ASSE President's Blog

Fulfilling Our Duty

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

If someone asked you to describe ASSE, what would be your answer? Can you tell them how large the Society is, how old the organization is, how we operate?

ASSE is a great Society that has existed for more than 100 years. It has grown from a handful of insurance casualty inspectors in one city to nearly 34,000 members residing in more than 70 countries. We are a Society governed by its members, for its members and their profession. We have a 16-member board and all except ASSE's executive director, who is a nonvoting member, are volunteer leaders elected by the members. All of our councils, committees and task forces are composed of members volunteering their time.

The future of our Society is in our hands, yet only 17% to 19% of ASSE members vote in the annual election of the Society's leaders. As members, it is our right to vote in our chapter, region and Society elections. More importantly, it is our duty to vote. Not everyone has the opportunity to be a volunteer leader, but we can all vote. And it's not just the act of voting that is important. We need to cast informed votes.

To provide a level field and to act in complete fairness, ASSE restricts campaigning by and for candidates for office. So how can we each make an informed vote? First, read the biographies for each candidate in this issue of Professional Safety (starting on p. 33). Then, read the platform statements posted at www.asse.org. These statements provide insight into what each candidate believes and where s/he believes ASSE should be headed. Each year we vote for a senior vice president. This position leads automatically to the office of president-elect, then to president. In essence, we are voting for the future president of this Society. The winning candidate will lead the Council on Member and Region Affairs for a year. As president- elect, this individual will chair our Congress of Councils and lead the Society's strategic planning. As president, this leader will be our voice and the face of our Society.

Each year, we also vote for other board positions, but we stagger the elections so as to avoid replacing the entire board at once. This year, we are electing the vice president of the Council on Practices and Standards, the vice president of finance and the vice presidents of the even-numbered regions.

In odd-numbered election years, we elect the vice president of the Council on Professional Development, the vice president of the Council on Professional Affairs and the vice presidents of the odd-numbered regions.

Voting is easy once you know for whom you will cast your vote. Voting begins on March 1 and ends March 31. You have two choices in how to place your vote: 1) complete and mail back the paper ballot that arrives in your mailbox during the first week in March; or 2) vote electronically.

I prefer the electronic ballot - it arrives in my e-mail in-box just after midnight on March 1, no matter what day of the week it is. If you haven't signed up for electronic voting, there's still time. Go to www.asse.org and sign in to the Members Only section (using your member number and last name to log in). Then, select the 'Update Your Info' link and follow the prompts. Scroll down until you find the 'Society Annual Election Ballot' section and select your preferred voting method.

Helen Keller once said, "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." Voting in ASSE's elections may not be the great and noble task we each dream of, but it is our duty to accomplish this small task. This is our Society. Each of our voices matters. Vote this March.

As members, it is our right to vote in our chapter, region and Society elections. More importantly, it is our duty to vote.

Resolute in Our Goals

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

The new year is often a time for looking toward the future, whether it's making resolutions for change or trying some custom such as dropping molten lead into a bowl of cold water to determine what the future will bring. As a Society, ASSE doesn't wait until New Year's Eve to ponder the future and devise new goals. We continually look forward and plan because we know that the actions we take today are the foundation for our future.

One hundred years ago, our Society's goal was to engineer safe industrial workplaces. That goal has grown and evolved. The definition of safety within our bylaws illustrates those changes and how our focus on protecting people, property and the environment has expanded. Article I, Section 3, states:

The definition of the safety profession as used in these bylaws is:

'The safety profession is composed of individuals engaged in one or more of the specialties within the various sciences for the primary purpose of developing and/or implementing methods, procedures, systems, devices, and/or standards toward the reduction, control or elimination of hazardous exposures to people, property or the environment.'

A look at ASSE's practice specialties and branches illustrates the vast disciplines in which safety is involved. Visit www.asse.org/practicespecialties to learn more about any of these groups.


Practice Specialties

  

    
Academics
Construction
Consultants
Engineering 
Environmental
Ergonomics
Fire Protection
Healthcare
Industrial  Hygiene


    
International
Management
Manufacturing
Mining
Oil & Gas
Public Sector
Risk Management/Insurance
Transportation


  

Branches



  

    
Agricultural
Health & Wellness
Human Resources
Legal Services


    
Military
Service
Training & Communication
Utilities


  

Clearly, safety professionals no longer concentrate solely on industrial safety. We are engaged in protecting the public, the patrons of our establishments, the users of our companies' products, the environment we share and much more.

Safety may be a small word, yet it contains so much meaning. It is no different than the word doctor or lawyer, although it is not yet as clearly defined as either of those words. When someone meets a doctor or lawyer, s/he might ask, "What's your specialty?" When someone asks a safety professional about his/her occupation, the answer "I'm in safety" likely elicits a curious look followed by a response such as, "What is that?"

ASSE is working to define the standards of professional competency, including defining the various levels of safety professionals and practitioners. Through such initiatives, we will ensure that at some future point, when you are asked what you do, the discussion that follows will focus on your area of specialty within safety rather than on what the broader profession encompasses. As we define safety and its competencies, we will gain greater recognition and respect, which will increase our value to our employers and further raise the stature of our profession.

It is a new year, yet our resolutions to grow and evolve the definition of the SH&E profession have not changed. Not matter the obstacles encountered, we will continue to actively pursue these goals.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith." I have no doubt that together, we will grow ASSE's influence and position this Society as a thought leader of the SH&E profession. We will raise the bar on the practice of safety. We will demonstrate our value to our employers, our legislators and our communities. And we will contribute a meaningful voice to the international discourse on occupational safety and grow our global community.

Embrace the future, get involved and help ASSE achieve its goals.

It Takes a Village . . . of Volunteers

2011-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

Margaret Mead said, 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'

One hundred years ago, a small group of safety inspectors met in a room in New York City and founded the United Society of Casualty Inspectors. This group wanted to change the conditions of workers throughout the nation.

Today, their legacy lives on through ASSE and our efforts as SH&E professionals to improve workplace safety and share the message of safety in our local communities and around the globe.

How did a handful of safety inspectors create a global impact? They reached out and networked with others. Through their knowledge and expertise, they began to influence legislators and employers. They grew their numbers through networking, and began to form chapters in 1924.

Today, ASSE has nearly 34,000 members in 151 chapters, 60 sections, 32 student sections, 17 practice specialties, 8 branches and 4 common interest groups. Each of these groups is led by member volunteers'much like our founding group 100 years ago. Our volunteers at all levels are focused on helping this great Society achieve its goals.

ASSE is strong because our members volunteer their time and share their passion to help accomplish our goals, mission and vision. Right now, chapters, sections, practice specialties and committees are looking for members willing to step up, give back and help build the future. Soon, these groups will be calling for nominations of members willing to serve in various offices and to assume leadership roles. Some will be elected positions. Others will be appointed. All are important.

Jimmy Carter said, 'Throughout my life, I've seen the difference that volunteering efforts can make in people's lives. I know the personal value of service as a local volunteer.'

I know that statement to be true. I started out serving as a chapter newsletter editor. It fit in best with the demands of my job, higher education pursuits and a young family. Over time, I moved on to serve my chapter as program chair, treasurer, secretary, president-elect, president and delegate. Along the way, I learned valuable leadership skills that have served me well throughout my career.

I urge you to answer the call to service. Or, better yet, make that call yourself. Contact your chapter president, section president or practice specialty administrator and ask how you can help. You also can visit ASSE's Leadership Connection website (www.asse.org/leadershipconnection/MemberSignin.asp) to view a list of current volunteer opportunities.

'Volunteering can be an exciting, growing, enjoyable experience,' says Harriet Naylor. 'It is truly gratifying to serve a cause, practice one's ideals, work with people, solve problems, see benefits and know one had a hand in them.'

Add excitement to your life. Take a hand in changing ASSE's future. Volunteer today.

The World Is Flat—And That’s Okay

2011-11-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Thomas Friedman’s book, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century (2005), discusses how historic and geographical divisions are becoming irrelevant in business. These concepts also apply to our profession. Merhaba! Bon jour! Ciao! Zdravstvujtye! Sannu! Hello! I could fill my message this month just simply saying “hello” in all the languages spoken by our nearly 34,000 members in 75 countries.

The words we use to conduct business, training and develop programs are different, but the concepts that form the core basis for SH&E protection are the same. Even legislation and regulatory requirements are beginning to flatten our world as international harmonization standards are discussed and developed.

Addressing the flattening of the world is critical to better serving our members and advancing our profession. One of our Society goals is to “foster and sustain a global community among SH&E professionals.” According to our member surveys, networking—a sense of community—is one of the greatest benefits of membership.

Networking is essential to our professional growth. Through networking, we develop understanding and increase our knowledge and skills. SH&E is too broad for any single one of us to know it all. We need one another to achieve our goals of protecting people, property and the environment.

