics (ERG).................................................................................................................. 14
Fire Prevention and Protection (FPP) ................................................................................... 14
Health and Wellness (HW) .................................................................................................... 14
Law and Ethics (LE)................................................................................................................ 14
Management Systems (MS) .................................................................................................. 15
Occupational Hygiene (OH) .................................................................................................. 15
Risk Management (RM) ........................................................................................................ 15

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

PREFACE
The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) is pleased to present the
Blueprint for the Canadian Registered Safety Technician Examination (CRSTEX). Administration
of the first examination developed from the Blueprint is targeted for February 2019.

The Blueprint was developed to guide those involved in the development of the Canadian
Registered Safety Technician Examination and to provide the public (e.g., examinees, educators,
administrators) with practical information about the examination.

The Blueprint has two major components: (1) the content domain to be measured and, (2) the
explicit guidelines on how this content is to be measured. The content domain consists of the
CRSTEX set of competencies (i.e., the competencies expected of entry-level registered safety
technicians), and the guidelines are expressed as structural and contextual variables. The
Blueprint also includes: a Summary Chart (p.10) that summarizes the examination guidelines; a
Glossary (p. 12) that provides definitions of terms appearing in bold throughout the document.

BCRSP wishes to thank all the individuals who have contributed to the creation of this
Blueprint. In particular, thanks are extended to registered safety professionals who participated
in the development of the competency framework and to those who responded to the
competency validation survey.

The Blueprint will be evaluated regularly to reaffirm that the competencies and the guidelines
for examination development continue to reflect what is expected of an entry-level registered
safety technician beginning to practice, and is differentiated from that of entry-level registered
safety professionals.

BCRSP encourages all users of this document to provide feedback which may be useful in future
revisions of the Blueprint. Please forward all such comments to:

Executive Director
Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals
6700 Century Ave, Ste. 100
Mississauga, ON L5N 6A4

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

INTRODUCTION
The Board Canadian Registered Safety Professionals develops the
Canadian Registered Safety Technician Examination (subsequently
referred to as the CRSTEX) for registering purposes. It fulfills this service
by working in collaboration with certified OHS practitioners from across
Canada who serve as the content experts for developing and validating
the examinations.

Registration/licensure/certification examinations have a well-defined

purpose: to protect the public by ensuring that those who are licensed
possess sufficient knowledge and skills to perform important
occupational activities safely and effectively (Canadian Psychological
Association, 1987). In the case of the CRSTEX, the purpose is to
determine whether or not examinees are prepared to practice
occupational health and safety, without risk to the public and to the
environment.
The purpose of The primary function of the Blueprint for the Canadian Registered Safety
this Blueprint is to Technician Examination is to describe how the examination is to be
describe how the developed. Specifically, this Blueprint provides explicit instructions and
examination is to guidelines on how the competencies1 (e.g., knowledge, abilities, skills,
be developed.
attitudes, and judgment) are to be expressed within the examination in
order for accurate decisions to be made on the ability of examinees to
practice safely and effectively.

Prior to producing this Blueprint, BCRSP undertook an extensive study to

identify the competencies required for the safe and effective practice of
registered safety technicians in Canada. Individual registered safety
professionals from across the country were active participants in all
phases of the investigation, which served to identify and validate a
comprehensive set of 81 competencies expected of the registered
safety technician. With this set of competencies, and the validation data
obtained, the essential components of the CRSTEX could be clearly
described.

The periodic and comprehensive review of the competencies measured

by the CRSTEX assists the BCRSP in maintaining the validity of the
CRSTEX, and to develop psychometrically sound and legally defensible
registration examinations. Because of changes that occur in the practice
of health and safety technicians and professionals alike, a validation

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019
study of the competencies is conducted at least every five years, or as
needed. In addition to the periodic comprehensive review and
validation study, the competencies are reviewed and evaluated on a
regular basis by content experts. This helps to ensure that the CRSTEX
remains differentiated from the registration examination used for safety
professionals in Canada, the CRSPEX.
____________________
1 The terms appearing in bold are defined in the Glossary.

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The following section presents the technical specifications that are to
guide the development of the CRSTEX. In the first part, issues related
to the competencies are addressed. The second part describes the
guidelines to be followed in addressing the structural and contextual
variables of the CRSTEX.

The CRSTEX is a criterion-referenced examination. That is, a

fundamental component of the development of the CRSTEX is a
comprehensive description of the content domain being measured.
In the case of the CRSTEX, the content domain of interest consists of
the competencies a registered safety technician is required to
possess in order to practice safely and effectively at the technician
level. These competencies form the basis of the CRSTEX.

