Members of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) have overwhelmingly approved a name-change for the 100-year-old organization, the world’s oldest professional safety society. Next June, at its annual meeting in San Antonio, ASSE will unveil a new website featuring the name American Society of Safety Professionals.
ASSE president Jim Smith explained, “Engineers made up our entire membership when we were formed, but today the occupational safety and health profession encompasses many disciplines.”
The organization was founded in 1911 as the United Association of Casualty Inspectors in the wake of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. In that tragic incident, 146 garment workers in lower Manhattan lost their lives. It was the deadliest industrial disaster in New York City history and led to a variety of reforms that improved workplace safety. In 1914, the group was renamed American Society of Safety Engineers.