In recognition of his continued efforts to enhance workplace safety and health, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently named Ashok Garlapati, Certified Safety Professional (CSP), of ASSE’s Kuwait Chapter as the recipient of the Edgar Monsanto Queeny Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) award for the year 2011. Garlapati received the award during ASSE’s annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) and Exposition, ‘Safety 2011,’ in Chicago, IL.

The annual Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) award is given to an outstanding ASSE member for accomplishments and contributions in the occupational safety, health and environmental field (SH&E). Sponsored by the Monsanto Corporation, the award was created in honor of its third president and son of the founder, Edgar Monsanto Queeny for his personal commitment to protect workers from industrial accidents and health hazards.

Garlapati has more than 22 years of Health, Safety and Environmental (HS&E) management experience in the oil and gas industry. He received his Bachelor’s degree from KIT College of Engineering at Shivaji University in Kolhapur, India and his Master’s degree in Business Management from Madurai Kamaraj University in Tamil Nadu, India. Garlapati also holds the HS&E certification of Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) from the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice (IPEP) in the U.S. and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH) in the U.K.

Currently, Garlapati serves as a leader of the International Practice Specialty and as a Chair of the Diversity Committee. He is an active advisory member and past-president of the Kuwait Chapter and currently works as the Senior Health, Safety and Environmental Specialist (HS&E) for the Exploration and Production Development (E&PD) Directorate of the Kuwait Oil Company. Ashok also helped implement several initiatives in the E&PD Directorate that have helped improve the company’s HS&E performance.

In addition to his many professional accomplishments and achievements within ASSE, Garlapati has been an active participant in the Kuwait Chapter’s many activities. He played a key role in bringing Kuwait Chapter under Region VI and followed by other international Chapters under different regions. He participated in ASSE Global Taskforce and his efforts in globalization of ASSE are commendable. He has been instrumental in bringing the North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week poster contest for children ages 5-14 as an international event. Each year, ASSE receives hundreds of posters from Kuwait and the Middle East, and several of the top 20 poster contest winners are from these countries annually.

Founded in 1911 and celebrating its centennial, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the oldest professional safety society and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 33,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members lead, manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor, healthcare and education.