DES PLAINES, IL (May 4, 2000) - The decade Arthur Fiedler conducted his first July 4 Esplanade concert, when the Boston Bruins won Hockey’s 1929 Stanley Cup and around the time the Boston Red Sox traded a young pitcher by the name of George Herman “Babe” Ruth to the New York Yankees, the Greater-Boston chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) was formed. On May 6 the chapter, the second oldest ASSE chapter in the U.S., will celebrate its 75th Anniversary at the Boston Museum of Science.

      “Chapters are the foundation of ASSE and serve as the liaison between individual members and the national organization. The ASSE relies on the leaders, all of whom are dedicated volunteers, of its chapters to provide local identity and services to our members,” Fred Fortman, ASSE Executive Director, said today. “Since 1924 this chapter has been making great contributions in the area of safety and the profession by linking up with universities such as MIT, advocating safety standards for equipment and developing and maintaining the Industrial Accident Prevention contest.”

      The ASSE was established in 1911 and has 33,000 members. A non-profit organization, the ASSE is made up of safety professionals from the U.S. and abroad that work to help prevent accidents, injuries and occupational diseases; create safer environments for work and leisure; and develop safe products in all areas of human activities. Also, through its ASSE Foundation, the ASSE works to further research and study in the area of safety. The ASSE Foundation efforts are supported by several corporations including Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group.

      The Greater-Boston Chapter was formed in 1924 by a group of 54 members seeking a voice for safety engineers. Chapter presidents that served in the 1920’s included Frank E. Morris, John E. Walters, C. Earle Sevrens, Thomas Whelan, Roger K. Buston and Eugene Place. Throughout the decades the chapter has worked on such issues as safety in the industrial picture (1935), the human factor in safety (1932), management’s responsibility and attitude toward accident prevention (1936) and the Walsh-Healy Act, the first piece of legislation that regulated safety during the 1930s.

      Another milestone for the chapter was made when members George Cole and Art Burroughs worked with the Commonwealth’s Board of Registration of Professional Engineers to formulate the nation’s first recognition and acceptance of safety engineers as Professional Engineers in 1959. ASSE as a whole is committed to professional development and provides year-round educational opportunities through seminars, self-study programs, technical publications, CD-ROM training, computer resources and the annual Professional Development Conference to be held this June in Orlando, FL. ASSE also awards continuing education units to seminar, symposia and conference attendees and to self-study program participants in order to help them maintain their Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation.

      During the 1960s the chapter began to see the focus of their profession expand into auto safety, environmental issues and product safety. As the decades, passed ASSE and chapter members became more involved with legislation including a bill prescribing safety requirements for workplace eyewear and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. The chapter also focused on maintaining flexibility to meet the challenges and complexities of new safety problems, encouraging and developing the younger members, maintaining and participating in legislation affecting the field of safety, continuing to develop professionalism, and serving not only the industry but their communities as well.

      At Saturday’s anniversary celebration the group will also announce the Chapter Outstanding Achievement Award and its annual student scholarship grant.

      The ASSE is the worlds’ oldest and largest professional safety organization with 33,000 members that manage, supervise and consult on safety, health and environmental issues in industry, government, education and insurance. It also has 12 practice specialty divisions which include construction, engineering, environmental, healthcare, consultants, public sector, mining, risk management/insurance, transportation, industrial hygiene, international and management. For further information, contact ASSE’s web site at http://www.asse.org.