American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Executive Director Dennis Hudson has been honored with the President’s Distinguished Service Award by the U.K.-based Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). The presentation occurred in November at the IOSH annual conference in Birmingham, England.

The award honors the work and achievements of individuals who have made significant contributions to IOSH or the occupational safety and health profession for several years. Hudson was recognized for his work to advance workplace safety and raise the level of the profession.

“I presented Dennis with the award with great pride,” said IOSH President Graham Parker. “I’ve had the privilege to work with him and gain insight into how he has guided ASSE and others to a position of great impact.” (Graham Parker and Dennis Hudson are pictured above.)

Shared goals

By honoring Hudson in the ceremony that traditionally recognizes IOSH members, Parker brought attention to the shared goals of the two organizations – that every worker has a right to be safe and live in good health.

“It’s not about safety organizations competing against one another,” Hudson said. “I’ve often said that our safety community is too small to compete on issues related to the profession. I think this award demonstrates that the safety community is coming together.”

Global projects

Two global projects have been sources of pride for Hudson in recent years, he said. One is ASSE’s partnership with the International Network of Safety and Health Practitioners (INSHPO) and 13 other safety groups, including IOSH, in creating a global capability framework for the profession. This new set of criteria identifies standards of competencies for occupational safety and health professionals and practitioners. The second initiative is ASSE’s leadership through the Center for Safety and Health Sustainability in demonstrating that safety and health play a key role in organizational success, long-term sustainability and human capital.

“ASSE and IOSH are attempting to bring together the safety community while ensuring that the perspectives of business stakeholders are understood,” Hudson said. “That’s important going forward. We tend to be too isolated as safety professionals, and I commend IOSH for bringing together conference speakers from the health, business and financial communities.”