On May 9, ASSE Honors Professionals' Contributions
The American Society of Safety Engineers will mark May 9 as Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day to recognize the work of industry professionals during North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (May 6-12). "They are the ones that make sure you go to and come home from work safely and without injury every day," said ASSE President Donald S. Jones Sr., P.E., CSP.
Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day tries to raise awareness and pride in the occupational safety, health, and environmental profession, according to ASSE, which says there are about 100,000 practitioners of these disciplines in the country today. The profession started soon after the tragic Triangle Waist Co. fire in New York City in March 1911.
"We still have a long way to go in increasing workplace safety for all," said ASSE Past President Eddie Greer, CSP. "Many women perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911, yet even 80 years later we had 25 workers die and 49 more injured when a fire broke out at a chicken processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina. The plant doors were padlocked trapping the workers inside. We are making a difference and workplace fatalities have gone down over the years, but we need to reach the businesses who don't have or ignore workplace safety and health processes."