ANSI-accredited standards developing organization (SDO) the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has updated its name to the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). Solidifying this change, ASSP has rebranded its digital presence.
Officially taking place June 1, 2018, this change was the result of a 45-day voting process initiated with the intention of updating ASSE’s brand with a clearer vision to better reflect membership and position it for growth. Voting took place over the summer of 2017, concluding on August 13. At the end of this period, 74% of the then-ASSE members casting ballots voted in favor of changing the organization’s name to ASSP.
Representing more than 37,000 members worldwide and developing widely used standards in a plethora of industries, including those for fall protection (ANSI/ASSE Z359 series), laboratory ventilation (ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9 series), general construction and demolition operations (ANSI/ASSE A10 series), and numerous other topics, ASSP’s revised brand better reflects the organization’s current status and positions it for growth with young safety professionals.
In the simplest sense, this name change was necessary because ASSP represents more than just engineers. However, this brand update is reinvigorating for the community ASSP represents, orienting the Society towards advancing its advocacy in creating safe and healthy work environments by preventing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities and increasing productivity.
This was not the first name change for the Society. Founded as the United Association of Casualty Inspectors in 1911 in response to the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the Society’s name shifted to ASSE in 1914.
In addition to an altered logo—the “E” has been changed to a “P”—an updated website (now http://www.assp.org), and rebranded social media channels, ASSP’s standards documents will bear a different designation from now on. This is a crucial consideration for anyone depending on ASSP standards for the safe execution of workplace tasks.
Any ASSP standard now bears the designation ASSP instead of ASSE. For example, ANSI/ASSE Z359.2 for fall protection program requirements is now ANSI/ASSP Z359.2. Furthermore, any future ASSP standard releases will not bear the ASSE designation, so users should now keep an eye out for standards developed by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).