This section describes the competencies that were obtained as a

result of the validation process, the way they have been grouped,
and the manner in which they are to be sampled in the examination
development process.

DEVELOPING THE SET OF COMPETENCIES

As a starting point for developing the competencies, a Committee on

Technician Competencies was formed that was representative of all
areas of practice of registered safety professionals in Canada. This
The competencies committee began by reviewing the competency lists, the nine
were evaluated by category classification used in the 2014 CRSPEX Blueprint, and other
approximately 1170 reference materials that outline the competencies of a safety
Canadian Registered technician). The competency lists and domains were then
Safety Professionals. systematically reviewed by a focus group of safety professionals
using the Delphi method to identify which competencies where
deemed appropriate for technician level certification, and what
additional or new competencies should be included. This resulting
set of competencies were then evaluated by a sample of
approximately 1170 Canadian Registered Safety Professionals
(CRSP’s), including practitioners, educators, and administrators, who
were asked to rate each competency in terms of its applicability,
importance and frequency for the registered safety technician. The
Committee reviewed the results of the survey. The CRSTEX Set of
Competencies has the primary purpose of providing the content
domain for the examination.

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

COMPETENCY DOMAINS

The classification of the competencies consisted of the following

nine domains defined below (the number and the percentage of
competencies are indicated in parentheses following the category
name):

1. Applied Safety Fundamentals (23 competencies or 28% of

the set of competencies)

2. Auditing (3 competencies or 4% of the set of competencies)

3. Ergonomics (6 competencies or 7% of the set of

competencies)

4. Fire Prevention and Protection (8 competencies or 10% of

the set of competencies)

5. Health and Wellness (9 competencies or 11% of the set of

competencies)

6. Law and Ethics (9 competencies or 11% of the set of

competencies)

7. Management Systems (4 competencies or 5% of the set of

competencies)

8. Occupational Hygiene (12 competencies or 15% of the set of

competencies)

9. Risk Management (7 competencies or 9% of the set of

competencies)

Some of the competencies lend themselves to being placed in one or

more of the domains, so these nine domains should be viewed
simply as an organizing framework. It should be recognized that the
competency statements vary in scope, with some representing
global activities and others more discrete and specific actions.

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

STRUCTURAL VARIABLES

In addition to the specifications related to the competencies, other

variables must be considered during the development of the CRSTEX.
There will be 190 Structural variables include those characteristics that determine the
to 210 general appearance and design of the examination. They define the
operational length of the examination, the format/presentation of the examination
multiple choice questions (e.g., multiple-choice format), and the cognitive objective that
questions on the each question measures (e.g., basic knowledge/comprehension). The
Canadian weightings of the nine domains are also included as structural variables.
Registered Safety
Technician • Examination Length and Format: The examination will consist of
between 190 and 210 operational multiple choice questions. With
Examination.
81 competencies to measure and a sound sampling approach for
these competencies, an examination of between 190 and 210
operational questions is sufficient to make both reliable and valid
decisions about an examinee's readiness to practice safely and
effectively.

• Question Presentation: The multiple choice questions of the

CRSTEX are presented in one of two formats, case-based or
independent questions.

• Cognitive Objective: This examination will include questions that

fall under three cognitive taxonomy categories:
The Canadian knowledge/comprehension, application and critical thinking.
Registered Safety Knowledge/comprehension questions test a candidate’s ability to
Technician recognize previously learned material and to understand its
Examination meaning; and know and understand definitions, facts, concepts
and principles. Application questions test a candidate’s ability to
represents the
apply knowledge and learning to new or practical situations; can
different areas of apply rules, methods, principles and theories; and identify
practice of consequences from a given situation. Critical thinking questions
registered safety test a candidate’s ability to make a correct decision and identify
technicians. correct practices based upon information given; and can judge the
relevance of data, evaluate the effectiveness of different actions,
and solve problems.

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

CONTEXTUAL VARIABLES

In addition to structural variables, contextual variables qualify the

content domain by specifying the contexts in which the examination
questions will be set (i.e., technician context).

It is recognized that the practice environment of entry-level registered

safety technicians can be any setting or circumstance within which
occupational health and safety can be practiced, and is distinct from
that of registered safety professionals. The competencies assessed by
the examination are not setting dependent. The practice environment
will be specified when necessary.

In each setting, the safety technician may serve as a practitioner,

technologist, or advisor). This will be considered in forming the context
of examination items.