In many areas, that sense of community is achieved through local chapter meetings. While those meetings remain a viable tool for networking, ASSE is working to provide opportunities for those who are geographically isolated. And geographical isolation is not necessarily a matter of distance. Many of us live in congested urban areas where traveling 20 miles to a meeting across town can take 2 hours. One way ASSE is facilitating member networking is through our many LinkedIn groups which enable members to share best practices and exchange ideas on real-life problems and solutions.

Networking is not limited to chapter, region and Society events, or even online communities. ASSE also is reaching out to other SH&E organizations around the world to create better understanding, increase the knowledge available to our members and advance the profession globally.

For example, ASSE is a founding member of the International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organizations (INSHPO), along with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering and the U.K.’s Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. INSHPO was formed in 2001 to provide an international network for generalist practitioners in occupational safety and health.

Since then, it has grown as more and more practitioner organizations from around the globe join, including groups in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Korea, Russia, Mauritius and Singapore, as well as additional SH&E-focused groups in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

You can learn more about INSHPO at www.inshpo.org. We are currently working with INSHPO colleagues to define core competencies for the SH&E profession. This will facilitate employment transferability and increase the knowledge and skills of SH&E professionals around the globe.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” ASSE is moving into a future where the world is flat, where we must know more and understand more, must know it all more quickly and must work with a more diverse group of people to accomplish our work.

Stepping Into Our Future

2011-10-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past year, we've been looking back at where we started and how far we've come. In 1911, ASSE was a small group of insurance inspectors in New York City. In 2011, ASSE is a diverse group of more than 34,000 members in more than 70 countries. We've grown from a local group into a global organization. We no longer have "national" committees, we have "Society" committees composed of members from around the world. The term national no longer encompasses who we are or the members we serve. It's exciting to see how far we've come.

ASSE is strong thanks to the foundation laid over the past 100 years. Our history provides us with a road map that guides us toward achieving our vision to be a global advocate of safety professionals and a leading voice of this profession. ASSE emerged in the wake of the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The tragic deaths of 146 young workers moved people toward meaningful action and forever changed workplace safety. That was our beginning. Our founders knew that more could be done to protect workers. And it is that spirit which we proudly carry on today.

Many things have changed since ASSE was formed. Our lives no longer resemble those of our founding members. But the fundamental vision that brought them together—the desire to create and sustain safe, healthy workplaces—continues to unite us all. Thanks to the efforts of ASSE and its members, corporations around the world are embracing safety as good business. This has spurred the need for safety expertise across all business sectors and around the world.

Getting where we are today did not happen by magic or happenstance. It took planning and the hard work of thousands of members volunteering their time and sharing their passion to make a difference. It was best said anonymously, "The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created—created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating."

One of our goals for the future is to be the recognized source of SH&E knowledge and resources, to raise the bar on the practice of safety through knowledge sharing. This month, we will take another step toward that goal when we launch ASSE's body of knowledge tool at the Leadership Conference. This tool will compile current knowledge in one location where it can be easily searched and accessed. Think about that for just a moment. How many times have you searched for SH&E information on the Internet only to find yourself drowning in useless information that left you starving for knowledge? Our body of knowledge tool is a life preserver in an ever-growing sea of information.

When the tool launches, it will contain papers gleaned from ASSE professional development conference proceedings, practice specialty newsletter articles, Professional Safety articles and more than 200 articles gathered from other sources. It will also incorporate glossaries from ANSI A10 and Z359.0. To facilitate quick retrieval of pertinent information, it is searchable by more than 2,300 keywords.

This is only the beginning. Our knowledge tool will offer new features as technology evolves. Its value and resources will continue to grow as our members create new materials and as new content is added from other sources.

Back in 1911, our founders probably wondered what ASSE would look like in 2011 and beyond, much like we all wonder what ASSE will be in another 100 years. But as Antoine de Saint-Exupery said, "As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it." Our future is bright, not because of magic or happenstance, but because of each of you and your imagination, passion and commitment.

"The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created—created first in mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating." --Anonymous

One of ASSE's goals for the future is to be the recognized source of SH&E knowledge and resources. This month, we will take another step toward that goal when we launch ASSE's body of knowledge tool.

Universal Goals Provide Unified Direction

2011-09-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

We start our next century with new strategic goals designed to carry us well into our new century of fulfilling our mission and vision. These goals are statements of what we visualize we will achieve.

GOAL 1: ASSE will be recognized as the thought leader of the profession by initiating new ideas, innovations and solutions to guide SH&E professionals.

GOAL 2: ASSE will define the standards of professional competency, and be the authoritative resource for SH&E professionals seeking training, education and development.

GOAL 3: ASSE will be the recognized source of SH&E knowledge and resources.

GOAL 4: ASSE will be the voice of the SH&E profession.

GOAL 5: ASSE will foster and sustain a global community among SH&E professionals.

GOAL 6: ASSE will expand its sphere of influence through diverse and responsible Society growth.

“Thought leader” sums up our first goal. We aim to be recognized as leading the profession by raising issues and stimulating discussion. We envision that ASSE will lead by asking wide-ranging, forward-thinking and thought-provoking questions, and engaging in international discourse.

Through goal two, ASSE will promote the value our profession brings to employers and to our communities. Defining the standards of professional competency is critical to expressing our profession’s value and to protecting our future.

Goal three recognizes the importance of our body of knowledge initiative. Over time, we will establish comprehensive and accessible knowledge tools while still allowing growth and expansion of the definition of knowledge and resources.

Advocacy characterizes goal four. We strive to be the voice of and advocate for the profession in order to increase awareness of and to advance our profession.
Goal five summarizes our desire to meet member needs for networking and a sense of community regardless of where members reside or the branch of the profession in which they practice.
Goal six expresses our desire to grow globally and across all SH&E practices. Diversifying our membership adds richness and depth to our members’ experience and resources.
These are lofty goals and they will be challenging. As we developed these new goals, one member told me he thought they were too high. My response is that striving for anything less would be to strive for mediocrity. Doing so would be a disservice to our profession, our members and the people we protect each day. As Ovid said, “I attempt an arduous task; but there is no worth in that which is not a difficult achievement.”
In the past, you may have seen or heard our councils and committees take ownership of specific Society goals. However, isolating goals and objectives to specific groups, whether in our Society’s strategic planning or within our own organizations, wastes resources through duplicate efforts and lost opportunities.

Our new goals and objectives are universal. They do not belong to any one council or committee, and they are not isolated to those units at the Society level of governance. They belong to us all. We all have a role to play in their achievement. To make the best use of our resources and to accelerate our progress toward achieving our goals and objectives, we will work cooperatively across all segments of our Society and membership. (You can review our goals and objectives at www.asse.org/about/strategic_plan.php.)

I challenge each council, committee, region, chapter, section, practice specialty, common interest group and task force to examine their individual strategic plans to determine how their goals and objectives align with the Society’s goals and objectives. How will each of our Society units work in support of our goals? What units do they need to work with in order to better attain their goals and objectives?

And I challenge each of you as individual members to examine your personal strategic plans. We each have a role to play, we each are valuable, in helping ASSE achieve its mission, vision and goals. What will your actions be? How will you support our goals and objectives over the course of the next year, the next 3 years or the next 5 years? How will you be involved? William James advises, “Act as though what you do makes a difference, and it does.” I challenge you all to make a difference.

“Who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it.” -Burmese saying

Grow Your Leadership Skills

2011-08-01T07:28:00.001-07:00

Leadership abilities are a critical skill for SH&E professionals. Because few of us have direct line responsibilities, we achieve our goals by convincing others to follow our lead willingly.
There are many leadership theories. The “great man” theory suggests that leadership skills are inherent—we are born with them. The “trait” theory posits that leaders inherit certain traits and qualities which give them the potential to be leaders. The “behavioral” theory suggests that great leaders are made, not born.

Whether you are a natural-born leader, have leadership traits or need behavioral training, you still must grow those skills. This can be achieved in several ways with varying degrees of success. For example, you can take classes at a local college; most degree programs offer leadership as an elective course. Hundreds of leadership courses are available online. Various organizations offer leadership symposia as well.

Books are another resource. Barnes & Noble alone offers 70,101 books on leadership. That’s a lot of reading. But Jeb Blount, keynote speaker at ASSE’s 2010 Future Safety Leaders Conference, provides a road map for absorbing the knowledge in books. He says most leadership and management books can be read in 1 week by devoting just 15 to 20 minutes per day to reading. That means you can read 52 books per year.

When it comes to hands-on opportunities, getting involved in your local ASSE chapter or section is a great way to build your leadership skills. Volunteering in your ASSE chapter/section provides an opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills in a safe environment—you don’t have to worry about getting fired or demoted. Many leadership roles are available within the chapter and section structure, so you can start small and build. I started as my chapter’s newsletter editor.

