Safety Professional Certifications Compared: CSP, ASP, CHST, OHST, CIH and CHMM

Three organizations issue the credentials most often named in US EHS postings. The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) issues the Certified Safety Professional (CSP), the Associate Safety Professional (ASP), the Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) and the Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST).

The Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC) issues the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). BGC was formerly the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) and announced its new name in 2019, so you will still see the older name in some postings. The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) issues the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM).

A simple way to sort them: the CSP and ASP cover broad safety practice at the professional level, the CHST and OHST are technician-level credentials built on field experience, the CIH is the industrial hygiene credential, and the CHMM covers hazardous materials and environmental compliance work.

These are the core eligibility rules as each issuer lists them as of November 2026. Every issuer adds details, such as disclosure questions or documentation, so treat this as a starting point.

BCSP's Credentials At-A-Glance page lists exam time and fees for its credentials. The CSP exam is 5.5 hours and the ASP exam is 5 hours, each with a $160 application fee and a $350 exam fee. The CHST and OHST exams are 4 hours each, with a $140 application fee and a $300 exam fee. Renewal fees are $185 for the CSP, $175 for the ASP and $150 for the CHST and OHST. BCSP exams are computer delivered at Pearson test centers, and BCSP credentials are recertified every five years through recertification points.

BGC lists the CIH exam as 180 multiple-choice questions (150 scored plus 30 pilot questions) in two sections of 2.5 hours each. It runs in two testing windows a year, April 1 to May 31 and October 1 to November 30, with application deadlines of February 1 and August 1. BGC lists a $160 application fee and a $370 exam scheduling fee.

IHMM lists a $175 application fee and a $360 exam fee for the CHMM, and an annual maintenance fee of $160 for a single credential. CHMM holders recertify every five years with 200 certification maintenance points, of which their job counts for 100.

Fees are only part of the cost. Study materials, prep courses and time away from work often matter more, and many employers reimburse some of these. Ask about that before you pay.

These credentials are not a single ladder, but some of them link directly. The clearest link is the ASP to CSP path: BCSP requires a qualifying credential to sit for the CSP, and the ASP is the most common one. BCSP's list of qualifying credentials also includes the CIH and several international credentials, so an industrial hygienist who holds the CIH can move toward the CSP without taking the ASP first.

The CHST and OHST are not on BCSP's list of qualifying credentials for the CSP. They stand on their own as technician-level credentials, and many people hold one for years because it matches their work. If you later want the CSP, plan on the ASP as the next step once you meet its degree requirement.

The CIH and CHMM sit in different lanes from the BCSP credentials. Some senior EHS people hold a CSP with a CIH or a CHMM because their roles span safety, health and environmental work, but that combination usually follows the job rather than a plan to collect letters.

Start with the roles you want in three to five years, not with the credential that looks most prestigious. Then match the credential to the work.

When a posting says a credential is required, the employer usually means it, and applicant tracking filters may screen on it. When it says preferred, the credential is a tiebreaker, and evidence of the same skills in your experience can carry you to an interview.

A posting that lists "CSP or CIH" for one role is a signal worth reading closely. It often means the employer has not fully decided whether the role leans toward safety programs or health exposure work. Ask in the interview which problems take most of the role's time.

Experience rules are part of why these credentials carry weight. A CHST or OHST tells an employer you have spent years with real safety duties, and a CSP or CIH tells them an issuer checked your education, experience and exam results. On your resume, connect each credential to the work you did with it, not just the initials after your name.

Whichever you choose, read the issuer's current handbook before you apply. Eligibility details, fees and exam formats change, and the issuer is the only source that counts.