Demetra Johnson, member SME, is a health and safety professional with more than 13 years of safety leadership experience in the mining and construction industries. Like many other people, she had aspirations to create her own business. Johnson, who is so committed to health and safety that she goes by the nickname SafeDee, credits years of hard work, discipline and the Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential with helping her realize that goal.

“The CMSP helped me start my own business,” she told Mining Engineering magazine. “The CMSP designation paired with my other certifications has allowed me to finally begin working for myself with my company, Pro Safe Alliance. I got my first project safety consulting because of my mining background and the CMSP designation; the employer was looking for someone with top mining credentials and experience.”

The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential is designed as a way for safety professionals to indicate to their peers and prospective employees that, as a CMSP, you have the right combination of experience and knowledge of domestic and international best practices in mine safety and health to be considered as a top-level safety professional. The credential also shows that the person who holds the credential is dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job and at the mine site.

“This is the only mining-specific safety certification available,” said Johnson. “I encourage you to take the exam if you qualify and set yourself apart from your peers.”

For Johnson, the commitment to earning the certification paved the way for a new career path. For others, like Mike McGivern and Pete Steilman at Montana Resources copper and molybdenum mine in Butte, MT, the credential has helped them create a better safety culture at their mine site.

Montana Resources, a copper and molybdenum mine in Butte, MT is a shining example of what can be achieved when dedicated professional focus their efforts on safety. The mine achieved 10 years without a single lost-time incident for its 370 employees.

“It takes hard work, dedication, leadership and a solid safety program to achieve this type of milestone. It is difficult to pick a single component that enables a company to achieve a record such as this; however, having a professional safety staff is certainly an important part of that accomplishment. Mike McGivern and Pete Steilman are both Certified Mine Safety Professionals (CMSPs) and their dedication to the safety of our employees, their knowledge of mine safety regulations and practices were instrumental in helping our company achieve this record,” said Rolin Erickson, president of Montana Resources.

Pete Steilman, CMSP, had this to say about the certification and what it has meant to his career: “My supervisor recommended the Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) certification to broaden my safety knowledge. In 2012, I took the CMSP preparation training course and met the challenge of illustrating competency through the examination. During the training course I expanded my knowledge and skills to help elevate the safety culture and health standards at our mine. As a safety professional, I highly recommend CMSP to increase your safety leadership and knowledge base.”

For those interested in joining the CMSP ranks, SME will host its next CMSP Review Course at SME headquarters in Englewood, CO Sept. 17-19 with proper social distancing and COVID-19 safety measures in place. To learn more or to register for the upcoming review course visit http://www.smecmsp.org/index.cfm/review-course/.

To learn more about CMSP program, including the CMSP Exam and Body of Knowledge, visit http://www.smecmsp.org/.