Welcome!
Welcome to the Three Rivers Chapter website, a non-profit organization chartered by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). The Three Rivers Chapter promotes the advancement of the safety profession and development of its members in a region southwest of Chicago. To fulfill its purpose, the chapter sponsors the Chicagoland Safety Conference, offers educational programs, publishes informative newsletters, networks with local organizations, and conducts other activities that support ASSE objectives.
ASSE was founded in 1911, seven months after the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that killed 146 female garment workers in New York City. Safety professionals use principles from many different disciples to protect people, property, and the environment. Our members are a diverse group of professionals working to improve conditions in all walks of life, including service industries, manufacturing, transportation, chemicals, mining, utilities, construction, insurance, education, healthcare, and government.
Membership in the Three Rivers Chapter is open to individuals who are members of ASSE. We invite you to visit www.asse.org, where you can browse objective, scientific information about safety in a friendly, easy-to-read format, and learn how to become a member.
Upcoming Chapter Meetings
Date/Time/Topic |
Speaker |
Location |
RSVP |
5/11/2012 Three Rivers Chapter Meeting @ 11:30 AM Roundtable discussion |
You |
Lisle, IL |
Three motions are up for a vote at the 2012 PDC in Denver that make significant changes to:
- ASSE Code of Conduct
- Society level nominations and elections
- Authority to buy, lease, or sell real estate to meet needs for Headquarters office space
(More details on each motion are provided below.)
Please direct your questions and concerns with these proposals, or the society in general, to Patrick Genovese (genovese5050@sbcglobal.net) or Mery Sennett (msennett12@aol.com) by the end of May. They need to prepare to share any concerns you have and vote at the June PDC.
MOTION 1
Motion/Recommendation/Proposal:
Pursuant to the ASSE Bylaws, Article VIII, Section6 (C), it is hereby requested that the House of Delegates approve the proposed revisions to the ASSE Code of Professional Conduct.
Justification:
- There was confusion among some members regarding:
- The difference between a fundamental principle (FP) and a fundamental canon (FC)
- The meaning of certain terms such as "serve as an agent and trustee" (FC)
- There were some perceived redundancies such as "avoiding any appearance of conflict of interest" (FC) and "avoid conflicts of interest" (FP)
- There was a need to close potential gaps in the Code. Two examples of this are new provisions requiring members to treat colleagues with respect and to abstain from behavior that will unjustly cause harm to the reputation of the Society, its members, and the profession.
- The Code of Professional Conduct has not been revised since 2002.
The proposed revisions have been approved by the Council on Professional Affairs, the Professional Conduct Committee, and the ASSE Board of Directors. See changes below.
New: Serve the public, employees, employers, clients, the Society, and the profession with fidelity, honesty, and impartiality.
Change: Fundamentally unchanged, except "Issue public statements in a truthful manner and only within the parameters of authority granted" was deleted because "Truthful" is encompassed within "honesty".
New: In all professional relationships, treat others with respect, civility, and without discrimination.
Change: "Assure equal opportunity to all" changed to move focus from "opportunity," which seems to relate to employment situations, to personal conduct.
New: Continually improve professional knowledge, skills competencies, and awareness of relevant new developments through training, education, networking, and work experiences.
Change: "Achieve and maintain competency in the practice of the profession" and "Improve knowledge and skills through training, education, and networking" changed to put more emphasis on continual improvement and due to questions about what "achieve competency" means? (At what level?)
New: Consider qualifications before undertaking any professional activity and perfrom only those services that may be handled competently.
Change: "Perform professional services only in the area of competence" changed because the reference to "the are" suggests that a member may have only one area of competence.
New: Make informed decisions in the performance of professional duties that adhere to all relevant laws, regulations, and recognized standards of practice.
Change: Protect people, property and the environment through the application of state of the art knowledge.
New: Inform all appropriate parties when professional judgement indicates that there is an unacceptable level of risk of injury, illness, property damage, or environmental harm.
Change: "informa the public, employers, employees, clients, and appropriate authorities when professional judgment indicates that there is an unacceptable level of risk" currently reads there seems to be a duty to inform all of the listed parties in every case, which may not be necessary or appropriate.
New: Maintain the confidentiality of information acquired through professional practice that is designated or generally recognized as non- public, confidential, or privileged.
Change: "Maintain confidentially of privileged information" changed because "Privileged information" is not the same as privileged confidential information. "Privileged" (such as attorney-client privilege) is too narrow a concept in this context.
New: Accurately represent professional qualifications including education, credentials, designations, affiliations, titles, and work experience.
Change: Added because IOSH, INSHPO, and BCSP specifically address this issue and we have had cases involving these issues.
New: Avoid situations that create actual, potential or perceived conflicts between peronal and professional interests, and if a potential conflict of interest arises disclose all applicable facts to potentially affected parties.
