Chapter Members Assist NIOSH in Nail Gun Research

NIOSH scientists met recently with a delegation of the ASSE Arizona Chapter Construction Section and Chapter President Milli Lee to conduct field research into nail gun incident/accident prevention.

Click to read more.

Membership Dues to Increase by $10

The ASSE Board of Directors' motion to the House of Delegates (HoD) for a $10 per year dues increase for the next three years was approved by mail-in ballots by the delegates on March 18, announced Warren K. Brown, CSP, ASSE President and HoD Chair.

"We will continue to review the Society's strategic plan and operations in light of our finances and the challenging economy before us all," President Brown stated. "Current services and products will be reviewed and prioritized. New and proposed services and products and expansion of existing programs will be scrutinized. As always our primary goal will be to deliver value to the membership."

Construction Meetings to Include Site Tour, Training

The AZ ASSE Construction Section has planned a construction jobsite tour and a scaffolding training for the May and June meetings, respectively. These are the last two construction section meetings for the season.

See the Construction Section page for more information.

ASSE Society Election Results Announced

The ASSE National Nominations and Elections Committee Chair, Michael W. Thompson, has announced the results of the ASSE 2009 Society election held recently. For more information click here.

New Healthcare Section Forming

Members of the Arizona ASSE Chapter also participate in health and safety activities through membership in Chapter sections such as the Student and Construction sections. In effort to improve opportunity, a new Chapter Healthcare Section is currently forming.

"This is an opportunity to create positive change, and a support community dedicated to advancing EH&S in the healthcare arena, said Ryan L. Oughterson, who is an Ashton Tiffany risk management consultant with Banner Health.

The benefits of forming a Chapter Healthcare Section include opportunities for Safety/Security/ EH&S individuals from all types of healthcare organizations to share best practices, provide insight, share strategies and work together to create a safer healthcare environment in Arizona, Mr. Oughterson said.

Each Chapter section must have 10 members. Those interested in joining should e-mail Ryan Oughterson for more information or call him at (602) 747-4824.

If you are not an ASSE member, you can sign up by completing the attached pdf or by completing an online application.

Chapter President: The Times Present Challenges, Opportunities

The Arizona ASSE Chapter President Milli Lee provides her thoughts on ASSE, challenges and opportunities facing us all in the coming new year. Read the President's Message.

Arizona Chapter Invites New Members

Enjoy the full benefits of expanded networking and personal development opportunities by joining the Arizona Chapter of ASSE. Don't go it alone especially in these difficult times when the rewards of membership are even more valuable for current and future safety professionals.

The Arizona Chapter of ASSE, and its nearly 500 members of dedicated safety, insurance and business professionals, comprise one of the leading chapters in the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). We are community leaders in workplace safety and health, training and education. We have Student and Construction Sections made up of many leaders in their respective fields.

For more information and to join the Arizona Chapter of ASSE contact Membership Chair Julie Rogers at 602-262-6202 or by e-mail at julie.rogers@phoenix.gov.

Still uncertain? Here's a powerpoint that lists many additional benefits.

Call for Volunteers by Chapter Leaders

A safe workplace is the right of every worker in the U.S. Exercising and advancing that right takes the commitment and involvement of every member of ASSE. Your Arizona Chapter is looking for members who want to help advance the cause by helping lead the Chapter.

There are several openings on the Chapter Board for members who are ready to take the next step in serving the safety community with the Arizona Chapter. Volunteer opportunities abound.

For more information contact Denis White, Nominations Chair at dwhite@alliancesafety.net.

 

Welcome to the Arizona Chapter Homepage

The Arizona Chapter of ASSE is dedicated to promoting the safety profession through increased public awareness and providing opportunities for networking and professional growth.

The Arizona Chapter presently consists of over 400 practicing Safety and Health Professionals in the greater Phoenix area.

For questions or comments, please email our Chapter President, Milli Lee at millilee@mail.maricopa.gov.

Nearly 200 Attend Chapter Spring Safety Workshop

The ASSE Arizona Chapter Spring Safety Workshop was labeled a huge success by the Chapter Executive Board in that it provided two days of high-quality safety training to 200 attendees on April 16 & 17, 2009 at the Comfort Suites in Glendale for free. The total cost for the event came in under the approved budget of $3,500, reported Chapter Vice President and Workshop Organizer Tim Little at the Chapter E-board meeting on May 1, 2009.

Attendees at the Workshop demonstrate their skills as part of the flagger training provided during the ASSE Arizona Chapter Spring safety Workshop.