COMPETENCY WEIGHTINGS

To ensure that the examination accurately reflects the profile of the

registered safety technician, the competencies were weighted according
to their relative importance and frequency based on the survey ratings
and a quantitative review by content experts.

These weightings were used to establish the relative emphasis that the
The CRSTEX Set of competencies will receive on the examination. The competencies have
Competencies been weighted using the application, importance and frequency ratings
presents the obtained in the competency validation study. The weightings
competencies represented in the 2014 CRSPEX Blueprint were also used as a guide.
grouped on the
Based on these sources, and with the guideline that the CRSTEX will
basis of the
consist of between 190 and 210 questions, the sampling scheme
ratings from the
presented in the table below was developed. The distribution of weights
validation survey.
in this sampling scheme was selected: (1) to provide differentiation on
the rating variables (importance and frequency); (2) to provide

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019
comparison and differentiation from the weights in the registered safety
professional examination (the CRSPEX); and (3) to conform with the
examination length requirement. The following table presents the
percentage range of questions in each of the nine domains of
competencies.

Percentage of
Competency Domains Questions on the CRSTEX

1. Applied Safety Fundamentals 30%-40%

2. Auditing 10%-13%

3. Ergonomics 3%-5%

4. Fire Prevention and Protection 4%-8%

5. Health and Wellness 3%-5%

6. Law and Ethics 11%-15%

7. Management Systems 3%-5%

8. Occupational Hygiene 10%-13%

9. Risk Management 13%-17%

CONCLUSION
The Blueprint for the Canadian Registered Safety Technician Examination
is the product of a collaborative effort between BCRSP and Canadian
Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP’s). Their efforts have resulted in a
compilation of the competencies required of the entry level registered
safety technician to practice and of the guidelines on how the
competencies will be measured on the CRSTEX. A summary of these
guidelines can be found in the CRSTEX Examination Development
Summary Chart, on page 10.

It is recognized that the health and safety profession will continue to

evolve. As this occurs, the Blueprint (i.e., the competencies and the test

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019
development guidelines) may require revision so that it accurately
reflects the scope of practice, roles, and responsibilities of the entry level
safety technician, and that these remain differentiated from the
registered safety professional. CRSPEX will ensure this revision takes
place in a timely manner and will communicate it in updated editions of
this document.

CRSTEX EXAMINATION DEVELOPMENT

SUMMARY CHART

Examination Length 190 to 210 operational multiple choice questions. Three and a half
and Format (3.5) hours will be allocated for the completion of the examination.

Question Presentation Independent questions 80-90%

Case-based questions 10-20%

Competency Domains 1. Applied Safety Fundamentals 30-40%

and Weightings 2. Auditing 10-13%
3. Ergonomics 3-5%
4. Fire Prevention and Protection 4-8%
5. Health and Wellness 3-5%
6. Law and Ethics 11-15%
7. Management Systems 3-5%
8. Occupational Hygiene 10-13%
9. Risk Management 13-17%

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

Cognitive Taxonomy The specific competency determines which cognitive taxonomy a

question falls under. This is specified in the CRSTEX Competency
Profile, on pages 13-16. For the entire examination, the percentage
of questions that represent each cognitive taxonomy is as follows:

Knowledge/Comprehension 75%
Application 23%
Critical Thinking 2%*

*pertains only to competencies LE7 and LE9, see the CRSTEX Competency
Profile, on page 15.

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

GLOSSARY
case-based questions: A set of questions associated with a brief scenario.

competencies: The behaviour statements which reflect the combined knowledge, abilities,
skills, attitudes, and judgment expected of an entry level registered safety technician.

criterion-referenced (C-R) examination: A test that measures the degree of command of a

specified content/skills domain or list of instructional objectives. Scores are interpreted in
comparison to a predetermined performance standard, or as a degree of mastery of a defined
domain (e.g., percent correct and mastery scores), independently of the results obtained by
other candidates. (Brown, 1983)

independent items: Stand-alone objective examination items which contain the information
necessary for responding.

operational questions: Questions appearing on the examination that have been pre-tested and
that are suitable for the examination. The answer to these questions count in the candidate’s
score.

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

CRSTEX COMPETENCY PROFILE

Cognitive level
1 = Knowledge/
Comprehension
2 = Application
3 = Critical Thinking

Applied Safety Fundamentals (ASF)

ASF1 Ability to conduct basic workplace inspections. 2
ASF2 Ability to conduct basic incident investigations. 2
ASF3 Basic knowledge/comprehension of statistical analysis (e.g., mean, percentage, standard
1
deviation, time weighted average, etc.).
ASF4 Ability to conduct basic task analyses/job hazard analyses/job safety analyses. 2
ASF5 Basic knowledge/comprehension of material/process flow analyses. 1
ASF6 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the importance of safety in the design and procurement
1
process for tools, equipment and materials.
ASF7 Ability to apply the fundamentals of safe use, handling, storage, disposal and risks associated
2
with chemicals, explosives and radioactive material in the workplace (i.e., WHMIS/GHS).
ASF8 Ability to assess the hazards and controls of machinery safeguarding (e.g., point-of-
2
operation, light curtains, interlocks, etc.).
ASF9 Ability to assess the appropriate use of personal protective equipment. 2
ASF10 Basic knowledge/comprehension of electrical safety (e.g., bonding, grounding, circuit
1
interrupter, etc.).
ASF11 Ability to assess the hazards and controls of safe material handling and storage. 2
ASF12 Ability to assess the hazards and controls of hoisting and conveying equipment (e.g., ropes,
2
chains, slings, cranes, conveyors, etc.).
ASF13 Ability to assess the hazards and controls of powered mobile equipment and vehicles (e.g.,
2
forklifts, scissorlifts, bucket trucks, pickup trucks, vans, etc.).
ASF14 Ability to assess the hazards and controls of hand and portable tools. 2
ASF15 Ability to assess the hazards and controls of shop machinery (e.g., lathes, table saws, drill
2
presses, etc.).
ASF16 Ability to assess hazards and controls associated with hot work (e.g., welding, cutting,
2
brazing, etc.).
ASF17 Ability to assess hazards and the control of hazardous energy and harmful substances (e.g.
2
lockout/tagout of hydraulic, pneumatic, steam, mechanical, electrical hazards, etc.).
ASF18 Basic knowledge/comprehension of hazards and controls associated with automated
systems, equipment and processes (e.g., robotics, remote starts, computer controlled 1
systems, nanotechnology, etc.).
ASF19 Basic knowledge/comprehension of process safety (e.g., chemical, manufacturing, etc.). 1
ASF20 Ability to assess the hazards and controls related to confined space entry. 2
ASF21 Ability to assess the hazards and controls related to elevated work (e.g., ladders, fall
2
protection, platforms, scaffolds, etc.).
ASF22 Basic knowledge/comprehension of laboratory safety. 1
ASF23 Ability to assess the hazards and controls associated with working alone and remotely. 2

Auditing (AUD)
AUD1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of auditing principles and techniques. 1
AUD2 Basic knowledge/comprehension of inspections, compliance audits and management
1
system audits.
AUD3 Ability to conduct basic inspection, compliance, and management system audits. 2

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019

Ergonomics (ERG)
ERG1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of ergonomics (e.g., anatomical, physiological,
1
biomechanical, etc.).
ERG2 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal injuries. 1
ERG3 Basic knowledge/comprehension of regulatory requirements related to ergonomics (e.g.,
1
regulations, guidelines, standards, etc.).
ERG4 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the components of an ergonomics program (e.g., CSA
1
Z412, etc.).
ERG5 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the role of ergonomics in design and procurement (e.g.,
1
workspace layout, tools, equipment, materials, etc.).
ERG6 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the role of an ergonomist. 1

Fire Prevention and Protection (FPP)

FPP1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the roles and functions of standard-setting bodies (e.g.,
National Fire Prevention Association, Underwriters Laboratory, Factory Mutual, Canadian 1
Standards Association, European Union, etc.).
FPP2 Basic knowledge/comprehension of codes and standards as applied to fire safety (e.g.,
1
National Building Code, National Fire Code, etc.).
FPP3 Basic knowledge/comprehension of life safety (e.g., building design, construction, location,
1
materials, etc.).
FPP4 Basic knowledge/comprehension of fire chemistry and behaviour. 1
FPP5 Ability to implement basic fire safety programs. 2
FPP6 Ability to implement basic fire prevention procedures. 2
FPP7 Basic knowledge/comprehension of fire detection systems and devices (e.g., design,
1
application, maintenance, inspection, etc.).
FPP8 Basic knowledge/comprehension of fire control systems and devices (e.g., design,
1
application, maintenance, inspection, etc.).

