Reviewing the American Society of Safety Engineers' Annual Professional Development Conference
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) reported that the ASSE Baltimore Professional Development Conference had 3,600 attendees by the second day, Tuesday June 15. This is the second-largest attendance ever, second only to the 2008 Las Vegas PDC with 3,859. ASSE has been conducting PDCs since 1968 - when 145 pioneer pros showed up on the campus of Michigan State.
The ASSE Baltimore 2010 Expo held in conjunction with the PDC broke a record and is ASSE's largest ever in terms of floor space, with 61,600 square feet sold to 399 exhibitors.
Driving conversations among pros at the ASSE meeting was concern about jobs, job, jobs. Pros are no different than U.S. consumers, who are holding back on spending out of concern for jobs, jobs, jobs.
Every safety and health pro probably knows a peer out of work, worries about his or her own company’s future cost-cutting, or is out of work themselves.
Another worry: Many jobs posted are a lower salary. Salaries might never return to pre-recession highs. Safety pros aren’t alone here.