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Table of Contents

• Early Rate for Safety 2009 Ends April 15
• Tell ASSE Your Story
• Corporate Support for ASSE Foundation Remains Strong
• NAOSH Week Gets Boost With Billboard Direction
• Florida Committee Passes OSH Coverage Bill
• Virtual Learning: ASSE's Best-in-Class Virtual Symposium is Apr. 20-24
• Safety 2009 Foundation Events: Golf Outing & Silent Auction
• Safety Professional's Handbook Profits Fund Penn State Scholarship
• ASSE Testifies on Proposed Crane Standard
• Standard Project to Protect Wind Generation Construction Workers
• Safety & Health Training—Dealing With Regulatory Issues Webinar: April 14
• Past President Edward Deck Passes Away
• Middle East Chapter Issues Call for Papers
• Pensacola Chapter Joins Alliance to Prevent Workplace Violence
• Southern Nevada Chapter Shares Concerns With Las Vegas Mayor
• South Carolina Chapter Forms New Section
• Top Recruiters: Honor Roll
• You Might Want to Know . . .

Top Stories

Early Rate for Safety 2009 Ends April 15

If you’re planning to attend Safety 2009, be sure to register by April 15 for the early registration rate—that’s $110 off for most attendees. After that, the regular rate applies through May 29.

If you are a new attendee to ASSE’s annual conference, be sure to check out the New Attendee Orientation on Monday, June 29 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., to learn how to navigate Safety 2009. This orientation is perfect for first-timers, new ASSE members or those interested in becoming a member.  

Attendees who are involved in teaching and counseling college-level students, as well as those involved in safety and health research, should check out the Academic Forum. Scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, the program will focus on important issues including creating real-world safety leadership, factors affecting grade variation between graduate and undergraduate students, and using online survey tools to conduct safety research and safety program needs assessments.

No matter what your area of expertise, all attendees can earn continuing education credits at the conference by participating in the lunch session on Wednesday, July 1, and pre- and postconference seminars. Contact ASSE’s Customer Service Department for more information.

Tell ASSE Your Story

ASSE will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011. “Your Safety Is Our Business. Your Future Is Our Mission,” is a celebration of not only 100 years of ASSE, but 100 years of its members and how you have dedicated your service to workplace safety and health. ASSE wants to hear your story (e.g., why you became a member, best SH&E practices and milestone events from the past 100 years) to help commemorate the event. Share your story and look forward to 2011 when ASSE will conduct a variety of events throughout the year, including the cornerstone event, Safety 2011.  

Corporate Support for ASSE Foundation Remains Strong

Three industry leaders—CNA, Liberty Mutual Group and UPS—recently donated funds to the ASSE Foundation (ASSEF) to support scholarships and research programs. Thanks to CNA’s $10,000 donation, ASSEF will offer two $4,650 CNA Foundation scholarships to students in the safety and health field. The Foundation will use Liberty Mutual Group’s $45,000 donation in two ways—$15,000 to fund several scholarships and $30,000 to fund the annual safety research fellowship program at Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. ASSEF will also be able award four $5,250 UPS/David Iden Memorial Safety scholarships as well as two $5,250 UPS Diversity scholarships thanks to the $35,000 donation from UPS.

NAOSH Week Gets Boost With Billboard Donation

Thanks to member Chuck Wigger’s company, Lamar Advertising Co., NAOSH Week will be getting a big boost this year—as big as a billboard. The company donated billboards in the hometowns of 10 NAOSH Week Safety-on-the-Job kids’ poster contest winners, displaying their names and winning posters. The billboards promote the celebration of NAOSH Week, May 3-9. Wigger, Lamar’s assistant corporate safety director, is a professional member of ASSE’s Audubon Chapter.

Florida Committee Passes OSH Coverage Bill

From left to right: Representative Audrey Gibson with ASSE member Mark Friend and lobbyist Keyna Corey.

