April 5, 2006—The American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Board of Directors has approved the creation of an “Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day” to be held this May 3 during North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) which runs April 30 May 6, 2006.
Thereafter, Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day will be held on the Wednesday of NAOSH Week each year, says the organization.
The purpose of the day is to recognize the ongoing efforts of occupational safety, health and environmental professionals to protect people, property and the environment.
“They are the ones that make sure you go to and come home from work safely and without injury every day,” ASSE President Jack H. Dobson Jr., CSP, said.
Currently there are about 100,000 occupational safety, health and environmental practitioners in the US today, ASSE says. Occupational safety and health professionals have been around for a long time, but formalized in 1911 following the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City on March 21, 1911. On that date nearly 150 women and young girls died in the Triangle factory fire because of locked fire exits and inadequate fire extinguishing systems. This was a major turning point in worker history as the outrage led to changed government regulations, and new laws were instituted to protect workers.
ASSE was formed soon after, October 14 of that same year. ASSE now has 30,000 occupational safety, health and environmental practitioner members who manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor and education. For more on the organization, visit its Web site.
