ASSE Sets Course for 100th Birthday Celebration
Ninety-eight years ago today, the Triangle Waist Company factory in New York City caught fire. The disaster killed 146 workers and sparked the modern workplace safety movement, leaders of the American Society of Safety Engineers recalled today as they unveiled ASSE's 100 logo and theme for its 2011 centennial celebration. ASSE was founded Oct. 14, 1911, in NYC as the United Society of Casualty Inspectors.
"Our profession has and continues to work towards enhancing safety. When we look at the past and compare workplaces then to the workplace of today from a safety standpoint, it is daunting," said ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM. "From 1906 to 1911, a recorded total of 13,228 miners were killed in U.S. coal mines. That is unheard of today in the U.S. due to many factors, including the growth in the occupational safety, health, and environmental profession, new laws and regulations, education, the public awareness, communication, and new technologies. During our centennial, we will be sharing that history and relaying new stories of safety solutions for today's workplace in all industries from our more than 32,000 members."
Rick Pollock, CSP, of Plymouth, Minn., ASSE's vice president of Professional Development, heads the ASSE 100th Anniversary Committee. It chose the theme "Your Safety is our Business. Your Future is our Mission" for the centennial and unveiled the 100th logo.
Pollock said ASSE will commemorate its 100th year by celebrating the accomplishments and professionalism of its members; building on its leadership in protecting people, property, and the environment, and launching its vision for the future of the safety profession. ASSE's 2009 annual meeting takes place June 28-30 in San Antonio; the 2011 event will in Chicago in June of that year. For more information, go to www.asse.org/100.