Many employers look for areas where job candidates have exhibited leadership skills outside the workplace. Your ASSE leadership experience can bolster your chances of landing a job or getting a promotion. Your chapter/section experience is especially valuable when you have a limited work history.

Another way to grow these critical skills is to attend ASSE’s annual Leadership Conference. Each fall, chapter, section and practice specialty leaders gather for this free conference. Over the years, the conference has transitioned from a focus on how to complete chapter officer duties to a focus on leadership skills that can be applied at work as well as at the chapter, section or practice specialty level.

When selecting who should attend the conference, I encourage you to send your future leaders—those rising through the ranks—to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary leadership skills before they become president-elect and president. Consider the great example set by the Midnight Sun Chapter. Several years ago, the chapter sent a student member to ASSE’s Leadership Conference. That student became a full member after graduation and eventually became the chapter’s president.

This year’s Leadership Conference will be held Oct. 13-15 in Lombard, IL (Chicago area). Registration will open this month. Who will your chapter, section or practice specialty send to the conference? (Remember, CSPs and CIHs earn CEUs for attending.)

ASSE also hosts the Future Safety Leaders Conference for student members each year. This year’s conference will be Nov. 3-4 in Rosemont, IL. During this free conference, student members receive guidance on preparing resumes, interviewing, career building and leadership.
Attendance is limited, so students who wish to attend must complete a selection essay sheet and worksheet, located at www.asse.org/membership/student_fslc.php. All essays and worksheets must be sent to chapterservices@asse.org by Sept. 12, 2011.

Our main role as SH&E professionals is to convince others to do what is needed to preserve life, property and the environment. You can’t drive them to it, but you can lead them to it.
As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” Make sure you have that skill.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
Jack Welch

Our Values Remain Unchanged

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are standing on the brink of our next century of protecting people, property and the environment. We’ve come a long way from the small group of insurance inspectors who on Oct. 14, 1911, founded the United Society of Casualty Inspectors. We changed our name in 1914 to ASSE. Our first chapters were formed in New York and Boston in 1924. Today, we have 34,000 members in 75 countries. We have 151 chapters, 28 chapter sections and 58 student sections.

During our history, our mission and vision have changed focus, but our core values have remained the same. These values are the foundation of our Society. They are the foundation on which we work and conduct business. These values are so primary, so important, that throughout the changes in the global society, government regulations, politics and technology, they remain the values to which we abide.

Service to humanity:
- We are dedicated to protecting people, property and the environment.
- We reach out globally, providing opportunities to collaborate with and engage anyone involved in SH&E.

Value of the profession:
- We believe a safe and healthy place to work is a fundamental right.
- We believe that sound SH&E practices are both socially responsible and good business.
- We value employers’ commitment to sound SH&E practices.
- We are committed to advancing the profession through innovation, thought leadership, and objective, unbiased, science-based approaches to SH&E practices.

Members:
- We believe our Society is driven by our members.
- We strive to meet member needs for training and development, networking and community.
- We believe in the strength of diversity and reach out to include all members.
- We believe students and new professionals provide a pipeline to the future.
- We believe that mentoring and growing our member base is critical for the continuity of our profession.

Professional development:
- We believe growth of our body of knowledge and the professional development of SH&E practitioners advance the profession.
- We believe that continuous learning is critical for the development of the safety professional.

Ethical behavior:
- We aspire to the highest degree of professional conduct, ethical practice and integrity.
- We resolve to provide prudent stewardship of Society resources.

These values underlie our mission, our vision, our work, how we interact with each other and the strategies we employ to fulfill our mission. They are the ideals we use in everything we do each day.

As we move into our next century of service to humanity, we will focus on the future of the SH&E profession and the competency of the SH&E professional.

In Race for Relevance, Harrison Coerver and Mary Byers discuss the limited discretionary time available to today’s workers. They reference The State of Working America 2008-2009, which reported that Americans worked 568 more hours in 2006 than 1979. More households are two-income. Technology allows work to follow us home and on vacation. This shift is not isolated to the U.S. With the time demands of jobs and family, finding time to improve professional skills is increasingly difficult. Yet, failure to do so threatens our vision of the future.

As we move into the next century of safety, we will utilize technology to service members in ways that are respectful of their valuable time. For example, we will launch our electronic body of knowledge, our “safety-pedia” during the coming year. This collection of SH&E resources and information will save our members valuable research time. We will continue to offer educational opportunities in the form of webinars that members can view from their offices, saving time and travel expenses. We will use technology to improve the way we conduct Society business, engaging our governing body via websites and other technological tools to increase our ability to act nimbly in the advancement our mission.

The needs of ASSE members are changing. The ways in which we conduct business are changing. And that change is occurring at an ever-increasing pace. In the whirlwind of change, it’s good to know that our values remain unchanged.

The Future Is Bright

2011-06-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

It has been a long journey since Dr. John (Jack) Beno at Iowa State University advised me about a safety career as well as since my first Greater Detroit Chapter meeting in May 1988 when Frank Cleary, P.E., CSP, outgoing chapter president, mentioned that the chapter needed help with its newsletter. But, as I complete my 23rd year of ASSE service, I reflect on this past year as ASSE President and know that the future is bright. Let me share a few highlights:

• Center for Safety and Health in Sustainability. To raise awareness of the importance of workplace safety and health in the business community, add recognition to the SH&E profession and add value to SH&E professionals, ASSE established the Center for Safety and Health in Sustainability. The center will provide a strong voice and comprehensive leadership for safety and health in shaping sustainability policies; educate the business community on the importance of safety as part of good corporate governance and corporate social responsibility/sustainability; and recognition as a thought leader for sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

• Body of Knowledge. The Body of Knowledge (BOK) goal is to be the premier resource for practicing professionals. The BOK is a single point of entry to access SH&E information and will be a knowledge exchange platform that uses the latest technology to bring SH&E professionals together on a global stage and improve value. The project is progressing and we are building content for select areas.

• Professional competencies. A short-term action is publishing the Employer’s Guide to Hiring a Safety Professional to help a company hire a competent professional to manage its safety and health risks. A long-term action item is to collaborate with professional associations to define our practice and develop core competencies for the SH&E professional.

• Professional organization and membership. Membership is the largest in ASSE history with 34,000 members. The member profile includes: 87% having college education; 46% having an SH&E certification, with the CSP designation being held by 25%; 42% having a job title of safety engineer/specialist or director/manager/department head/chief, safety; and 33% being professional members.

• Global presence. The Society continues to expand its international influence. The delegation to China was very successful and a similar delegation to Brazil is scheduled for November 2011. The Board of Directors approved the charter of the Philippines Chapter and memorandums of understanding were approved between ASSE and the Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals and the Abu Dhabi EHS Center. Furthermore, ASSE will collaborate with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, Canadian Society of Safety Engineering and Safety Institute of Australia to pursue projects of mutual interest that will advance the SH&E profession.

In addition to the Society highlights, the profession continues to build momentum. Money Magazine (Nov. 2010) identified the environmental health and safety specialist and risk management manager as two of the top 18 jobs in terms of 10-year growth. Also, the SH&E profession was among a “dozen hot careers for college graduates” (University of California San Diego Extension, 2009).

The volunteer leaders, members and professional staff have made our 100th anniversary a memorable year. The contributions and commitment of many people are the reason ASSE accomplished much during 2010-11 and will continue to be relevant for many years.

I want to express special thanks for the support, hard work and accomplishments of the 2011 President’s Award recipients: Wayne Jones, James Ramsay, Kathy Seabrook, F.E.K. (Felix) Nakpodia, Abdullah Ghamdi, Anil Mathur, Enrique Santacana, Terry Wigfall, Tom Cecich, Pam Walaski and Chris Patton. I am also appreciative of ABB’s support over the years and the understanding of my family, Kimberly, Oneka and Desmond.

The Board of Directors will continue to identify benefits and services that provide value to the membership. The strength of ASSE during the past 100 years is its focus to be a member-driven professional organization. I encourage each of you to begin or grow your ASSE involvement and support Terrie, Rick and Kathy during the upcoming year. ASSE’s future is bright.

Looking to the Future: ASSE 2020

2011-05-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

It’s fun to think about the future isn’t it? As kids, we imagine what life will be like when we “grow up,” as we dream of futuristic cars and similar flights of fancy, or ponder what career we will pursue. As adults, we wonder about things such as where we will be in 5 years, what our kids will do and the next great breakthrough in technology.

As president during ASSE’s 100th anniversary year, I have thought often about what the future holds for ASSE. What issues and topics will SH&E professionals and our Society face during the next 5, 10 or even 20 years? How does our work today ensure ASSE’s continued growth and prosperity?

