American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) members have decided on the organization’s next roster of leaders, whose terms will begin on July 1. At the top of the list: Rixio Medina, CSP, ASP, CPP, who will become ASSE’s new president for 2018-19, replacing current president Jim Smith, M.S., CSP.

Internal audits are a fact of life for many environment, health and safety professionals -- especially those working for large companies. I recently had a discussion with a long-time Phylmar client about internal safety audits. There is a lot of guidance and advice available on how to prepare for such audits and how to create corrective action plans to respond to audit findings.

One of this year’s highlights: Employers are struggling with the active shooter problem. Experts from the Department of Homeland Security, law enforcement, corporate risk management and employee assistance programs will address the topic in a general session.

If you work in safety then you likely know how valuable toolbox talks can be. Short, timely discussions can boost awareness of important safety issues, increase employee engagement and have a positive effect on safety culture. But toolbox talks don’t just happen on their own—there are several critical steps that contribute to executing a successful talk.

The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) signed a memorandum of understanding at ABC's 2018 Convention to collaborate on improving occupational safety and health at construction workplaces throughout the United States.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA), announced the new members of its Board of Directors for 2018. The new Board members will be inducted at AIHA's Annual Business Meeting on Wednesday, May 23, during the 2018 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce EXP) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 2018 Safety in Action™ Icon honorees were officially announced today, with the awards presentation taking place during the 2018 Safety in Action Conference on March 15 in Orlando, FL. The 2018 recipients are: • Donnie Massey, Shell Oil - Donnie is a Behavioral Safety Specialist for Shell Oil based out of Mississippi. His co-workers say, “When referring to [Shell’s] behavior-based safety program, [Donnie’s] name is synonymous.” They say he always takes the “initiative to challenge the status quo” and takes “personal responsibility with his safety leadership role within our company.”

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is now accepting applications for the 2018 Future Leaders Institute, which will be held at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C., Sept. 21-23. The Future Leaders Institute provides critical leadership training and professional development opportunities for industrial hygiene/occupational health (IH/OH) professionals within the first 15 years of their career, particularly those from countries or organizations where such opportunities do not exist.

By registering early, attendees can save $100 on their full in-person or virtual registration. But the advance rate is only available through March 18, 2018! A full registration includes access to: General Sessions, all AIHce EXP 2018 educational sessions (Monday through Wednesday), OnDemand for all authorized educational sessions (through December 2018), the CareerAdvantage Development Fair, the Expo Hall, numerous networking opportunities, and more.

David B. West, CSP, ASP, P.E., CHMM, Examinations Manager at the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, has been appointed to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP).