Following the outcome of a historic membership vote, ASSE will become the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) next year when it launches a redesigned website in conjunction with Safety 2018. ASSE’s logo will undergo small adjustments to reflect the new ASSP acronym as well.
Over a 45-day period that ended Aug. 13, ASSE members cast votes on the proposed name, which was approved by the House of Delegates during its annual meeting in June. The final tally found 74% of members (3,651) in favor of the change. Fourteen percent of eligible members cast ballots, surpassing the minimum voting requirement of 1%.
“Our members have clearly voiced that the American Society of Safety Professionals better reflects our diverse membership,” says ASSE President Jim Smith, M.S., CSP. “Engineers made up our entire membership when we were formed, but today the occupational safety and health profession encompasses many disciplines.”
Research conducted in 2016 with ASSE members, customers and stakeholders across the globe indicated that an updated brand with a clearer vision would better reflect the organization’s current membership and position it for growth. The study also found that a new name would help eliminate confusion about who could join the Society.
“Our members have always decided who we are and what we’re all about,” Smith said. “This latest vote was part of an objective process that has made us a strong organization for more than 100 years.”
ASSE’s logo will undergo small adjustments that correspond with its name change. The green shield will continue to display the organization’s acronym in gold letters within the four angles of a gold cross, but the “E” will be changed to “P.”
The organization will continue to be called ASSE until early June 2018 when it debuts a new website and makes the conversion to its new name in alignment with Safety 2018, slated for June 3-6 in San Antonio, TX.
“Workplace safety is constantly evolving, so our society must adjust as well to remain strong and relevant while growing our profession,” Smith says. “Our profession includes more occupations and industries than ever before. Our members are knowledgeable about everything from risk assessment and hazard control to workers’ compensation and organizational management, not to mention the more traditional aspects of safety management and engineering.”