Scenarios about the future are many, but one thing is certain. To advance ASSE’s mission and vision, we need your active participation. Whether it’s volunteering at the chapter, region or Society level, contributing articles to Professional Safety and the practice specialty publications, participating in projects such as the Body of Knowledge, or engaging in dialogue with colleagues at conferences, webinars and through social media, you drive ASSE.

Last year, I posted this question on ASSE’s LinkedIn site: If you had to choose a single area of focus for ASSE in the next 10 years, what would it be? The question was intentionally open-ended to allow for diverse responses. I wanted to encourage idea exchange and critical thinking that would generate feedback about future strategic directions for ASSE.

You exceeded those hopes through more than 110 responses that exhibited tremendous breadth and depth of thought. ASSE members clearly have a passion for the SH&E profession.
Let me share just a few examples:

•Mario Varela, M.S., M.B.A., CSP, stated, “There is a need to lure new membership from active SH&E professionals, as well as from engineering, SH&E, science and related disciplines. Also, it is important to generate more interest [among] high-school students to pursue the SH&E profession.”

•Todd Loushine, Ph.D., P.E., CSP, CIH, agreed with the need to attract high-school students to SH&E degree programs. He added, “I would like to see more support for faculty/researchers at universities.”

•Similarly, Jim Leemann, Ph.D., said, “There is a need to figure out how to encourage undergraduates to pursue curricula that will prepare them to become safety professionals.”

Many comments addressed certification and licensure. Currently, states do not require safety professionals to be licensed, but through BCSP, the profession has established its own process to provide a means of professional competency.

In his response to my question, Barry Spurlock, CSP, outlined a case for moving beyond the certification/qualification mentality toward licensure. But David Anspaugh cautioned, “Business over the next 10 to 20 years [will] change so drastically and rapidly that the need for safety professionals will become a luxury as opposed to an essential element unless we totally rethink what our contribution is going to be to the enterprise. The more we concentrate on certifications and licenses, the greater the luxury we become.”

Other popular topics included corporate social responsibility, sustainability, promoting risk assessment as a value-added activity, business of safety and continuing/improving marketing of the SH&E profession.

ASSE also will continue to pursue strategic alliances, partnerships and delegations to support its vision and mission. For example, ASSE’s Human Resources Branch reached out to the Society for Human Resource Management to propose a partnership between the two organizations. On the international front, a People to People delegation is planned for Brazil during November 2011, following our successful delegation to China in November 2010.

The year 2020 is less than 9 years away. ASSE is committed to providing products and services to support you and help advance your careers, which, in turn, will advance the SH&E profession. We also will keep an eye on the future to ensure that we add value to our stakeholders and position ASSE and the SH&E profession for growth and prosperity into 2020 and beyond.

To advance ASSE’s mission and vision, we need your active participation. You drive ASSE.

Celebrating Safety & Our Profession

2011-04-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

ASSE was formed in October 1911, just a few months after the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed the lives of 146 garment workers in New York City. These workers perished due in large part to unsafe working conditions, locked exit doors and inadequate fire escapes—all of which could have been prevented.

Much has changed for the better in occupational safety and health in the past century, including the continued growth of the SH&E profession. Yet, despite our progress, more than 3 million U.S. workers suffered workplace injuries or illnesses and more than 4,000 lost their lives in 2009. That’s 12 people each day. Clearly there’s more work to be done.

As ASSE celebrates its 100th anniversary and we reflect on a century of protecting people, property and the environment, I urge you to participate in North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 1-7, and Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day, May 4. NAOSH Week and OSHP Day are just two of the many ways that ASSE, its members and partners have raised awareness of the importance of being safe on the job. These observances also are a great opportunity for each of us to help others understand the SH&E profession and the important role we play in keeping people safe at work.

Your efforts over the past few years in supporting NAOSH Week, OSHP Day and the annual Safety-on-the-Job kids’ poster contest have made a major difference in many lives. This year, we received 2,000 entries in the kids’ poster contest. The winning entries are featured on the NAOSH Week poster and participants will be honored at NAOSH Week kick-off events in Washington, DC, in a few weeks.

With your help, we can make NAOSH Week better than ever. No effort is too small or too big. You can distribute the NAOSH Week poster in your community, hold safety days, or use the ASSE Safety Suitcase to teach children about working safely and the SH&E profession. Whether it’s through community outreach, hosting events or providing information to stakeholders worldwide, you can help prevent tragedies by proactively spreading the word about the importance of working safely.

NAOSH Week is approaching fast. Be sure to visit www.asse.org/naosh11, where you will find many resources, including a draft proclamation, statistics, idea starters and suggestions for planning activities in your community or workplace. Here are just a few quick ideas: Host a safety meeting or SH&E breakfast at work; create safety tables or bulletin boards in your workplace or local library; or sponsor a food drive in honor of NAOSH Week and OSHP Day. You can also work with state and local government officials to obtain proclamations in honor of NAOSH Week.

These are just a few ways that you can participate in NAOSH Week. Through your dedicated involvement, we will continue to reach millions of people with our important workplace safety messages. The more members who participate, the more employees, managers, CEOs, regulators and legislators we will reach. Join us!

Spreading the Word About ASSE & SH&E

2011-03-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

Consider that there are about 6.8 billion people in the world, including 312 million in the U.S. How many know about the SH&E profession and ASSE? It is hard to tell, but we know it’s many more than knew in 1911 or even in 1991. Through various public, media and community relations programs, the SH&E profession and ASSE have been in the news often in the past 20 years.

One key way that ASSE reaches the public and key decision makers is through print, electronic and social media, as well as through various partnerships and programs. The goal of these efforts is to provide factual information about our profession and Society. These efforts are successful thanks to you. We tap into your expertise to develop key messages and provide the facts on many SH&E issues.

Our profession is extremely diverse as are ASSE’s messages and targeted communications. ASSE continues to develop communications not only to meet the needs of the members, but also to target the right medium for the right message and to look ahead to provide new stories to the media. ASSE and the SH&E profession have been featured in a wide range of outlets, from the New York Times and Forbes, to CBS News and CNN.

Thanks to our proactive strategy, we are able to connect reporters with our expert members on a wide range of SH&E topics. Such representation leads to greater recognition and respect for our profession and ASSE. We also work with ASSE chapters to link local experts with their local media, and provide tips and guidance to members on how to communicate most effectively with the media and other interested parties.

But public relations is much more than working with the media. It involves developing and building relationships with communities, businesses and decision makers to reach new audiences and advance the positive image of ASSE and our profession around the world.

It also involves working with other organizations to educate the public, including children. One great example of our public outreach efforts is the Safety Suitcase, which members use to teach young people about workplace safety and the SH&E profession. Other examples include North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, the annual NAOSH Week Safety-on-the-Job kids’ poster contest and Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day. You can learn more about these activities at www.asse.org/naosh11.

Our public relations efforts have also led to a wide range of informational brochures covering topics such as roadway safety, young worker safety and eye safety, and an online teen safety educational game (www.dontbeazombieatwork.org). We also issue nearly 500 news releases each year, covering the full spectrum of occupational safety and health issues and concerns. You can learn more about all of these efforts at www.asse.org/newsroom.

Our latest endeavor is the new Celebrating 100 Years of Safety video. The video traces the evolution of the modern occupational safety and health movement, highlighting some of the most pivotal times in American history as well as key events in ASSE’s history. I encourage each of you to view the video at www.asse.org/ASSECenturyofSafety.

As a result of our multidimensional approach to public relations, we are promoting workplace safety, gaining recognition, and educating stakeholders about what SH&E professionals do to help ensure that people return home from work safely each day. Get involved today and help us spread the word about ASSE and our great profession.

Our public relations efforts are successful thanks to you. We tap into your expertise to develop key messages and provide the facts.

Safety 2011 - An Event for the Ages

2011-02-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

Building skills and knowledge, and making connections. That's what is most important to ASSE members, according to a recent independent survey. How can you best achieve these goals? By taking advantage of ASSE's professional development offerings. Under the guidance of the Council on Professional Development, ASSE's education events address trends and utilize technology to meet member needs. Our goal is to get you the right information at the right time. For example, at the fall symposium, attendees learned new perspectives on human error and its critical role in workplace safety and health. Recent virtual symposia have taken a look at healthcare worker safety, safety in the petroleum industry and transportation safety best practices.

Through such events, ASSE delivers expertise to help you stimulate your thinking and build your knowledge. In addition, the Society offers seminars in the Certificate in Safety Management and the Executive programs, as well as exam preparation workshops and topical webinars.

The crown jewel of ASSE's continuing education efforts is our annual professional development conference and exposition. You've probably seen the ads urging you to "make no small plans" when it comes to Safety 2011. That's because this year's conference will be our largest ever.

