Nominations for ASSE's Award for Innovation in Occupational
Safety Management, sponsored by Cintas,
are due March 31, 2015. The award recognizes individuals who have addressed
workplace safety challenges in innovative ways. The winner will receive a
$3,000 cash prize and be recognized at Safety
2015 in Dallas, TX, June 7-10.
“As a profession, we need to look to develop other tools, more
predictive measures, of when and where a workplace injury might occur, and how
we can then have better information to act on to prevent that injury or
illness,” says Richard Gerlach, senior director of safety and health at Cintas
Corp. “It’s time for the safety profession to embrace the idea of technology in
a bigger way to help us do our jobs better.”
Submissions for the award should highlight a workplace
challenge and an employee’s unique solution to the issue, which was either
developed or implemented within the last 5 years. For example, Ali Husan Al-Failakawi, of Kuwait Oil Co. won
the 2014 Award for Innovation for implementing a road safety program that
helped reduce motor vehicle accidents.
Another 2014 submission, which received honorable mention,
was NextEra Energy’s Power Generation Division’s app for reporting near-misses
and unsafe conditions. Kevin O’Donnell, principal safety professional for the
company, says that the development of the innovation project was a team effort
and support of management played an important role. “The support from both
senior management and field personnel was critical to the overall success,”
O’Donnell says.
Both ASSE members and nonmembers are eligible for the award,
and nominations may be submitted by safety managers or employees on behalf of
themselves or another person.
“When workers are engaged in developing a safe workplace
culture, everyone wins,” says ASSE President Trish Ennis, CSP, ARM. “Last
year’s award competition drew creative nominations from organizations spanning
the glove, so we’re excited to see what safety ideas will be submitted this
time around.”
Visit the Innovate 2015
website for details on nomination criteria.
