During today's annual House of Delegates and Membership meeting at Safety 2014 in Orlando, FL, ASSE 2013-14 President Kathy A. Seabrook, CSP, CFIOSH, EurOSHM, delivered her State of the Society address.
Continuing her year-long theme about connecting the dots, Seabrook highlighted the many ways ASSE helps members be perceived as a collaborative business partner by corporate leaders. "When it comes to supporting our members, their development and the growth of the safety profession, anytime, anywhere and in many ways, ASSE is doing just that," Seabrook said.
Seabrook also spoke about ASSE's ongoing efforts to raise the bar in the OSH profession. "ASSE is working to increase recognition of our profession, including educating our employers on who we are and what qualifications our employers should be looking for when hiring a safety professional." These efforts include development of a competency criteria. These are contained in ANSI/ASSE Z590.2, the Scope and Function of the Professional Safety Position that's awaiting ANSI approval. "This new standard better emphasizes our role in risk assessment and OSH management, including the ability to influence and lead," Seabrook explained, adding that the overall goal of such activities is to "better position each of us to be able to demonstrate our value in managing OSH risks within our diverse organizations."
Seabrook wrapped up her address by issuing two challenges: "The first: Find one key takeaway from this conference, then go back to your work environment and make a difference . . . and engage your leadership on the value of who you are and what you do. The second: Meet as many ASSE leaders at this conference as you can. Ask them what they do and why. Then think about how you can engage in ASSE."
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers