MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY AND
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS
RECOGNIZE MURRAY STATE AS THE 2004
OUTSTANDING STUDENT SECTION AWARD

     DES PLAINES, IL (June 3, 2004) - American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) Murray State University (MSU) student section has been awarded the 2004 Outstanding Student Section Award co-sponsored by ASSE and the Mine Safety Appliances Company. A $6000 award and plaque will be presented to the student section at ASSE's Professional Development Conference and Exposition June 7-10 in Las Vegas, NV.

     This prestigious award honors a student section that develops community, campus and research activities promoting safety and health. Two members of the section will receive $4000 in scholarship funds, the instructor will be awarded $1000 for student research, and the remaining $1000 will fund travel to the conference for the section's student representative to receive the award.

     Some of MSU's student section meetings included topics on driver safety, healthy living and high blood pressure protection, and workers' compensation. The group hosted its fourth annual 2004 Choices event, where MSU students are given opportunity to learn about safety and health careers. Six safety and health professionals participated in open panel discussions offering advice on jobs, resumes and salaries. In addition, the section hosted a Student Mentor Day. ASSE student members spent a day shadowing a safety and health professional while at work. Companies who participated in this event include Mead Westvaco, ATOFINA, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Walker Boat Yard, Ingram Barge Company, Celanese Chemicals, Inc., and Employers Risk Services. In previous years, section members traveled to Pemiscot County, MO to assist in the North Pemiscot School District's Workplace Safety Camp, where approximately 600 fifth graders learn about the aspects of safety. Section members inform children about earthquakes and safety precautions if one was to happen, since Pemiscot County is a Class I earthquake zone.

     Some of MSU's goals were to increase the number of guest speakers in their programs and meetings and increase awareness of safety-related issues in the community. They achieved their goal by co-sponsoring a program to prepare families in Calloway County for tornados, fires and earthquakes. In addition, the section participated in a homeland security program. For five days, 11 section members worked with Jeff Steen, Calloway County Emergency Management Coordinator, on the weapons of mass destruction training and developed a respiratory program for local first respondents.

     The ASSE student activity task force judged the competition. When choosing an outstanding student section, judges look for new and innovative ideas, concepts, and methods in safety activities, the percentage of student section membership and students attending the section meetings. This is MSU's third win for Outstanding Student Section.

     Founded in 1911, ASSE is the oldest and largest professional safety society and is dedicated to protecting people, property and the environment. It's more than 30,000 members manage, supervise, and consult on safety, health, and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor and education. For more information, please visit ASSE's website www.asse.org.

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