Health and Wellness (HW)

HW1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of workplace health promotion. 1
HW2 Basic knowledge/comprehension of injury, illness, and disease prevention programs (e.g.,
1
immunizations, personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, medical screening, etc.).
HW3 Basic knowledge/comprehension of employee and family assistance programs. 1
HW4 Basic knowledge/comprehension of wellness programs (e.g., stress management, physical
1
fitness, weight management, etc.).
HW5 Basic knowledge/comprehension of disability management programs (e.g., modified work,
1
rehabilitation, return to work, etc.).
HW6 Basic knowledge/comprehension of addiction control programs (e.g., tobacco, alcohol,
1
drugs, gambling, etc.).
HW7 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the effects of fatigue on worker health and
1
performance (e.g., shift work, fitness for work, overtime, etc.).
HW8 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the influence of the psychosocial work environment on
1
worker health and wellness (e.g., leadership, expectations, civility, respect, etc.).
HW9 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the influence of work/life balance on worker health and
1
wellness.

Law and Ethics (LE)

LE1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of occupational health and safety law in Canada (e.g.,
Internal Response System (IRS), due diligence, criminal liability, general duty clause, etc.). 1

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019
LE2 Basic knowledge/comprehension of environmental legislation (e.g., Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, Hazardous Products Act, Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1
WHMIS/GHS, etc.).
LE3 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the duties of workplace parties (e.g., supervisors,
1
workers, joint health and safety committees/representatives, etc.).
LE4 Ability to apply the principles of worker rights (i.e., right to know, right to participate and
2
right to refuse).
LE5 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the duties and powers of enforcement agencies (e.g.,
1
orders to comply, prosecutions, ticketing, administrative penalties, the appeal process, etc.).
LE6 Ability to meet the obligations of a certified OHS Technician (e.g., with respect to employers,
2
co-workers, public, fellow professionals, contractors, etc.).
LE7 Ability to critically evaluate the certified OHS Technician obligations with respect to The
3
Rules of Professional Conduct (Code of Ethics).
LE8 Basic knowledge/comprehension of consequences of professional errors and omissions. 1
LE9 Ability to critically evaluate the role of the certified OHS Technician and limits of
professional practice (e.g., interaction with government agencies, scope of practice, 3
boundaries of competence, etc.).

Management Systems (MS)

MS1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the integration of health and safety into organizational
1
structure, function, culture and design.
MS2 Basic knowledge/comprehension of training needs analyses (e.g., development, delivery and
1
evaluation, etc.).
MS3 Basic knowledge/comprehension of adult learning principles. 1
MS4 Ability to deliver routine training programs. 2

Occupational Hygiene (OH)

OH1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of routes of entry (i.e., inhalation, absorption, ingestion,
1
injection).
OH2 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the characteristics, hazards and controls associated
1
with gases, vapours, solvents, fumes, mists, nanomaterials and dusts.
OH3 Basic knowledge/comprehension of physical hazards and controls (e.g., noise, ionizing and
1
non-ionizing radiation, thermal stress, vibration, etc.).
OH4 Basic knowledge/comprehension of biological hazards and controls (e.g., mold, mycotoxins,
1
influenza, viruses, etc.).
OH5 Basic knowledge/comprehension of indoor air quality. 1
OH6 Basic knowledge/comprehension of occupational hygiene measurement and sampling (e.g.,
1
air, noise, radiation, chemical, etc.).
OH7 Basic knowledge/comprehension of ventilation (e.g., local, general, supply, exhaust, etc.). 1
OH8 Ability to implement occupational hygiene prevention and protection programs (e.g.,
2
respiratory, hearing, thermal stress, medical surveillance, etc.).
OH9 Basic knowledge/comprehension of occupational exposure limits (e.g., Threshold Limit
1
Values (TLVs), Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs), action levels, etc.) .
OH10 Basic knowledge/comprehension of hazards and controls associated with lasers. 1
OH11 Basic knowledge/comprehension of occupational illness and disease (e.g., asthma, chemical
1
and environmental sensitivity, dermatitis, cancer, etc.).
OH12 Basic knowledge/comprehension of the role of an occupational hygienist. 1

Risk Management (RM)

RM1 Basic knowledge/comprehension of risk management principles. 1
RM2 Ability to conduct basic risk assessments (e.g., inventory, risk matrix, prioritization, etc.). 2

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 CRSTEX Blueprint 2019
RM3 Ability to apply risk control processes (e.g., weight of evidence, precautionary principle,
2
ALARA, etc.).
RM4 Basic knowledge/comprehension of emergency preparedness and response planning (e.g.,
1
CSA Z731, NFPA 1600, etc.).
RM5 Basic knowledge/comprehension of workplace violence and harassment prevention
1
programs.
RM6 Ability to apply the hierarchy of controls. 2
RM7 Ability to implement hazard communication (e.g., symbols, safety data sheets, labeling,
2
database research resources, hazard awareness training, etc.).

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