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2013 ASSE President
Kathy A. Seabrook, CSP, CMIOSH, EurOSHM |
Occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals are
natural collaborators. It is how we get things done. Whether we partner with
leaders in operations, procurement and maintenance, or with other stakeholders
such as human resources, research and development, risk management, legal or
marketing, through collaboration we build the buy-in and engagement needed to
effect change and advance any safety initiative.
Collaboration through partnerships and alliances is
essential to ASSE as well. The outcomes of our collaborative efforts far exceed
what any one group could achieve on its own for OSH professionals, for the
profession and, most importantly, for worker safety. The unified voice of the
global OSH community is strong. When heard, opportunities for change abound.
This month, I would like to highlight some examples that
illustrate how collaboration helps strengthen the profession and, ultimately,
benefits all ASSE members.
The Power of Collaboration
•The Central Indiana Chapter partners with the Indiana Department
of Labor’s INSafe Division and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce each year to
present a 3-day conference that draws more than 800 safety professionals.
•The Central Florida Chapter joined forces with the Alliance
for Central Florida Safety to create Safety Day 2014 in March. The event drew
more than 500 attendees and 50 vendors.
•Region I’s strategic plan includes designating a
region-level association outreach coordinator. The ultimate goal of this
position is to foster relationships and build partnerships with groups such as
AIHA, NSC, RIMS, Society for Human Resource Management and Public Agency Safety
Management
Association.
•In Region V, the Northeastern Illinois, Three Rivers and
Greater Chicago chapters have long partnered with various groups, including
AIHA’s Chicago Section, the local section of Alliance of Hazardous Materials
Professionals, OSHA, Northern Illinois University and National Safety Education
Center, to hold an annual conference. This past year marked the 25th
anniversary of this partnership, and the conference attracted more than 800
attendees.
•ASSE’s Safety Professionals and the Latino Workforce common
interest group and the Standards Development Committee are translating safety
information for Spanish-speaking audiences. The Z359 Fall Protection Code and
the curriculum of the VPP Excellence in Safety Certificate of the University of
Alabama in Birmingham are examples of the ongoing effort to reach out to
Hispanic SH&E professionals and the Spanish-speaking workforce.
•ASSE and its partners in the International Network of
Safety & Health Practitioner Organizations are developing a global
competency model for the profession.
• North American Occupational Safety and Health Week
continues to grow and raise awareness of occupational safety globally. It’s the
result of our ongoing collaboration with Canadian Society of Safety Engineering
and Interdisciplinary Association of Occupational Health and Hygiene of Mexico.
•ASSE joined with NSC and AIHA to support federal funding
for OSHA and NIOSH. Even in difficult budget years, the national focus on OSH
must remain strong.
•ASSE is also working with OSHA to spread the word about the
agency’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction June 2-6.
The campaign goal is to have more than 25,000 employers and 500,000 workers
participate.
Connecting the Dots
As these examples show, the whole is, indeed, greater than
the sum of its parts. Whether in your workplace, as an ASSE volunteer or
throughout life, alliances and collaboration are game changers that help us
achieve outcomes that likely would not have been possible otherwise. I
challenge each of you to seek out partners, build alliances and look for
opportunities to collaborate so that your safety strategies and initiatives can
succeed.
What you will do today to move the safety needle in your
organization?