At the 11th hour, after the Florida House said it was not hearing any new bills, ASSE’s lobbyist in Florida was able to get HB 1029, ASSE’s bill to provide OSH coverage to public-sector employees in Florida, heard in the House Government Affairs Policy Committee. ASSE member Mark Friend of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a member of the Florida Task Force on Workplace Safety testified at the hearing. The committee passed the bill unanimously, by a vote of 7-0.

Many ASSE members stepped up to write to members of this committee to urge them to support the bill, according to Dave Heidorn, ASSE’s manager of government affairs and policy. “Passing these bills will still be a tough fight, but this victory could not have been a better beginning,” he says.

More News

Virtual Learning: ASSE's Best-in-Class Virtual Symposium is April 20-24

Looking for continuing education that’s flexible and cost-effective? Check out ASSE’s first-ever virtual symposium, Best-in-Class Safety Management: U.S. and International Practices and Approaches. The event will feature more than 20 interactive webcasts—all of which can be viewed on demand during the event and for up to 30 days afterward. “SH&E professionals are busier than ever,” says ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM. “We want to provide the flexibility they need and still offer the best professional development events in the industry. This symposium is a culmination of those efforts.”

Safety 2009 Foundation Events: Golf Outing & Silent Auction

Don’t miss the annual ASSE Foundation golf outing, which will be held this year at Hyatt Regency Hill Country Golf Club, in San Antonio, TX, June 28, 7:00 a.m. shotgun start. The event benefits ASSEF’s scholarship program, which helps foster future SH&E professionals. Support the Foundation by registering individually or as a foursome, or by encouraging your company to sponsor the event at one of several levels.

The ASSEF Silent Auction will be held June 28-30 during Safety 2009. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on a wide range of items, with proceeds supporting ASSEF’s scholarship and research programs. Item donations are welcome as well. 

Safety Professional's Handbook Profits Fund Penn State Scholarship

With the help of Joel Haight, editor of The Safety Professional’s Handbook, ASSE has approved a new scholarship for Penn State students that will be established from royalties on sales from the book’s first edition. The ASSE and Joel M. Haight Scholarship in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences will be available to Penn State University students enrolled in or considering enrollment in the industrial health and safety program.

ASSE Testifies on Proposed Crane Standard

During a recent public hearing, ASSE reiterated its concerns about OSHA’s failure to reference widely accepted national voluntary consensus standards in its proposed standard for crane and derrick operation in construction. The testimony was delivered by Matt Burkart, a professional member of the Penn-Jersey Chapter, a member of the A10 Accredited Standards Committee and chair of the ASCE Construction Site Safety Committee.

“ASSE’s members have had extensive and successful experience in helping develop occupational safety and health standards through the ANSI voluntary standards development process, including national standards impacting the safe operation of cranes and derricks,” Burkart explained. “We already work successfully in managing crane safety through these voluntary consensus standards. Therefore, we need clarity and consistency between the existing voluntary standard and a final OSHA standard.”

Standard Project to Protect Wind Generation Construction Workers

With the surge of green energy developments, ASSE has announced a standards project to protect workers involved in construction and demolition operations for wind generation/turbine facilities. American National Standard for the Safe Construction and Demolition of Wind Generation/Turbine Facilities will address areas such as working at heights, mechanical assembly of large components, medium voltage electrical safety and working in exposed environments.

Richard King, A10 Committee chair, says that the decision to develop the standard came about because of the national emphasis on green energy and the realization that these new structures would present challenging safety and health issues. “The purpose of the new standard is to sort out the safety and health issues and provide practical solutions to constructors,” he says.

Safety & Health Training—Dealing With Regulatory Issues Webinar: April 14

Learn how safety professionals can roll out quality training programs while still complying with OSHA, NIOSH, ANSI and other standards during the webinar Safety and Health Training—Dealing With Regulatory Issues.  The live webcast event will take place on Tuesday, April 14, at 11 a.m.  During this session, David Coble, one of the authors of The Safety Professionals Handbook, will discuss key takeaways from his chapter, look at some real-world applications, relate new information and answer participants’ questions.

Chapter & Member News

Past President Edward Deck Passes Away

Edward Deck as ASSE president.

