Six out of 30,000 American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) members from Arkansas, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington, DC, won the North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week Champion award for their individual achievements in going above and beyond in educating their communities about how workplace safety affects everyone. From company sponsored safety breakfasts with Bell Helicopter CEO Mike “Red” Redenbaugh to hosting “Soul Train for Safety” to working with Safe Schools in New Jersey, and providing safety oversight for the Extreme Makeover TV show, the award winners, all volunteers, reached out to their communities, businesses, families and friends in support of North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week 2006.
The NAOSH Champion Awards were given at the annual ASSE Professional Development Conference in Seattle, WA, June 10 to ASSE Arkansas Chapter Vice President Heather J. Earl, CSP, of Rogers, AR, health and safety operations manager for Tysons Foods, Inc.; New Jersey Chapter President Gina Mayer-Costa, CSP, CHMM, of Oakland, NJ, director of environmental health and safety for Ramapo College of New Jersey; New Jersey Chapter Public Affairs Chair Jack Fearing, CPEA, of Flemington, NJ, AON Risk Services of Greater New York; National Capital Chapter President Michael McCullion, ARM, CSP, of Ashburn, Virginia, director of safety and health for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA); former ASSE President and ASSE Ft. Worth, TX, chapter member James “Skipper” Kendrick, CSP, of Hurst, TX, manager of Industrial Safety and Hygiene for Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company; and, Southwest Chapter member and Area Regional Vice President for the ASSE Council on Practices and Standards Committee Patricia A. Kagerer, CSP, ARM, of Plano, TX, director of Risk Management for CF Jordan.
To promote workplace safety during NAOSH Week 2006 (April 30 – May 6, 2006) New Jersey ASSE Chapter President Gina Mayer-Costa, CSP, CHMM, worked with the Governor’s office on securing statewide support, worked with 20 chapter members on providing volunteer construction safety oversight services on two Extreme Makeover Projects in New Jersey, set up a 10-hour construction safety program with the New Jersey Department of Labor with ASSE members volunteering their expertise, worked with Safe Schools providing new worker safety tools along with general health information and resources on asbestos and lead.
ASSE New Jersey Chapter Public Affairs Chair Jack Fearing led the chapter’s participation in the 20th Annual Lincoln Tunnel Challenge with the ASSE Metro NYC Chapter. All proceeds benefited the Special Olympics of New Jersey. He developed and distributed key information throughout the state on how safety positively affects the bottom line, secured the Governor’s proclamation in support of NAOSH Week and was the keynote speaker on international safety at the Joint ASSE Chapter meeting which took place at the Mid-Atlantic Safety Expo in Atlantic City.
At Arkansas-based Tyson Foods, Inc. ASSE member Heather J. Earl, CSP, led a NAOSH Week effort that included company-wide and community-wide activities such as printing workplace safety and NAOSH messages on Tyson paystubs reaching 110,000 people; a corporate message and thank you in support of NAOSH and the May 3 Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day was sent to all Tyson’s professional health, safety and environmental (EHS) staff from the Tyson senior vice president for EHS; ASSE NAOSH week posters were distributed to 300+ locations and ASSE/NAOSH week planning information was posted on the company’s intranet. Nationwide, each Tyson facility coordinated their own NAOSH Week activities including: vehicle safety inspection programs; safety and ergonomic quizzes; health and wellness fairs; garnered city and state NAOSH support; and, plants conducted safety and health training on topics such as hot works, compressed gases, machine safety and hazardous materials safety. Several Tyson locations held team member appreciation luncheons and dinners in support of NAOSH Week.
The ASSE Arkansas Chapter also sponsored the Governor’s Safety and Health Management Conference featuring over 30 sessions on workplace safety and health including sessions on disaster preparedness, safety program development, teen workplace safety, fire prevention, security, trenching and excavation safety, and roadway hazards. Former Congressman and Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security Asa Hutchison was the keynote speaker. Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee presented a proclamation in support of NAOSH Week to the Arkansas ASSE Chapter and local American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) officers as well as officials from OSHA, the Arkansas Department of Labor and the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission.
ASSE Southwest Chapter member Patricia Kagerer, CSP, ARM, set up, with the local Associated General Contractors of America and the regional U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an event in Dallas titled “Construction Electrical Safety and How to Conduct a Successful Safety Stand Down.” Recent U.S. statistics show the number of electrocutions in the U.S. rose in 2004; the number of fatal work injuries in the construction sector rose eight percent; fatal work injuries involving falls were up 17 percent in 2004; and, the number of workers who were fatally injured after being struck by objects rose 12 percent in 2004. OSHA provided an update on electrical issues in the construction industry aimed at helping prevent accidents. The Mayor of Dallas also issued a proclamation in support of NAOSH Week.
Former ASSE President James “Skipper” Kendrick, CSP, led Bell Helicopter’s third annual NAOSH weeklong celebrations at plants and offices throughout the Fort Worth area featuring CEO Mike “Red” Redenbaugh. Redenbaugh met and talked with more than 2500 employees in eight facilities on the importance of workplace safety. Activities ending the week included a forklift rodeo, a personal protective equipment (PPE) fashion show and the workplace safety trivia game. Fellow employees Jansing Hurst, Faye Connely and Stephanie Stovall assisted Kendrick in planning the events.
ASSE National Capital Chapter President Michael McCullion, ARM, CSP, garnered NAOSH Week recognition from the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Montgomery County in Maryland and the Virginia Counties of Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William through proclamations. He was also instrumental in increasing awareness of the NAOSH children’s poster contest and the planning and implementation of the NAOSH Week kick-off events held at the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Capitol. McCullion also set up a meeting held with ASSE members and key OSHA managers to discuss key safety issues affecting the workforce today.
“These NAOSH Champion Award winners went above and beyond and on their own time to help people stay safe,” ASSE President for 2005-06 Jack H. Dobson, Jr., CSP, said. “They are just the tip of the iceberg and we are very proud of their efforts. We salute everyone – members and non-members alike who help show the importance of safety to businesses, families, friends and our communities not only during NAOSH Week, but every day.”
NAOSH 2007 will be held from Sunday, May 6 – Saturday, May 12. Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is a professional safety society committed to protecting people, property and the environment.
