Wyatt Bradbury, CSP, CHST, CIT and Principal of Health and Safety at Avetta, has been named the 2026 Safety Professional of the Year by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

Each year, ASSP awards its Safety Professional of the Year honor to a safety professional who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field while also making significant contributions to advancing the profession. Bradbury was selected for his exceptional leadership and technical expertise in driving the industry toward proactive, leading indicator-based safety strategies, including his work on Avetta’s Safety Maturity Index (SMI) and Cultural Maturity Index (CMI).

“I thank Wyatt for his many contributions to advancing workplace safety,” said Linda Tapp, ALCM, CPTD, CSP and President at ASSP. “His work is driving innovative, data-informed solutions that help organizations evaluate and strengthen their safety systems to reduce serious injuries and fatalities. Just as importantly, his commitment to mentoring the next generation of safety professionals is helping shape the future of our field.”

A significant focus for Bradbury during his tenure at Avetta has been the company’s SMI and CMI.

The SMI is a systems-based approach to safer working environments that goes beyond traditional metrics by identifying, assessing and surfacing the maturity of companies’ safety management systems. After joining Avetta, Bradbury led a comprehensive review and enhancement of the SMI, strengthening its ability to help organizations proactively identify gaps and improve performance.

He then led the development of the CMI, the first organizational culture maturity assessment tool mapped to occupational health and safety standards from the American National Standards Institute and the International Organization for Standardization.

Under Bradbury’s stewardship, the SMI and CMI together now give organizations a clearer, more complete view of both system performance and the cultural conditions that shape it—helping hiring clients and suppliers strengthen trust, align on expectations and operate as a connected, high-performing community.

“Wyatt’s work on Avetta’s SMI and CMI, along with his broader contributions to the industry, reflect exactly where safety is headed—away from reactive measurement and toward proactive insight,” said Abid Yousuf, Chief Customer Officer at Avetta. “By helping organizations better understand both their safety systems and culture, he’s enabling our customers to build stronger, more resilient operations and ensuring their people are not only safe, but truly ready to work.”

In addition to his role at Avetta, Bradbury is an adjunct professor of safety management systems at the University of Alabama Birmingham. He is also a member of the subcommittee for ANSI TR-Z590.6-23: Guidance on Personal Protective Equipment for Women and co-represents Avetta on the ANSI Z16 committee, which maintains the ANSI/ASSP Z16.1-2022, Safety and Health Metrics and Performance Measures standard.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by ASSP and to be part of a profession that is constantly working to raise the standard,” Bradbury said. “This recognition reflects the collective effort to move safety forward—using better data, stronger systems and a deeper understanding of culture to help organizations protect their people.”

Bradbury will be honored at a ceremony during ASSP’s Safety 2026 Conference + Expo on June 14, 2026, in Anaheim, California.