Change: "Serve as an agent and trustee, avoiding any appearance of conflict of interest" and "Avoid conflicts of interest and compromise of professional conduct" were combined.
New: Abstain from behavior that will unjustly cause harm to the reputation of the Society, its members, and the profession.
Change: Added to address a potential gap.
MOTION 2
Motions/Recommendation/Proposal:
Move to approve the Nominations and Elections revisions to:
- SOG 6.31 - Nomination and Election of Society Officers
- Bylaws Article VII (Nominations and Elections), Section 1(Committee)
Justification:
The Board of Directors recognizes that ASSE has had a challenge in identifying and recruiting qualified officers for the Board of Directors for many years. The propsed change to the Nominations and Elections Committee and process is designed to increase the field of qualified candidates by expanding the recruitment methods and establishing a mentoring process that cultivates candidates at their earliest stages of interest in future leadership.
The Board of Directions approved changes to the Nominations and Elections committee make-up and responsibilities contained in SOG 6.31 and Bylaws Article VII, Section 1.
Nominations and Elections Committee procedures require approval by the HoD. These changes were prepared by the Board Advisory Task Force, approved by the Board of Directoers and reviewed by the Bylaws Committee.
- Board members and board member appointed members are being replaced with members at large to allow for more flexibility in appointment of committee members and increase the accessible network of potential committee members beyond the Board of Directors.
- Committee members not required to be members of ASSE to allow committee members to be selected based on skill set as opposed to membership status.
Experts in the field of leadership development may not be safety professionals.
Current:
The nominations and elections committee shall consist of (7) Professional Members. Committee members serve a one year term and are appointed according to the Bylaws Article XIV: Committee Members:
- Most recently available Past President serving as chair
- Current President as ex-officio members
- President-elect
- One appointee selected by the VP of each council
- Executive director shall serve as ex-officio on the committee
Revision:
The Nominations and Election Committee shall be comprised of seven membes; four Past Presidents and three At-Large Members. The At-Large Members may or may not be members of ASSE and are selected by the Executive Committee.
The time of service will be a three-year term with alternating rotations to ensure continuity for the At-Large Members. The Chair of the committee will be the most immediate Past President. Per Bylaws Article XIV, Sec 2 the President, President Elect and Executive Director shall be ex-officio members (without vote).
Current:
The Director, Member/Region Affairs shall serve as stagg liaison to the committee...changed with the responsibility of selected future leaders of our Society.
Revision:
The Director, Member/Region Affairs shall serve as staff liaison to the committee...charged with the responsibility of selecting future leaders of our Society including maintenance of an evergreen list of senior officers for ASSE and assistance in the process of identifying, recruiting and mentoring prospective future officers.
MOTION 3:
Motion/Recommendation/Proposal:
That the House of Delegates authorizes the Board of Directors to buy, lease, or sell real estate as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Board to meet the Society's needs for Headquarters office space.
Justification:
As currently configured, ASSE's Headquarters office facility is approaching the limits of its capacity to house ASSE functions and staff. The Board expects and desires that ASSE will investing to reconfigure the existing space or acquiring, by purchase or lease, a new headquarters building. While there are advantages and disadvantages to either option, the Board does not currently have the sole authority to buy, lease or sell real estate. This limits the Board's ability to act to meet the Society's long-term needs should an attractive opportunity arise. While the Board will carefully evaluate any potential real estate transaction, the Board is requesting this authority to be able to negotiate and complete a transaction in a timely and beneficial manner.
ASSE's Nexsteps: The Next Phase in Your Safety & Health Career
If you are seeking a job in the safety profession, ASSE's Nexsteps is the website for you! With just a few clicks of the mouse, ASSE members can easily post their resume at www.nexsteps.org for employers to view, and create a search agent to email you when jobs are posted that match your criteria. There is no cost to post your resume, or search available positions. Employers can post available positions, and search resumes in Nexsteps.
- Five Retailers Agree to Stop Sale and Recall Tots in Mind Crib Tents Due to Strangulation and Entrapment Hazard
One death and a serious brain injury reported. The crib and play yard tents can trap and strangle infants and toddlers if the dome portion inverts inside the product or if the tent becomes partially detached. - Boys' Hooded Jackets Recalled by Bonded Apparel; Neck Drawstrings Pose Strangulation Hazard; Sold Exclusively at dd's Discounts
These boys' hoodies have drawstrings at the neck which can strangle a child. - 10 Bike-Related Recalls to Check Out Before You Hit the Road This Spring
Before you hit the road, look to see if your bike or bike accessory has been recalled. - Supreme Trading Recalls Children's Letterman Jackets Due to Choking Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Dillard's
Snaps on the children's jackets can come off and pose a choking hazard to young children.
US Consumer Product Safety Commission - Recent Recalls and Product Safety News
Recalls and product safety news from CPSC