Safety 2011 will be held in Chicago, June 12-15, and it will be the centerpiece event of ASSE's 100th anniversary year. Safety 2011 will offer far more than any other ASSE conference.

You can expect more of everything—from expanded educational sessions and networking opportunities, to seminar programs and technical tours—as well as events to celebrate the Society's anniversary. The special 100th Anniversary Gala at Chicago's Navy Pier promises to be a night of excitement, camaraderie and entertainment.

What else can you expect at Safety 2011? On Monday, June 13, you'll hear the 100th anniversary State of the Society speech. Keynote speaker Daniel Pink will share innovative ideas about changing the world of work. There will also be recognition luncheons for practice specialties, chapters and regions, as well as a special plenary panel session with leaders from OSHA and NIOSH.

On Tuesday, you will learn about ASSE's vision for the next 100 years. Nancy Goodman Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Kommen Foundation, will share her inspiring story about how one person can make a difference. Also back for Safety 2011 is the Executive Summit, which is a great opportunity to learn how corporate executives view safety and the SH&E profession. Throughout the conference, you will be able to choose from expanded educational tracks, including special tracks for executives, presentations on business skills, and sessions covering various technical and managerial topics. New to Safety 2011 is a track on corporate social responsibility, as well as a special track highlighting the history of safety and the SH&E profession.

And let's not forget the technical tours, put together by local ASSE chapters. During the tours, you are able to observe different workplaces and gain new ideas to apply to your safety management challenges. You can select from more than a dozen tours, including the Deep Tunnel Facility, Museum of Science and Industry, Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy, Soldier Field, U.S. Cellular Field and Willis Tower. New this year are two youth technical tours at Soldier Field and U.S. Cellular Field for those age 15 to 18.

These are just a few highlights of our profession's premier educational and networking event. Safety 2011 is an event you simply can't miss. Make plans to attend. I look forward to seeing you in Chicago this June!

"We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself." Lloyd Alexander

The Business of Safety

2011-01-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

We all know and believe that safety is good business. Yet, for many years, despite an identified need to demonstrate the value of safety in business terms, we had little information and only a few anecdotal stories to support the concept.

To address this need, ASSE established the Business of Safety Committee (BOSC) in 2004. The committee immediately began to collect and disseminate information through its website, found at www.asse.org/bosc. Since then, the resources housed on the site have grown exponentially. Topics include impact of safety, corporate social responsibility, good corporate governance, management perspective, performance metrics and SH&E staffing. I encourage you to bookmark the website and visit it often.

In addition, the Society offers many professional development opportunities to help ASSE members increase their knowledge in the business arena. For example, the annual conference features an executive summit that brings together a panel of corporate executives who share their thoughts on how SH&E professionals can influence management. Courses at SeminarFest and safety management symposia explore related topics as do articles published in PS.

All of these resources are designed to help us better communicate the value of the SH&E profession, which is critical to our continued success. As I wrote in “Time to Transform: Assessing the Future of the Safety Profession” (PS, November 2002), “SH&E practitioners who are problem solvers, have multiple skills and demonstrate results woven into the organization’s financial goals will be viewed by the corporation as a valuable asset.” ASSE has the resources to help you educate management and demonstrate that supporting SH&E efforts is a sound investment. I urge you to take advantage of these resources.

Beyond these many resources, however, more can be done. That’s why BOSC is focusing on two initiatives:

1) LinkedIn. During summer 2010, BOSC launched a LinkedIn group. It is becoming an excellent forum for exchanging ideas and information regarding business of safety topics. We anticipate that this forum will continue to mature over time.

2) Social responsibility. SH&E professionals’ jobs are morphing again as social responsibility takes hold. The draft ISO 26000 standard, Guidance on Social Responsibility, was released in mid-2010. BOSC members are reviewing it to determine how it will affect the SH&E profession. Their goal is to provide members with strategies and methodologies for addressing social responsibility and sustainability, as both disciplines provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate our value.

In related efforts, ASSE is exploring opportunities to engage with the Business Roundtable, an organization comprised of Fortune 500 executives, on topics such as return on investment, sustainability and risk assessment. In addition, the ASSE Foundation Research Committee has issued a request for proposals on topics relevant to the business of safety, and BOSC plans to deliver a webinar and is collecting topic ideas through LinkedIn.

Academia is addressing the business side of safety as well. For example, Oakland University’s Occupational Safety and Health Program has partnered with the university’s School of Business Administration to offer an M.S. in Safety Management. This program incorporates a solid foundation of core M.B.A. courses to help students develop management, analytical and communication skills, all of which are essential to helping business leaders recognize SH&E programs as a critical business need. The application of business skills, combined with safety-related case studies in risk assessment, loss control, risk management, and safety program planning, administration and management prepare future professionals to succeed in today’s multifaceted workplace.

ASSE will continue to explore opportunities to help SH&E professionals make sound management decisions as they facilitate workplace safety in a cost-effective way. Safety is good business.

ASSE offers a variety of resources and tools designed to help us better communicate the value of the SH&E profession.

“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.”
Colin Powell

Students Are Our Future

2010-12-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

By engaging students during their school years, ASSE provides a framework to help them expand their knowledge, develop competencies and get a start on becoming valuable corporate contributors.

As we approach 2011, more organizations are developing safety teams and applying behavior management to ensure a safe work environment. People must take ownership of and personal accountability for safety and health at their worksites. They must understand that they contribute to safety challenges and, therefore, must be part of the solution. Continuously improving a safety program requires the study of behavior with emphasis on understanding organizational and safety culture.

The complexities of such efforts require that SH&E professionals today and in the future have knowledge beyond a high school diploma. The day has passed when someone can simply be assigned SH&E responsibilities without a degree and related competencies. According to ASSE’s online directory of colleges and universities, 191 schools have degree programs that promote in some way increased SH&E knowledge and overall professional competencies. These programs provide an excellent opportunity for young people interested in becoming SH&E professionals.

As companies recognize the critical nature of our profession, job opportunities will continue to increase. This trend is driving an increase in ASSE’s student membership, which grew 21% this past year. ASSE currently has more than 2,500 student members in 60 student sections. Several ongoing ASSE initiatives support this growth, including the Safety Suitcase program, teen safety awareness program and the annual NAOSH Week observance, as well as the ASSE Foundation scholarship programs and the efforts of our student section academic advisors. These activities help educate young people about our dynamic profession.

The Society values the opportunity to help students launch their careers. By engaging students during their school years, ASSE provides a framework to help them expand their knowledge, develop the competencies they need to thrive in the workplace and get a start on becoming valuable corporate contributors. Chapters and members also play a role in nurturing our student members. Mentoring and internships add value to the learning experience and provide future SH&E professionals and Society leaders opportunities to expand their networks.

Over the past few months, I’ve had several opportunities to interact with our student members. I visited North Carolina State A&T University and the joint Tulsa-Oklahoma City Chapter meeting. Attendees included students from Oklahoma State University, University of Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State University. I also participated in the National Future Safety Leaders Conference in Schaumburg, IL, which drew more than 120 students representing 24 colleges and universities, along with faculty advisors, ASSE leaders and members. Student participants learned, shared and networked with peers with whom they will develop long-term friendships as they prepare to enter the SH&E profession.

During these interactions, I’ve been impressed with the student’s overall knowledge and passion, as well as with their enthusiasm for SH&E. “I look forward to creating a safety culture employees want to participate in, not one they feel forced to participate in,” Julie Barbaro, Oakland University Student Section President, recently told me. “I want to positively influence people’s opinions about safe work practices. I hope my personable demeanor and passion for the safety field help to motivate others to be safe at work.” Alexa Celine Cherry, North Carolina A&T State University Student Section President, shared a similar vision. “I want to be the team player who helps solve problems with one common goal of a safe workplace. [I want] to make safety work at the workplace, through education, communication and listening.”

I urge all of you to support our student members. Make yourself available as a mentor, provide an internship opportunity and/or donate to the ASSE Foundation to support its scholarship programs. Today’s student members are tomorrow’s professional members. They will assume leadership positions throughout the business world and within ASSE. By actively engaging and supporting these young members we will advance our profession and the Society’s mission. Students are our future.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
—William Butler Yeats

The SH&E Body of Knowledge

2010-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

This important effort to identify and share our profession’s body of knowledge can only truly succeed through the collective efforts of ASSE members and SH&E professionals worldwide.

I’d like you to think for a few moments about your personal body of knowledge. Consider the many things you’ve learned through education and experience. Now take a few moments to think about the SH&E profession’s body of knowledge—the complete set of concepts, terms and activities that define who we are and what we do. It’s a pretty broad collection of information and ideas, made more so by the fact that the SH&E profession draws from so many other practices.

That brings me to ASSE’s Body of Knowledge (BOK) initiative. This initiative is focused on creating a living reference that represents the collective knowledge of the SH&E profession—the competencies, standards and values that inform and guide the practice of safety. It is an effort that strongly supports ASSE’s strategic goals to define an accessible body of knowledge; reach out to the SH&E community on a global level; and improve the value of the safety profession.

Next year, ASSE will celebrate 100 years of knowledge creation. Within the next year, we will unveil the SH&E BOK website. It will provide a single point of entry to access information that can be used to advance the SH&E programs and processes needed to identify and control the hazards and exposures found in workplaces around the world. The BOK site will serve as a knowledge exchange platform for SH&E professionals, and it will be a comprehensive tool that supports ASSE members and SH&E professionals, and advances the practice of the profession.

Using the latest technology, the SH&E BOK will give us several platforms from which to network with others and share questions, ideas, opinions and answers. Knowledge exchange between members is how much of our BOK has emerged over the past century. This new platform will help organize that exchange and capture the creative power of ASSE members and the profession. It will provide a welcoming environment in which we will gain and share knowledge, which is an important component to a strong BOK.

The site will feature powerful search tools and filters to guide visitors to high-quality, vetted content, including articles, standards, white papers, webcasts, regulations, interpretations, conference proceedings, audio conference calls and other reference documents. When you access the BOK, it will be with the confidence that you are reviewing the best information from our profession each time you select a search term.

On a global stage, the SH&E BOK will bring together ASSE members and the profession to learn and share. It will enable us to define our competencies and explore our knowledge needs, and it will help us identify knowledge gaps along with the information needed to fill those gaps. By continuously capturing the vast knowledge of more than 32,000 members, we will increase the value of the SH&E professional while building awareness and understanding of the critical role we play in today’s work environments.

Think back, again, to your personal body of knowledge. You never really stop learning as each day brings new information and experience. The same is true for the SH&E profession. Our BOK expands each day, and you are the source of that continuous knowledge evolution. This important effort to identify and share information can only truly succeed through the collective efforts of ASSE members and SH&E professionals worldwide. The SH&E BOK requires strong member support. We need you to help build and endorse it, and we need you to identify, contribute and refine content. Start participating today by visiting http://www.asse.org/bok.

“None of us is as smart as all of us.”
—Ken Blanchard

100 Years: Celebrating ASSE

2010-10-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

We each can be proud to be part of a profession that has contributed 100 years of dedicated service to protecting people, property and the environment.

Almost 100 years ago in New York City, a small group of individuals with a vision founded the United Society of Casualty Inspectors, which later became the American Society of Safety Engineers. This is an exciting time as we approach the 100th anniversary of ASSE in 2011.

The Society was formed in the wake of tragic events, including the March 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, in which 146 young girls and women lost their lives. This tragedy drew public attention to the need for workplace safeguards and regulations.

ASSE’s founding coincided with what many view as the birth of the modern safety movement. Our history as an organization has presided over a century of safety improvements in the workplace. Our nearly 33,000 members constitute the world’s oldest and one of the largest professional safety organizations. In the coming year, we each can be proud to be part of a profession that has contributed 100 years of dedicated service to protecting people, property and the environment.

ASSE members make a difference each day and serve the public as dedicated, skilled professionals. Think where the workplace might be without SH&E professionals. ASSE existed long before most of the organizations that now address workplace safety and health, including OSHA. Your commitment to this profession and to this organization is what makes ASSE a leading voice in the SH&E community.

In past messages, I have emphasized the importance of our connection to the business community. This centennial year represents an extraordinary opportunity to deliver our message about the critical importance of safeguarding employee safety and health and nurturing positive, safe work environments.

During our anniversary year, we will celebrate the accomplishments and professionalism of our members, build on the Society’s leadership in the SH&E community and launch our vision for the future of the safety profession. These efforts will reflect our theme for the year: “Your safety is our business. Your future is our mission.” This theme directs us outward, globally, to people and organizations across a wide spectrum of industries. In addition, ASSE has planned a host of events as part of the celebration, including:
•anniversary celebration kickoff at the 2010 Leadership Conference in Chicago (October 2010);
•North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (May 2011);
•special 100th anniversary professional development conference in Chicago (June 2011);
•closing celebration at the 2011 Leadership Conference.

Safety 2011 will be the centerpiece of our anniversary celebration. It will feature our most dynamic and substantive program ever, as well as recognition of member achievements and exciting events to highlight our passion and enthusiasm for what we do. We will also launch the Society’s new strategic vision during Safety 2011. This vision will be the culmination of our strategic planning efforts this year.

I encourage each of you to participate in making 2011 a special year for all SH&E professionals. In particular, I urge all chapters to take this opportunity to reach out to their local communities to actively communicate our safety message and demonstrate our commitment to employers and employees, governments and fellow citizens.

As you think ahead to 2011, please take a few moments to reflect on the SH&E profession and recommit yourself to the ideals that brought you to it. We can and should be proud of the significant progress we have made in increasing workplace safety and health around the world. Our achievements are many and are certain to continue well into ASSE’s next 100 years.

“It’s when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached.”
—Mike Huckabee

Global Plan: Looking to the Future

2010-09-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Through its global expansion plan, ASSE is expanding its influence in the international community, enhancing the overall value of the Society and growing our membership.

Globalization is a term we hear constantly, often in reference to the economy, business operations and communications. I’ve heard many different definitions for the term, but one that strikes a chord with me comes from James Mittelman, a professor of international affairs at American University and the author of several books on globalization. He defines globalization as “an increase in interconnections, or interdependence, a rise in international flows . . . such that the world is, in some respects, becoming a single place.”

Consider for just a moment what that definition means to you as an SH&E professional. Global companies are changing rapidly through acquisitions, organic growth and divestiture. The global economy and related trends are transforming how SH&E professionals must prepare, whether we are employed by large corporations, work for smaller companies or are self-employed. We must develop new competencies and we must seek these new interconnections in order to exceed expectations in managing safety and health risks for global organizations.

As many of you know, ASSE’s vision is to “be a global champion of the SH&E professional, a global leader of the profession and a premier resource for those engaged in protecting people, property and the environment.” This strategic vision demonstrates the Society’s commitment to playing a vital role in the international SH&E community.

As part of that vision, ASSE has developed a global strategic initiative. Originally known as the global growth plan, this initiative is now often referred to as the global expansion plan. We believe this name better reflects our primary objective, namely to expand ASSE’s influence as a global leader in the SH&E profession. Under this initiative, ASSE has established several key objectives:
•Provide educational and networking opportunities to improve the professional proficiency for those engaged globally in protecting people, property and the environment.
•Provide new and improved products and increase informational resources to support the knowledge and professional efforts for those engaged globally in the SH&E function.
•Advance the reputation of ASSE as a global leader and resource for SH&E professionals.
•Increase the development of partnerships with organizations outside the U.S. that have a similar interest in the SH&E profession to help advance the Society’s goals.
•Increase ASSE membership by expanding our resources and opportunities to position the Society as a trusted leader of the profession.

Through this initiative, ASSE is expanding its influence in the international SH&E community, increasing the use of ASSE products and services around the world, enhancing the overall value of the Society and, ultimately, growing our membership across the globe. Currently, ASSE has five chapters organized outside the U.S. and more than 1,700 members residing outside the U.S. representing 65 countries. By understanding the needs of our global customers and potential customers, and with proper planning and execution, ASSE has a tremendous opportunity to grow these numbers.

ASSE is actively pursuing several activities to support the global expansion plan, including the People to People delegation to China later this year. Members of this delegation will seek to develop professional relationships that will help improve workplace processes and reduce the number of injuries, illnesses and fatalities in both countries.

This global initiative meshes well with ASSE’s current strategic goals and will help the Society continue to develop and deliver high-quality services and benefits to all members and customers. In conjunction with the value of profession and body of knowledge initiatives and with support from each ASSE council, this initiative will add to our body of knowledge and bring new perspectives to our vision.

I want to hear your thoughts on the global expansion plan. Please post your comments on my President’s Blog at www.asse.org/connect. Thanks for your active engagement in ASSE and for your many efforts to advance the SH&E profession.

Demonstrating Value

2010-08-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

One of our key responsibilities as SH&E professionals is to deliver the safety message, emphasizing the benefits delivered and value added, in a concise, convincing manner. We must find ways to speak often with senior executives and seek their views on the role of SH&E professionals. The Executive Summit, held each year during ASSE’s conference, is one way that the Society helps members engage in this important activity. The summit is an excellent opportunity for the SH&E profession to connect with the business community.

These conversations and connections are even more important as the dynamics of business continue to change in response to trends such as globalization, workforce reductions and a shift to a more service-oriented economy. As SH&E professionals, we are being asked to assume additional and varied responsibilities that often extend well beyond our traditionally defined roles. In this changing business landscape, employers want versatile workers. The value proposition model is shifting from “Do you have the technical skills required to do the job?” to “How do your skills add value to the organization?”

