Century-old workplace safety organization changes name

American Society of Safety Engineers has changed its name to the American Society of Safety Professionals to attract and retain members who work in safety but are not necessarily engineers, the Park Ridge, Illinois-based group announced Friday.

The 37,000-member American Society of Safety Professionals, which advocates for safe and healthy work environments by preventing injuries, illnesses and fatalities in a variety of industries, has also refreshed its logo, redesigned its website and rebranded its social media channels, according to a press release. 

“We’re evolving with our profession to stay at the forefront of workplace safety advancements,” ASSP President Jim Smith said in the press statement. “Our members are involved in various management systems and technical safety areas such as risk assessment, hazard identification, injury prevention and workers compensation. They also work to improve human and organizational safety performance.”

This is not the society’s first name change: ASSP was founded as the United Association of Casualty Inspectors in 1911 after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that killed 146 garment workers in New York. The deadliest industrial disaster in New York City history, the fire led to reforms that improved workplace safety. In 1914, the group became the American Society of Safety Engineers. Last year, members approved the change to ASSP, according to the release.