The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has added a second chapter in Maharashtra, India further establishing a strong occupational safety and health foothold in a country poised for explosive economic growth.  

ASSE President Patricia M. Ennis and ASSE Executive Director Fred J. Fortman Jr. attended a ceremony yesterday officially welcoming the Maharashtra chapter. Their stay in India will include a technical symposium today and tomorrow in Pune, India. The symposium is sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories of Bengaluru and D.L. Shah Trust of Mumbai.

Infrastructure needed

“The momentum in India is great and ASSE is taking steps to provide customized services to our growing membership here,” Ennis said. “With the amount of investment needed to create the infrastructure, housing and jobs in the near future, the safety profession will lead the way to partnering with business executives in making safety a priority in every industry.” 

ASSE opened its first member chapter in Chennai, India in 2012, attracting hundreds of new occupational safety and health members. More chapters are expected to form in the coming month in states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 

Timing is right

“The timing for India safety professionals and ASSE to partner has never been greater,” said ASSE Maharashtra chapter President Rahul Jagtap. “The amount of growth anticipated in Maharashtra and beyond demands that safety professionals share best practices and work with executives to ensure the safety of employees everywhere.”

Invited dignitaries include Baldev Singh, Maharashtra’s principal secretary of Industries, Energy & Environment; Vilas Moray, Maharashtra’s director of Industrial Safety & Health, Hari Taneja, CEO of D.L. Shah Trust in Mumbai and J. Chandrasekhar, managing director, Middle East & Asia Region, Underwriters Laboratories.