ASSE is taking the lead in guiding its 32,000 members and the SH&E profession through this transition. The Society is working hard to ensure that the value proposition for SH&E professionals is understood by employers/customers, and we are striving to make sure ASSE members have the knowledge, skills and competencies to compete and prosper in the changing workplace environment.

One element of these efforts is the value of the safety professional study. This study aims to 1) reposition the SH&E profession; 2) reposition the SH&E professional; and 3) prepare safety professionals to become value-add employees. As Tom Cecich, ASSE’s Vice President, Council on Professional Affairs (COPA), says, “A rising tide raises all ships.” If we elevate the safety profession, we will ultimately raise the value of those who practice safety. If we elevate SH&E professionals, we will elevate the safety profession.

Based on the findings of the value study, we have developed a multifaceted action plan. COPA is identifying high-value activities, such as risk assessment, that SH&E professionals are uniquely qualified to perform. The Society is also working to better understand how risk assessment techniques are used globally to identify and manage workplace risks and ultimately enhance workplace safety. Compliance will always be one of our responsibilities. But in today’s organizations, we deliver the greatest value through our ability to assess workplace risks and implement cost-effective solutions.

ASSE is promoting the value of the safety profession in other ways as well. For example, to counteract the influx of unaccredited safety-related certifications, COPA is working to educate employers on what competencies and credentials to look for when hiring SH&E professionals. This will help employers understand the skill sets an SH&E professional should possess.

In addition, we are promoting safety management as an integral component of corporate sustainability. The Sustainability Task Force has developed a safety and health sustainability index that defines socially responsible companies and is preparing to promote this index globally.

The strategic vision driving all of these efforts is that SH&E professionals will be viewed as value-added business leaders who can hold the highest positions in organizations and who have the competencies needed to manage a wide range of risks. The business community and the public must view the SH&E profession as a key component of good corporate governance, and its practitioners as employees who bring value to their respective organizations.

“You don't get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.”
—Jim Rohn

ASSE: The Vision & Strategy

2010-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Having a vision and strategy are essential during these difficult economic times. Even more vital is executing the strategic plan and continuing to offer valuable products and services to our members. As ASSE approaches its 100th anniversary, major strides have been taken to realize our vision as the global champion of the SH&E professional, a global leader of the profession, and a premier resource for those engaged in protecting people, property and the environment. Furthermore, ASSE has a tremendous opportunity to increase its influence as a world-renowned leader in SH&E.

To clarify our strategic plan in order to better serve members and advance the profession, the Board of Directors participated in a strategic planning workshop earlier this year. We also engaged the House of Delegates to provide input on the Society’s vision, mission, values and goals. This important dialogue ensures that we have a shared vision and strategy as we proceed into the future. Strategic plan discussion will continue during the upcoming Society year.

ASSE’s strategic plan is based on the following eight goals:
1) Develop and promote standards relating to the scope and function of the safety profession, including academic, ethical and certification standards.
2) Influence regulations and legislation that affect the practice of the profession or the activities of the Society.
3) Promote SH&E issues, the SH&E profession and its positive effects.
4) Establish and maintain an effective and efficient organization for the advancement of the Society’s mission.
5) Gather, encourage and participate in development of the body of knowledge relevant to the profession.
6) Develop and maintain mechanisms to recruit, retain and nurture the membership.
7) Deliver the highest quality professional development opportunities to enhance competence and position practitioners for success by understanding the needs of the profession, deliver the highest quality programs that meet those needs and recognizing the achievement of participants in the programs.
8) Establish and maintain a structured program to recruit, retain and nurture student members.
In addition, three strategic initiatives that align with these goals have been identified:
1) value of the profession; 2) body of knowledge; and 3) global growth. I will address each of these initiatives in a future message.

In the article, “Time to Transform? Assessing the Future of the SH&E Profession” (PS, November 2002; reprinted December 2006), I expressed the need for our profession to speak the language of business and incorporate financial principles and related terminology into our everyday vocabulary. Strategically, we must work with business leaders, our members’ customers, to demonstrate the value that SH&E professionals provide to the business community. We must demonstrate to company leaders that safety and health is a vital link in competing in today’s global marketplace.

ASSE is the preeminent safety society in the world. Furthermore, we are in an exciting period in our organization’s history. But resting on our laurels will not provide the blueprint to future prosperity. Great thought, insight, creativity, commitment and energy must be the pillars to build upon our current foundation and ensure continued success. Also, the Board of Directors is committed to making knowledge- and fact-based decisions that have strategic implications.
To reach our vision and secure future prosperity, we ask and seek your active participation. I hope each member can play a role during the upcoming year and help ASSE advance the Society’s vision and mission. Society leaders will continue to listen to members and external customers in order to offer the highest levels of service and benefits. Let’s work and have fun together and make this a productive year as we journey together toward ASSE’s 100th anniversary.

To All of You, I Say Thanks

2010-06-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

This month marks the end of the Society year. In July, a new slate of officers will step in to lead this organization. At Safety 2009 last June in San Antonio, TX, I shared with you my vision for this year. I told you that our first priority would be efficient execution of ASSE’s strategic plan. The Board of Directors spent much time the past 2 years reengaging in the strategic planning process and ensuring that the Society’s strategic plan is focused and provides clear direction for advancing our vision and mission.

I also noted that I would focus on four key areas:
1) Utilize technology to add value for ASSE membership.
2) Raise awareness about the value of SH&E professionals.
3) Leverage our influence by partnering with other organizations to achieve outcomes of mutual interest.
4) Execute and refine the new strategic planning process in which the Board of Directors has engaged.

I am happy to report that the staff and volunteer leaders have far exceeded my expectations in each of these areas. We are more active in social media than ever before and are using it in new ways. It has even provided a tool for us to turn webinars into virtual symposia, which provide tremendous opportunities for networking while learning. We are reaching more of our members in ways that are more cost-effective for them and for the Society.

We continue to communicate the findings from the value of the profession study. Our goal is to help our member SH&E professionals better understand what they need to know in order to effectively demonstrate the value they bring to their organizations.

We have developed closer ties with other SH&E organizations as well. This year, ASSE assumed an international leadership role by becoming the secretariat for the International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organizations. We have also improved communication among the informal network of SH&E organizations in the U.S.

And, as noted, the Board of Directors has spent considerable time engaged in strategic planning. We remodeled ASSE’s strategic planning process last year and continue to refine that process. Society leaders will engage the House of Delegates to help us ensure we have a strong strategic plan that supports ASSE’s vision and mission.

This is my last president’s message as my term ends June 30. Serving as ASSE president is the greatest professional honor I could imagine. I have benefited professionally and personally from the opportunity to serve all of you. On a personal note, I have recently started a wonderful new job. I can honestly say that were it not for the leadership experiences I gained through my participation in ASSE, I would not be where I am today.

The success of this great organization is due to the hard work and commitment of many people, from ASSE’s dedicated staff who operate the Society on a day-to-day basis to the hundreds of volunteers who administer our chapters, practice specialties, committees and task forces, groups that are the heart of all the great things we see coming out of ASSE, to the volunteer leaders on the Board of Directors, who are all so passionate about ASSE’s success. To all of you, and to the entire ASSE membership, I say thanks.

Commitment to the Profession

2010-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

The recent economic strife has caused continued upheaval and uncertainty across industries and throughout the job market. During my 11 months as ASSE president, I have heard many stories relaying the devastating personal effects that the recession has had on many friends, colleagues and fellow ASSE members. I have heard about the impact of extended job searches, the financial strain on families, the stress on spouses and children, and the health issues related to anxiety about the future.

I cannot help but sympathize with the frustration, self-doubt and hopelessness that often accompany joblessness. As a profession and as an organization, I am urging that we come together to do more for those colleagues and friends currently seeking employment. While many job-seeking tools are readily available on the Internet and elsewhere, I encourage each of you make a personal commitment to help fellow SH&E professionals in their job searches. Consider some of the things you can do to help those searching for jobs:
• Help them build their network of contacts. Call your contacts to get leads or other ideas to expand the scope of their job search. Follow up with these contacts. View this as an opportunity to build and strengthen your own networks so you are better prepared should you suddenly find yourself looking for a job.
• Stay in regular contact with the job seekers. Buy them lunch or treat them to a round of golf. Knowing they have support and someone to talk to will lift their spirits.
• Review their resumes and provide constructive comments and encouragement.
• Help them conduct practice interviews. Offer ideas on what questions might be asked and how to best answer them. This helps build confidence.
• Register to be an ASSE networking partner. In this role, you will work with a job seeker to help that person expand networks and develop job leads. This will be a rewarding experience for you and it may be a life-changing experience for the job seeker. For more information on this program, click here.