The workshop was spearheaded by then-Vice President Little and the Arizona Chapter Construction Section including Jeremy Bethancourt, Clint Bragg and Toni Dominico as well as Chapter Executive Board members Julie Rogers and Chapter President Milli Lee. Other Chapter members who volunteered their time and assisted with the event included Denis White, Harold Gribow, David Bellmont, Jim Gallup, Chet Brandon, Donna Seniuk, Vicki Allen-Buglisi, Jackie Ruggles, Jitu Patel, Lori Bosken, Wayne Ziemann, Linda Howard, Katherine Gosiger, Mary Bobbitt, Josh Welp, Bill Fox, Larry Gast and Mike Cook.

Courses provided during the event included "Work Zone Competent Person Training" by the Construction Safety Council; "Flagger Certification" by the Construction Safety Council; "OSHA 101" by ADOSH; "Electrical Safety" by the Tucson Electric Power & Westex, Inc. and "Ladder & Scaffold Safety" by the Scaffold Industry Institute.

Companies and organizations that helped support the workshop included Action Scaffold Manufacturing, ORCO Construction Supply, Scaffold Industry Association, Southwest Safety Training Alliance, Banner Health Services, American Safety Shoe, Arizona Glove & Safety, Universal Safety Compliance, Orchard Medical Consulting, Industrial Solutions Network, Action Barricade Co., NewMercury, TOCA and Company Nurse.

See more photos on the Chapter Safety Workshop page.

ASSE Arizona Chapter Named Chapter of the Year

PHOENIX (April 27, 2009) -- The ASSE Arizona Chapter was announced the winner of the "Large Chapter of the Year Award" for 2007-08 in an April letter from ASSE Society President Warren K. Brown, CSP. As the ASSE Chapter of the Year Award winner, the Arizona Chapter was identified as a leader among 151 ASSE chapters throughout the world "with regard to your professional development, chapter communication and superior service to your constituency," stated President Brown in his announcement letter.

President Brown called the Arizona Chapter a "true performer" set apart from other chapters because of the achievements of the 2007-08 chapter year. The Chapter President during the 2007-08 was Katherine Gosiger. Part of the award criteria included judgment of Arizona ASSE accomplishments as related through an annual chapter Stars report, submitted by then-president Gosiger in August 2008.

The Stars report communicated such chapter achievements as support of the formation of the non-profit Arizona Safety Education Center (ASEC) in support of Arizona Chapter safety education goals, leadership in support of the 2007 Safety Works Expo and other Arizona safety community events and strong recruiting of new members by Chapter Treasurer David Bellmont as well as other notable accomplishments.

"We are thrilled to accept this honor as a reflection of our members’ commitment to workplace safety and ASSE," said Chapter Past-President Gosiger. “We take our mission of advocating safety and providing benefits to our chapter members very seriously.”

The Arizona Chapter's annual report details the chapter accomplishments during 2007-08 and can be accessed under the "About Us" link at the top of the chapter webpage here: http://az.asse.org/. To read the letter of congratulations from ASSE President Brown click here.

Chapter Board Increases William C. Ray Scholarship Award

The ASSE Arizona Chapter Executive Board recently voted to donate $50,266 to increase the amount of the annual William C. Ray Arizona Scholarship to $5,000 per year. The donation increases the endowment to the appropriate level to award the scholarship each year in perpetuity, said Vicki Allen-Buglisi, Chapter Foundation chair person.

The Arizona Chapter scholarship is named in honor of former Arizona Chapter President, William C. Ray, CIH, CSP, who was an active ASSE member and a leading proponent of safety in Arizona. The scholarship is administered by the ASSE Foundation.

Current ASSE Arizona Chapter President Milli Lee will present the check to the ASSE Scholarship Foundation during the House of Delegates meeting at the ASSE PDC June 22-28 and July 1-2 in San Antonio.

For more information on the ASSE Foundation click here www.asse.org/foundation.

I Could Have Saved a Life That Day

I could have saved a life that day, But I chose to look the other way. It wasn't that I didn't care, I had the time and I was there.

But I didn't want to seem a fool, Or argue over a safety rule. I knew he'd done the job before, If I spoke up, he might get sore.

The chances didn't seem that bad, I'd done the same, he knew I had. So I shook my head and walked on by, He knew the risks as well as I.

He took the chance, I closed an eye, And with that act, I let him die. I could have saved a life that day, But I chose to look the other way.

Now every time I see his wife, I'll know I should have saved his life. That guilt is something I must bear, But it isn't something you need share.

If you see a risk that others take, That puts their health or life at stake, The question asked, or thing you say, Could help them live another day.

If you see a risk and walk away, then hope you never have to say I could have saved a life that day, but I chose to look the other way.

Author Unknown

The American Society of Safety Engineers

Founded in 1911, the national American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) is the world's oldest and largest professional, non-profit, safety organization. ASSE members manage, supervise and consult on safety, health and environmental issues in industry, insurance, construction, utilities, government and healthcare, among others.