Milestone anniversary being marked by three-day conference in Niagara Falls in May
The Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) will mark its 50th anniversary this year with a three-day conference in Niagara Falls, a milestone that chair Larry Masotti describes as both a celebration and an inflection point for the profession in Canada. The event, set for May 10–12 at the Fallsview Casino, will gather certificants, aspiring certificants and safety-focused leaders from across the country and abroad.
Conference to anchor 50th-anniversary celebrations
Masotti, chair of the BCRSP Board of Governors, calls it “absolutely a privilege” to be leading the organization in its 50th year, emphasizing that the anniversary is about honouring those who built the certification body while looking ahead to the next chapter. He sees the conference as a tangible way to do both, by placing long-standing safety concerns alongside emerging risks and leadership challenges.
The program reflects that balance. Over three days, delegates will hear from speakers “from all over the world” on topics ranging from occupational health and safety forensic investigations and expert witness work, to artificial intelligence and its implications for workplace safety. Sessions will also explore managing the psychological safety of immigrant workers to strengthen safety culture, as well as how to “speak the right language” to secure C-suite and senior leadership buy-in.
The conference will conclude with a closing keynote and remarks from Masotti, followed by optional tours in and around Niagara Falls. Those tours are aimed at attendees who have travelled significant distances and want to take advantage of the location either before or after the formal program.
Beyond the anniversary event, BCRSP’s board is using the milestone year to review and refine its strategic direction. Masotti says the Board of Governors recently completed a year-end strategic review and assessment focused on what “best serves our certificants,” grounded in principles of continuous improvement, sustainability and ethical decision-making. The board is meeting again this month to finalize its priorities, with a public update expected around March. Masotti hopes to be able to signal some of those directions in his opening or closing remarks at the May conference.
Safety profession broadens as risks and skills evolve
Reflecting on the broader state of occupational health and safety in Canada, Masotti characterizes the field as one that is steadily evolving. He notes that while traditional concerns such as slips, trips and falls and “pinch points” remain part of the conversation, the scope of practice has widened considerably. Today, safety professionals must grapple with technological advances like artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing and drone safety, alongside human-centred issues such as emotional intelligence, psychological safety, mental health, inclusion, diversity, equity, decolonization and accessibility.
“The spectrum is much broader now and requires a different set of skills,” Masotti says, adding that this expansion underscores the need for robust, nationally recognized credentials.
In that context, he describes BCRSP as a “very solid organization” that has been “run extremely well” over its five decades. The Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation, first introduced in 1976, has become the cornerstone of its certification offerings. More recently, BCRSP added the Canadian Registered Safety Technician (CRST) designation, which has since seen “substantial growth.”
One of the features Masotti highlights is the variety of pathways into the CRST, particularly for skilled trades. While minimum education requirements still apply, the structure allows tradespeople, such as welders, to pursue a technician-level credential and build a career in safety. He says this flexibility is “very exciting” given the attention currently being paid to the skilled trades in Canada.
Looking ahead, Masotti believes economic volatility and public health crises like the pandemic have heightened awareness of both occupational and public safety, and created opportunities for the profession. Across Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories, governments are increasingly talking about harmonization and standardization of safety-related requirements, he notes, and national designations such as the CRSP and CRST offer an established pathway for that discussion. “We’re not doing something new. We’re doing what we’ve always done,” he says, arguing that the consistency of BCRSP’s approach speaks to the value safety practitioners bring to workplaces.
National standards, title protection and the safety ‘change agent’
One of the defining issues he identifies for the profession is title protection for safety roles. BCRSP has been working for several years with governments in Ontario and Alberta on this front, aiming to secure formal recognition for qualified health and safety professionals. Masotti acknowledges that progress has been slow, citing the realities of government schedules and legislative cycles, but says the board continues to meet biweekly to monitor, strategize and plan next steps. There have already been both in-person and virtual meetings with officials in both provinces, and he characterizes the effort as “diligent” and ongoing.
At a more personal level, Masotti sees health and safety professionals as “the ultimate change agent” in the workplace. In his view, practitioners act as a conduit between the boardroom and the plant floor or field, occupying a unique space between senior leaders and workers. That role comes with significant responsibility but also, he says, “what an opportunity we have in any given workplace.”
As BCRSP moves through its 50th year, that sense of opportunity is likely to be a major theme. Registration for the Niagara Falls conference is now open on the BCRSP website, and the organization is positioning the event as a forum to examine how far the profession has come—and to debate what skills, structures and standards will be required for the next 50 years.
This article is part of our Monthly Spotlight series, which in January focuses on training, accreditations, and certifications.
