Connecting the Dots: Partnerships, Alliances & Collaboration

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?