Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day

Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day is observed on Wednesday of the first full week in May in order to recognize the efforts and commitment of experts in safety, health and environmental to protect people, property and the environment.

Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day’s history

The Board of Directors of the American Society of Safety Engineers approved the creation of Occupational Safety and Health Day (OSHP) in March 2006 to be celebrated in conjunction with Occupational Safety and Health Week. North America (NAOSH). OSHP Day occurs on the Wednesday of NAOSH Week each year and is celebrated internationally.

Occupational health and safety experts ensure that millions of workers who commute to work each day return home safely. They help identify and minimize workplace hazards while reducing employer costs and maximizing the contribution of all workers. Safety professionals give some basic standards from a variety of disciplines such as engineering, education, psychology, physiology, enforcement, hygiene, health, physics, and management. They use all the appropriate tools, methods and techniques available to prevent accidents, illnesses, fires, explosions and other situations harmful to people, property and the environment.

OSHP Day recognizes these professionals' contributions to worker and workplace safety, and aims to further raise awareness and pride in the profession.

In 2007, the United States Senate passed a resolution on NAOSH/OSHP Day with the 110th Congress – First Session – S.Res.193 designating May 9, 2007 as OSHP Day and December 6-12. May 2007 is NAOSH Week.

Celebrating Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day

In 2006, the board of directors of the American Association of Safety Engineers approved the creation of "Occupational Health and Safety Professionals Day" to recognize the continued efforts of safety professionals, health and the environment to protect people, property and the environment. Today is that day. ASSE says the compliance will fall on each Wednesday of North American Occupational Health and Safety Week (this year begins May 4 and ends May 10).

The special day, ASSE said, aims to further raise awareness and pride in the OH&B profession, noting that through their education, training and experience, health and safety professionals Professionals can identify hazards and develop appropriate control measures to prevent occupational injury, illness, and property damage. ASSE President Michael Thompson, CSP, said: “They are the people who make sure you get home from work and work safely and without injury every day. Health and safety professionals follow the Code of Professional Conduct and bring technical knowledge, skills and expertise along with management capabilities developed through years of continuing education and experience practical experience. There are currently about 100,000 OSH practitioners in the United States.

Society noted that occupational safety and health practitioners had been around for a long time, but it was not until 1911 that they founded ASSE after the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York City on May 25th. On that day, nearly 150 women and girls died in the factory fire because the exits were locked and the fire suppression system was inadequate. This was a major turning point in the history of occupational safety as the tragedy led to changed government regulations and new worker protection laws.

Thompson said we took time every May 7th to express our gratitude to the men and women who work to make your workplace safer and healthier daily”. It doesn't happen regularly, but when a family member informs you that that their family member has been injured or killed on the job, your lives will be changed since then. Keep working with our occupational health and safety experts to make sure you and your family never gets that call.

Congressional resolution recognizes Wednesday, May 7, 2008, as Occupational Health and Safety Day alongside May 4-10, 2008, when North American Occupational Health and Safety Week is celebrated last week. A Congressional Resolution was also passed in the recognition of OSHP Day on Wednesday, May 9th, 2007 and NAOSH Week on May 6-12, 2007.

Employers, colleagues and the public are encouraged to say “thank you” to safety professionals in their workplaces. ASSE's Salute Your Safety Professional initiative, where companies and colleagues can recognize their local safety professionals, is an opportunity to recognize the outstanding efforts of EHS professionals. Employers and colleagues can submit names and photos of EHS professionals they wish to honor and ASSE will honor them by:

• Include his or her photo and bio on the ASSE Web site.
• Send press releases to your organization's local media.
• Include him or her in the list that honors EHS professionals in ASSE publications distributed to more than 34,000 ASSE members and non-members.