Greater Tidewater Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers

President’s Message - August 2010

Happy August! I hope you’re all having a safe summer and staying hydrated in this heat! Please make plans to come out to our Chapter meeting on August 18th at Jimmy’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant in Virginia Beach. Rich Flannery with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission will be speaking to our group on Hurricane Preparedness and giving us some valuable information on how to prepare our homes and businesses in the event of a hurricane strike in our region.

The Executive Board is hard at work, planning activities for the coming year. Please take a minute to let us know what types of meetings you would find helpful or interesting, and what type of PDC you would like to have this year. There is a complete listing of upcoming events on our website. Your input is valuable to us!

We also have a “Section” of our local Chapter on the Peninsula- for those of you who live and/or work on that side of the water. Please consider attending their meetings (in lieu of, or in addition to) our Chapter meetings. The information for both meetings is located on the website. If you’d like more information about joining the Peninsula Section, please contact Jeramiah Hayes (For contact info Executive Committee section of newsletter).

The Section and Chapter meetings are great places to learn something new, see old friends, and make new ones. Remember, this is YOUR Chapter, and we need your participation to be successful. Please feel free to invite a guest- a fellow Safety Professional, someone in a related industry, or your boss! The more, the merrier, and we’d love to see you!

If you have any suggestions for meeting topics for this year, ideas for community outreach opportunities or any other suggestions, please contact me at esawyer@coopervision.com or 757-664-2425. Please pass this newsletter on to any contacts you have in the Safety industry that may not be aware of our organization. Thanks for your support!

Elizabeth Sawyer
2010-2011 ASSE Greater Tidewater Chapter President

Why Should I Join ASSE? What's in it For Me?

Questions?

For more information on joining ASSE, please contact the Greater Tidewater Chapter Membership Chairperson, Cherie Walton at c.c.walton@reactives.com or (757) 436-1033 or (757) 548-2808 (fax).

ASSE is the world's oldest and largest professional safety organization. Its 32,600 members perform vital safety and health functions in public and private industry. They manage, supervise, and provide training and consultation on health, safety, and environmental issues. They keep people safe, protect the environment, and save money through accident prevention and the use of smart work practices.

ASSE is a leader in:

Setting Standards – works with American National Standards Institutes (ANSI) on the development and improvement of safety standards.
Recognizing Excellence – recognizes outstanding accomplishments of safety professionals through a variety of awards programs.
Speaking Out & Shaping the Future – ASSE prepares position statements in response to, and in anticipation of, key safety and health legislation and regulations. ASSE also works closely with government agencies and other professional societies worldwide to share concerns, and discuss goals and strategies that impact members of the safety profession.
National Networking – With 148 chapters, 55 sections, and 54 student section across the country, members are afforded unlimited networking and professional development opportunities through local and national meetings,
seminars, conferences, and newsletters. There are also 12 professional divisions to provide technical assistance in various careers.
Quality Education – provides members with quality professional development tools, skills, and knowledge to enhance their professional standing and to achieve their career goals.

Membership Benefits Include:

Networking
Career Counseling
Job Line Employment Service
Professional Liability & Group Medical Insurance
Career Development
Information & Technical Publications
Education & Training

As An Employer, What's In It For Me?

Sponsoring one or more employees in ASSE is like putting money in the bank. In today's business environment, safety and health professionals can have a big impact on your company's bottom line. Knowledgeable, well trained, and well informed safety professionals can keep your company in compliance with the latest federal regulations and save you money on loss-time and accident prevention. ASSE provides safety professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to help protect your company's most valuable assets – employees and money. Encourage and support employees to join and actively participate in ASSE!

Membership Categories

PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Requirements:

Shall be a certified safety professional (CSP) or certified industrial hygienist (CIH) in good standing with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals or American Board of Industrial Hygiene, respectively, or
Shall hold an accredited certification from a body recognized by the Admissions Committee, hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university and shall have a minimum of 5 years in the aggregate professional safety, health and environmental experience, or
Shall be registered or licensed by a state agency as a professional engineer (P.E.), hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university and shall have a minimum of 5 years in the aggregate professional safety, health and environmental experience, or
Shall hold a doctorate level degree from an accredited college or university in a safety, health and environmental field recognized by the Admissions Committee and shall have a minimum of 5 years in the aggregate professional safety, health and environmental experience.

MEMBER Requirements: Current employment in safety or a relevant specialty. Both Professional Members and Members must be employed in the safety profession or one of its specialty areas and perform at least two of the four following professional safety functions:

Anticipate, identify, and evaluate hazardous conditions and practices.
Develop hazard control designs, methods, procedures, and programs.
Implement, administer, and advise others on hazard controls and hazard control programs.
Measure, audit, and evaluate the effectiveness of hazard controls and hazard control programs.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER Requirements: This category is for those who provide services to the safety profession or who cooperate with safety professionals.

STUDENT MEMBER Requirements: The applicant is not currently working in a safety or safety-related field and must be enrolled in an accredited college which offers a graduate or undergraduate degree curriculum which prepares the student for practice in the safety profession or one of its related specialty fields.

EMERITUS MEMBER Requirements: Members who are fully retired from gainful employment and who have been an ASSE member for at least 10 years may be reclassified as an Emeritus member.

DIVISIONS: There are 13 Practice Specialties members may join: Academics, Construction, Consultants, Engineering, Environmental, Healthcare, Industrial Hygiene, International, Management, Mining, Public Sector, Risk Management/Insurance, and Transportation.

Membership Fees:

New Application:
- $120 Society Dues plus $15 Chapter Dues plus $25 one-time Application Fee
- $145 Membership fees for most international addresses are slightly less.
Students:
- Annual Student fee with online access to Professional Safety Journal plus a FREE one-year Practice Specialty membership .... $15.00.
- Annual Student fee with one-year mail subscription to Professional Safety Journal plus a FREE one-year Practice Specialty membership ....$32.00.
Each Practice Specialty is an additional $15.00 per year.
Reclassification to a different membership category is $15.00.

What's On Your Schedule?

Next Chapter Meeting

Next Peninsula Section Meeting

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