Stefan Bright Receives ASSE's Triangle Award

Stefan Bright (center) receives the Triangle Award from ASSE President
 Kathy Seabrook. Also present is (L to R): AISOHMEX President
Victoriano Anguis, OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan
Barab and CSSE President Peter Strum

At ASSE's NAOSH Week event, "The Human Cost of Cheap Labor," held in Washington, DC, Stefan Bright was presented with the 2014 Triangle Award for Heroic Dedication. The award is given in honor of the 146 victims of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City, NY, and it honors an SH&E professional who goes beyond his/her duties to prevent or minimize injury, loss of life or substantial property damage in a workplace.

Bright, safety director for the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA), was recognized for his role in establishing a field manual, training and standards that has reduced fatalities among window washers by 30% over the past 20 years. It's been estimated that more than 6,700 window cleaning professional have attended Bright's training seminars. "When I started, there were no regulations," Bright says. "I was one of the guys hanging off the side of a building. We were forced to figure it out. Every time I give a training session, someone says how much it's helped."

In 1992, he developed a field manual for best practices. Two years later, OSHA recognized professional window washers as a highly skilled occupation, based largely on Bright's efforts. In 1996, Bright developed IWCA's Window Cleaner Safety Certification Program and in 2001, he worked with ANSI to create an industry standard, IWCA I-14, Window Cleaning Safety.

"It's extremely gratifying to receive this award," Bright says.