American Society of Safety Engineers
Founded in 1911, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE﴿ is the world’s oldest safety society and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. With over 34,000 occupational safety, health and environmental ﴾SH&E) professional members who manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, and the environment in all industries, government and education. ASSE is a full-service 501﴾c﴿﴾6) nonprofit organization.
ASSE was founded in New York City a few months after the March, 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Due to the lack of safety measures this fire resulted in the death of 146 garment workers. This tragedy led to legislation requiring improved factory worker safety standards, the development of workplace safety initiatives and the establishment of ASSE.
The Society's members create safer work environments by working to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. It has been shown that safer organizations enjoy increased production rates, less lost work time, employee turnover, worker’s compensation and healthcare costs, in addition to a better corporate reputation. More information is available at www.asse.org.
ASSE offers its members many opportunities for networking, professional development, global media outreach, government affairs programs, standards development, publications and other resources.
Contents
Membership
ASSE has 151 chapters, 40 sections and 65 student sections located in 75 countries. Members live in regions including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Categories for membership include; professional, international, associate, emeritus and student.
For more information visit www.asse.org/membership
ASSE has 17 practice specialties, or groups that focus on a particular industry or field of safety. Practice specialties consist of academics, construction, consulting, engineering, environmental, ergonomics, fire protection, healthcare, industrial hygiene, international, management, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, public sector, risk management/insurance and transportation.
Practice specialties
ASSE offers a variety of practice specialties including group for members to participate in: Academics, Construction, Consulting, Engineering, Environmental, Ergonomics, Fire Protection, Healthcare, Industrial Hygiene, International, Management, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Public Sector, Risk Management/Insurance and Transportation. There are also eight branches; Agricultural, Health & Wellness, Human Resources, Legal Services, Military, Service, Training & Communications and Utilities. Members may also join one of ASSE’s common interest groups - Blacks in Safety Engineering (BISE), Safety Professionals and the Latino Workforce (SPALW), Women in Safety Engineering (WISE), and Young Professionals in SH&E. www.asse.org/ps
Professional development
The American Society of Safety Engineers has been accredited as an Authorized Provider of by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (ICAT) and is authorized to offer IACET CEUs for its programs that qualify under the ANSI/IACET Standard. Programs include:
- Certification Preparation Workshops
- Certificate in Safety Management
- The Executive Program in Safety Management
- SeminarFest
- Symposia
- Live and Self-Paced E-Learning Events
- On-site Training
For more information visit www.asse.org/education.
Professional development conference
ASSE’s annual Professional development conference (PDC) is the year’s leading SH&E professional event. Taking place every June, the conference attracts safety leaders through top quality programming and networking opportunities. The range of conference topics and the quality of speakers makes this educational program the most engaging in the industry. Sessions provide leading edge education which ties in to the hands-on opportunities that are seen at the PDC’s exposition, which had record breaking exhibitor participation in 2012, with 77,900 square feet of exhibitor space and 506 booths. [1]
Publications
- Professional Safety, ASSE’s monthly flagship publication, is a peer-reviewed journal covering cutting-edge topics that affect today’s SH&E professional. www.asse.org/professionalsafety/index.php
- The Society Update, ASSE’s monthly member e-newsletter, shares the latest ASSE news and events as it highlights region, chapter and member achievements.
- ASSE practice specialty publications, published by each practice specialty, deliver high-quality technical content in a fully interactive digital format.
- Journal of Safety, Health & Environmental Research, an online publication of peer-reviewed theoretical and empirical manuscripts, reviews and editorials.
- ASSE is a major publisher of technical and management books, including the Safety Professionals Handbook. More information is available at www.asse.org/publications.
- The Body of Knowledge (BoK) provides members with a current collection of wisdom, experience, processes and facts from which change and improvements in the SH&E profession can occur. Contributors to the BoK include authors, editors, and peer reviewers. www.safetybok.org
Setting the standard for safety
ASSE is the administrator for the U.S. Technical Advisory Groups ﴾TAG﴿ to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO﴿ on fall protection and risk management. Also, ASSE members serve on over 40 safety and health standards committees.
Standards
ASSE is secretariat for several American National Standards Institute ﴾ANSI) committees and projects. The committees develop and maintain the standards, ensure that the revision process is timely and in accordance with ANSI procedures and publish the final product. ASSE serves as secretariat for the following standards:
- Safety Requirements for Construction and Demolition Operations, A10
- Protection of Floor and Wall Openings, A1264
- Health and Safety Standards for Ventilation Systems, Z9
- Occupational Health and Safety Systems, Z10
- Motor Vehicle Safety Operations, Z15
- Respiratory Protection, Z88
- Confined Spaces, Z117
- Lockout/Tagout and Alternative Methods, Z244
- Fall Protection, Z359
- Criteria for Accepted Practices in Safety, Health and Environmental Training, Z490
- Accepted Practices for Hydrogen Sulfide Training Programs, Z390
- ASSE Canvass Standards, Z590
- Prevention Through Design, Z590.3
- ISO Risk Management Standards
Center for Safety and Health Sustainability
The Center for Safety and Health Sustainability boosts the voices of SH&E professionals in the rapidly-growing sustainability movement. The Center is a global collaborative effort among ASSE, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), and the United Kingdom’s Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). For more information please go to www.centershs.org.
NAOSH Week
Along with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), ASSE sponsors the North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH Week) each year in May. ASSE members, industries, trade organizations and corporations throughout North America are host to community workplace safety and health activities during NAOSH Week. Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day is also observed during this time. www.asse.org/naosh.
Held in conjunction with NAOSH Week, ASSE’s annual kids’ ‘Safety on the Job’ poster contest supports our members and educates children on the importance of workplace safety.
ASSE Foundation
The ASSE Foundation advances the safety profession with the help of donations from forward thinking corporations, chapters and individuals. The Foundation provides scholarhsips and professional education grants, funds cutting-edge research and supports ABET accreditation for academic programs. For more information visit www.asse.org/foundation.
See also
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