ASSE also offers several services and tools to help members searching for a job. For example, the Society recently developed a series of training modules that are available free to members. The modules cover general job-seeking advice; resumes and cover letters; networking; interviewing; using job boards; online social networking; and negotiation. To access these modules and other resources, click here.

In addition, ASSE recently launched group pages on LinkedIn for the practice specialties and branches. Through these groups you can participate in the discussions, search jobs, find resources and network with fellow SH&E professionals. To access these resources, visit www.linkedin.com, select the group directory tab and use “ASSE practice specialty” as your search term.

ASSE is also planning to partner with other associations to increase the number of new listings on the Nexsteps job board (found at www.nexsteps.org). And, the Society is developing resources to help chapters improve their networking and job search capabilities. SH&E professionals shine when it comes to doing what’s needed to help people stay safe and well. Many of us know friends and colleagues who now need help to be employed and stay well. Together, let’s commit to make a difference in their lives. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to support and advance our great profession.

“The more I help others to succeed, the more I succeed.”
—Ray Kroc

Promote SH&E During NAOSH Week

2010-04-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

Each year, North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week and Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day (OSHP) Day provide great opportunities to tell the world about the benefits of workplace safety and the key role we as SH&E professionals play in everyone’s lives. Not everyone knows that we work tirelessly across all industries and around the world to prevent harm to people, protect property and help our employers be good environmental stewards. We must continue to educate the public and our communities about occupational safety and our great profession. This year, NAOSH Week is May 2-8 and OSHP Day is May 5.

Through ASSE’s work with OSHA’s Alliance program, more than 50 Alliance program participants and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, NAOSH Week continues to grow and reach more people each year. In 2009, nearly $4 million in services were donated and ASSE members and OSHA Alliance partners volunteered almost 2 million hours. What a tremendous way to show your passion for occupational safety.

Consider just a few highlights from 2009:
• Lamar Advertising placed 10 outdoor NAOSH Week-themed billboards in the home cities of the kids’ poster contest winners.
• American Red Cross hosted a web expo on OSHP Day.
• Region III members donated funds for and provided a brunch for more than 100 people at the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
• Turner Corp. donated bus transportation in Washington, DC, on May 4, and sponsored a lunch held at the U.S. Capitol.
• KL&P Motivation donated funds for 500 NAOSH T-shirts.
• FabEnCo, in partnership with ASSE member Cindy Lewis, donated tote bags distributed during the Washingon, DC, kickoff events.

A record number of participants attended the 2009 NAOSH Week kickoff events in Washington, DC. Many families of poster contest winners paid their own way, while others were supported by ASSE chapters and their employers. It’s an experience those children and their families will long remember. Take a few moments to view photos from the event here.

ASSE members also helped gather 37 state and city proclamations in support of NAOSH Week and OSHP Day—a new record. In addition, the annual Safety-on-the-Job kids’ poster contest continues to grow, with more than 850 entries received this year. Be sure to check out the 2010 winners here.

To help you support NAOSH?Week and plan activities, ASSE offers several tools, from draft proclamations and fact sheets to brochures, technical articles, presentations and much more, all available for free at www.asse.org/naosh10. No activity is too big or too small. For more information and assistance, contact ASSE’s Diane Hurns at (847) 768-3413 or dhurns@asse.org.

I also invite you to join me and other ASSE members, government leaders, Alliance partners and poster contest winners May 2-3 in Washington, DC. Our slate of activities will include events at the National Zoo, the Smithsonian, the U.S. Capitol and the U.S. Department of Labor. (Rumor even has it that Iron Man will be on hand to discuss superhero workplace safety tips.) Then, on May 5, ASSE Region I will present a major roadway safety event in Portland, OR, with several partners. And those are just a few of the many activities on tap.

By supporting NAOSH Week and OSHP Day you contribute to our profession, and advance our professionals and ASSE. You also make a major difference by providing your friends, colleagues and communities with important information that can help save lives and prevent injuries. Each year, we reach more and more people with the message to work safely. Let’s keep the momentum going in 2010!

An Investment in ASSE & You

2010-03-02T08:44:00.001-08:00

As ASSE members, we reap certain benefits from our membership. These benefits vary for each of us as we all have different wants and needs, as well as a myriad of reasons for belonging to ASSE. Some of those benefits are indirect, such as advancing the profession and promoting SH&E professionals. As ASSE members, we also all feel different levels of commitment to the organization.

One thing is certain, however. No matter what you seek from ASSE, it is important that you help choose strong leaders who will advance the Society. March 1 brings us to an important phase in the leadership evolutionary cycle: Society elections. Some of you may be groaning at hearing the annual plea to vote, but history suggests that many of you simply will not vote. I urge you to rethink that. You invest in ASSE—your money, time, resources—and you expect to receive certain benefits in return. Why not help maximize those returns by electing the best possible leadership?

ASSE’s election process is rigorous for the candidates. The Nominations and Elections Committee sorts through all the applications to select the two most qualified potential leaders for each Society position. It is then up to you to decide which individuals will become leaders of ASSE, your regions and your chapters.

ASSE has strict rules about campaigning. This helps protect us from having a process where those with the resources to invest in the campaign have an advantage. Instead, ASSE offers several ways to learn about the candidates. You can read candidates’ biographies in the February 2010 issue of Professional Safety. Candidate bios and platform statements are also posted on ASSE’s website at www.asse.org/elections. Reading this information will help you learn about each candidate and what s/he hopes to accomplish while in office.

Another great way to learn about candidates is to invite them to call in to a chapter meeting. According to the rules, you must invite both candidates and give them both equal opportunities to speak. This creates an opportunity to hear them speak and it generates some dialogue around your members’ interests.

Another way to learn about candidates is to ask around in your network. Most of us look to our networks to find new opportunities or to get guidance on a work challenge, but networks also can be a great source of information about candidates for ASSE office.

Speaking about networks, I encourage you to ask yourself whether you are investing wisely or sufficiently in yours. A network is more than a list of people you can call. Instead, think of your network as a list of people who can, and would, call you. To establish those relationships, you must contribute value to your network. Social networking and electronic media are great ways to achieve this. You also will gain recognition, which will further extend your network.

ASSE has been striving to better utilize available tools to improve communication with and among members. From adding Ning sites to webinars and virtual symposia, and from blogs and social media groups to Twitter, we are finding new, efficient ways to bring members together. As I have said all year, we must continuously seek out and use new, cost-effective ways to serve members’ needs and to reach more of our members with more services.

Whether March is bringing you spring or autumn, this is one of the most obvious seasons of change. Look at it as an opportunity to get motivated and invest in your network and in ASSE. Both investments will produce long-term gains for your career.

Get Involved

2010-02-01T05:46:00.000-08:00

If you are active in your ASSE chapter/section, region, area or practice specialty, or at the Society level, you can probably quickly recite a long list of benefits you receive as a result of your ASSE membership. That’s because you have learned firsthand what you gain simply by participating in this fine organization.
Over the years of my involvement, I’ve heard and said many times that the more you participate, the more you gain. Why do you think that is? What is it that ASSE offers its members?

The standard response to that question includes professional development, networking, recognition and leadership opportunities that help our members succeed professionally and personally. And all of those are certainly true. But what is it that causes the response, “the more you give, the more you get”? I think Robert Greenleaf summed it up well in his essay, “The Servant as Leader.” He wrote:
The servant-leader is servant first. . . . Becoming a servant-leader begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first. . . . The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant first to make sure other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and the most difficult to administer, is this: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?

I believe Greenleaf’s philosophy reflects well why we benefit from participating in ASSE. It is because our greatest desire is to contribute to the benefit of the whole organization. ASSE is a member-driven association. Not only does the Society exist for members, but it is run by members. Last June, we held a wonderful discussion in the House of Delegates (HOD) meeting about the role of the HOD and the governance of ASSE. The voice of the membership will direct how the Society changes as we move forward. We, as members, determine the needs of the Society and the direction it will take. This is not to say that every member will agree with each action or activity pursued. In fact, Society leaders must sometimes make tough decisions based on a wide variety of information. But every decision is made with the best interest—and the voice—of members in mind.

Being member-driven carries some challenges, one of which is engaging members to participate. Some parts of our organization struggle to find the volunteers necessary to drive the activities they wish to pursue. As members, we provide the horsepower that drives task forces, committees, chapters, regions and ASSE as a whole. I urge all of you to consider giving some small part of your time this year to contribute to ASSE. In serving the Society, you set an example for others. And, by getting involved, I know you will feel the same sense of gratitude that I do for this wonderful opportunity to contribute to our profession, our professionals, our organization and our society as a whole.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
—Ghandi