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CUSP Eligibility Requirements

CUSP Offers Two Certifications

CUSP certification has two designations: CUSP Blue for those in a utility operations leadership role and CUSP Green, for those that are in a dedicated utility safety or training role. 

To be eligible for the CUSP exam, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

Operations Management, Supervisor, Foreman

Safety/Training Management

CUSP Blue Eligibility Requirements:
Operations Management, Supervisor, Foreman
  • At least 3 years of utility operations leadership experience
  • At least 1 year in a role where safety activities are a part of your job description, e.g., tailboards, safety committees, safety meetings
CUSP Green Eligibility Requirements:
Safety/Training Management
  • At least 3 years of experience in a dedicated safety or training leadership role in the utility industry
CUSP Blue Exam Preparation:

Some helpful preparation reference materials are available on this website and/or you may consider the optional CUSP Prep.

Preparation Materials

CUSP Prep

CUSP Green Exam Preparation:

Some helpful preparation reference materials are available on this website and/or you may consider the optional CUSP Prep.

Preparation Materials

CUSP Prep

CUSP Blue Base Exam Blueprint

This is the matrix by which the CUSP BLUE exam was developed. It is expected that a Utility Safety Professional will meet and/or exceed the required knowledge in these subject areas.

STANDARDS: 15%
  1. OSHA Federal Regulations
  2. Cranes and Derricks in Construction
  3. Performance and Consensus Standards
  4. OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements
  5. Certification or Qualification
  6. Legal Considerations
  7. Enforcement Policies of Regulatory Agencies
  8. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR)
  9. Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
HAZARD ID: 15%
  1. Typical Workplace Hazards
  2. Hazards vs. Risks
  3. Responsibilities
  4. Common Utility Industry Practices
  5. Monitoring
  6. Evaluating Program Effectiveness
INCIDENT PREVENTION: 10%
  1. Define Incident Prevention
  2. Fundamentals of Incident Prevention
  3. Tracking and Interpreting Incidents
  4. Incident Investigation
  5. Typical Incident Prevention Programs
LEADERSHIP SKILLS: 35%
  1. Communicating Safety Values and Expectations
  2. Identify/Explain Critical Safety Data Measurements
  3. Safety Program Accountability
  4. Proactive vs. Reactive
  5. Building Effective Relationships
HUMAN PERFORMANCE: 5%
  1. What is Human Performance?
  2. Recognizing Active and Latent Errors
  3. Understanding Latent Organizational Weaknesses
  4. Anatomy of Events
OPERATIONS: 20%
  1. Operations Responsibilities and Accountabilities in the Safety Process
  2. Understanding the Difference Between Compliance and Safety
  3. Implementing Operational Practices
  4. Gap Analysis
CUSP Green Base Exam Blueprint:
This is the matrix by which the CUSP GREEN exam was developed. It is expected that a Utility Safety Professional will meet and/or exceed the required knowledge in these subject areas.
STANDARDS: 20%
  1. OSHA Federal Regulations
  2. Cranes and Derricks in Construction
  3. Performance and Consensus Standards
  4. OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements
  5. Certification or Qualification
  6. Legal Considerations
  7. Enforcement policies of Regulatory Agencies
  8. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR)
  9. Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
HAZARD ID: 15%
  1. Typical Workplace Hazards
  2. Hazards vs. Risks
  3. Responsibilities
  4. Common Utility Industry Practices
  5. Monitoring
  6. Evaluating Program Effectiveness
INCIDENT PREVENTION: 15%
  1. Define Incident Prevention
  2. Fundamentals of Incident Prevention
  3. Tracking and Interpreting Incidents
  4. Incident Investigation
  5. Typical Incident Prevention Programs
LEADERSHIP SKILLS: 30%
  1. Communicating Safety Values and Expectations
  2. Identify/Explain Critical Safety Data Measurements
  3. Safety Program Accountability
  4. Defining Critical Behavior
  5. Proactive vs. Reactive
HUMAN PERFORMANCE: 10%
  1. What is Human Performance?
  2. Recognizing Active and Latent Errors
  3. Understanding Latent Organizational Weaknesses
  4. Anatomy of Events
OPERATIONS: 10%
  1. Operations Responsibilities and Accountabilities in the Safety Process
  2. Understanding the Difference Between Compliance and Safety
  3. Building Effective Relationships
  4. Implementing Operational Practices
  5. Gap Analysis

Click the ‘+’ to reveal the respective CUSP Exam Blueprint information

Endorsements

Gas

CUSP candidates will be asked to designate an endorsement exam from the above utility work environments.  Each endorsement exam consists of 30 multiple choice questions. Candidates must take and pass one endorsement exam along with the base exam.

Candidates can opt to take more than two endorsements, however, only two endorsements can be taken at the time of the base exam.

One endorsement is included in the price of the exam. If a candidate elects to take more than one endorsement, there is an additional fee for each additional endorsement taken. For more information, visit this page.

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