As a global association of professionals that has supported the occupational health and safety industry since 1911, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) is one of the most vital institutions for safety folks. It’s also a membership-driven organization—35,000 strong with a presence in 80 countries—and as such, many of its most vital leadership positions are held by experienced volunteers.

The latest term for ASSP’s volunteer leadership began in July, and Danny Smith—a senior safety consultant at SafeStart—stepped into the role of Training and Communications Practice Specialty Administrator.

The ASSP has 18 different practice specialties, ranging from ergonomics and fire protection to utilities and risk management. Each practice specialty provides members with a network that offers professional and technical content focused on their field of interest, with a goal of dealing with common safety challenges and improving their abilities as a safety professional.

In his new role, Danny Smith will help members gain technical insight into training and communications, which are vital components of being an EHS professional. Training and communication touch almost every safety professional and all of the other ASSP practice specialties/common interest groups. The ability to communicate with workers about identifying and navigating hazards is a critical part of the job for safety professionals. As Smith recently noted in an article, “hazard prevention and control is more than just putting up a sign.”

Fortunately, Smith has over two decades of experience working in the EHS industry and is well-versed in the nuances of training and communications for traditional safety issues and advanced concepts like human factors. This experience will serve him and the members of the ASSP well as he begins his two-year term.

On behalf of everyone at SafeStart, congratulations, Danny!