Occupational safety and health professionals worldwide face changing demands and expanding roles that require continuing education and skills updates. Through its new Global Instructor Program, ASSE is taking a major step toward addressing this need by authorizing its first group of global instructors during Safety 2017 Professional Development Conference & Exposition in Denver.

More than 20 ASSE members will be accepted into the organization’s new global instructor network on Tuesday, June 20, at a global instructor kickoff meeting at the Hyatt Regency Denver. These experienced instructors are qualified to teach courses in ASSE’s Risk Assessment and Global Safety Management certificate programs in the key markets of India, Nigeria and the Middle East.

“This is not only a significant development for ASSE, but also for the occupational safety and health profession worldwide,” said ASSE President Tom Cecich, CSP, CIH. “Industry professionals deserve opportunities to advance their safety careers through continuing education. We have been offering extensive training and professional development programs in the United States, and now we’re taking some of that abroad.”

Along with advancing global workplace safety and health, extending products and services worldwide is a strategic focus for ASSE. The Society has more than 37,000 members in 80 countries.

The initial group of global instructors – each with more than 10 years of teaching experience in the safety and health field – will be under contract for one year, with a three-year extension possible after an annual review.

“Our program involves a rigorous process to attract and retain the best safety instructors,” Cecich said. “We want to ensure a high-quality learning experience that safety professionals find beneficial.”

Each instructor underwent specific training in Kuwait or Dubai in 2016 as ASSE began to build the program. The instructors are expected to teach their first courses by the end of 2017 as ASSE expands its safety training offerings around the world. They will follow an ASSE curriculum in teaching safety professionals who will gain certificates and be granted continuing education credits (CEUs).

The global instructor kickoff meeting is one of several international activities at Safety 2017. The conference and exposition at the Colorado Convention Center is expected to have more than 5,000 safety and health professionals from 40 countries learning about best practices, industry trends and the latest product innovations in the occupational safety and health field.