Edward Deck, CSP, an ASSE past president and member for more than 50 years, has passed away. Until his retirement in 1986, Deck, of Annapolis, MD, was manager of corporate security at General Electric for 30 years. A former sergeant in the Army Air Force during World War II, Deck was ASSE president from 1969 to 1970, and he was most recently a member of the Chesapeake Chapter. Among his many accomplishments, Deck was instrumental in planning ASSE’s first annual conference and served three terms as chairman of the membership and public relations committees. In addition, he served on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, and the board of directors for the American Society for Safety Research, and was a member of National Safety Council and AIHA.

“We are very sad to lose Edward Deck,” says ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM. “He was a dedicated member of the Society and profession, and his broad involvement in the safety profession helped move us forward.”

Middle East Chapter Issues Call for Papers

ASSE’s Middle East Chapter (ASSE-MEC) has issued a call for papers for its 9th Annual Professional Development Conference and Exhibition, slated to run Feb. 20-24, 2010, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The event’s theme is “Global Look Into Safety, Health and Environment,” and will cover topics such as SH&E management, human factors, contractor safety, risk assessment, transportation safety, performance measurement and audits, fire protection and incident investigation. Prospective presenters should submit abstracts to ASSE-MEC PDC program chair Robert Smith. Abstracts are due June 1, 2009, and authors will be notified of acceptance by July 1, 2009.

Pensacola Chapter Joins Alliance to Prevent Workplace Violence

Workplace homicides continue to be a leading cause of on-the-job deaths in America. In 2007, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted a 13% increase in these incidents—while reporting in other studies that less than 9% of businesses have a workplace violence prevention program. To address the prevalence of workplace violence, ASSE’s Pensacola Chapter recently joined with OSHA and several other organizations in Florida to form an alliance that will focus on providing information, guidance and training resources to industry. “We look forward to working with [our] alliance partners to raise awareness of this major issue,” says Pensacola Chapter President Maralee Sartain. Adds James Borders, director of OSHA’s Jacksonville Area Office, “I am pleased that we can come together not only to recognize that this is a major issue, but to continue to work together to help employers and employees recognize that there are ways they can address this issue.”

Southern Nevada Chapter Shares Concerns With Las Vegas Mayor

Members of ASSE’s Southern Nevada Chapter recently shared their insights on improving workplace safety with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. Goodman was invited to speak at a chapter meeting, during which he addressed providing a safe vacation destination and safe workplaces. Chapter President Dale Walsh offered a series of suggestions to enhance workplace safety in the community, such as requiring written site-specific safety plans and training building inspectors to evaluate safety hazards.

“Though it is little consolation to the families of the workers who died on Las Vegas Strip projects recently, their deaths have not gone unnoticed,” says Walsh. “The attention brought to construction safety issues not only in Las Vegas but throughout the U.S. has reinvigorated a dialogue in government and the industry. That dialogue has brought needed change and will hopefully bring more improvements in the future to help ensure that workers go home to their families at the end of each work day.”

South Carolina Chapter Forms New Section

To better serve members in the northeastern section of the state, ASSE’s South Carolina Chapter has formed the Pee Dee Section. The group meets each month at Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology in Florence. “This is a thriving section of the state that has a great deal of successful industry,” says Section Chair Jeffery Scott, CSP. “Organizations like ASSE help us keep in touch with the emerging legislation and regulation so we can make sure that our companies are ahead of the curve when changes occur.”

Top Recruiters: Honor Roll

The latest additions to ASSE's Honor Roll.

You Might Want to Know . . .

• ASSE elections are officially closed. Look for the results on the website later this month and in the May 2009 issue of Professional Safety.

• ASSE’s Government Affairs group has launched a new web page.

• Proposals to present at Safety 2010, which will be held June 13-16 in Baltimore, MD, are due July 31, 2009.

• You can help advance the professional dialogue in safety by writing an article for Professional Safety.

• The proceedings from Safety 2008 are available for free download in the Members Only section of the website.