Professionalism safety practice definition

American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has maintained a definition of professional safety practice. The current definition appears in a voluntary standard available from the Society. 

A highly regarded professor in industrial engineering observed, after participating with safety practitioners in what he considered a baffling discussion of concepts, that what we who call ourselves safety professionals actually do will never be accepted as a profession by those outside our field until we agree on a clear definition of our practice. 1 agree with that premise, and I will explore in this chapter the scope and function of the professional safety position and will define the practice of safety in terms of a societal responsibility. 

My behef is that the definition I give here of the practice of safety is in concert with the Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position. ... 

At a meeting of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, a definition of safety practice was written during discussions of a project to validate that examinations given properly measure what safety professionals actually do. It is as follows. 

A paper issued by the American Society of Safety Engineers titled Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position is exceptionally well done. Because of its thoroughness and accuraqr, it is recommended as a knowledge source and as reference. With the permission of ASSE, the entirety of the Scope and Functions document appears as Addendum A to this chapter. Tliis author believes that the definition of the practice of safety given later in this chapter is in concert with the Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position. ... 

Safety professionals should be aware that Title Vll defines religion as including all aspects of religious observances, practices, or beliefs. The EEOC expanded this definition in its regulations to include moral and ethical beliefs not confined to theis-tic concepts or to traditional precepts that are sincerely held by individuals with the strength of traditional religious views and beliefs. Safety professionals should be... 

We who call ourselves safety professionals will never be accepted as a profession until we agree on a definition of the practice of the safety, make it known, and meet its requirements. This chapter identifies the societal need fulfilled by safety professionals, establishes why safety professionals exist, and sets forth the fundamentals of the practice of safety. 

For the practice of safety to be recognized as a profession, it must have a sound theoretical and practical base. I propose that there is a generic base for the work of safety professionals that must be understood and applied if we are to be effective. We take a variety of approaches to achieve safety, and they can t all be right. To promote discussion, a listing of general principles, statements, and definitions is given. 

Arriving at a definition of risk applicable to the practice of safety that could be used convincingly in discussions with decision makers was not easy. Risk is a word that has too many meanings. Executives with whom safety professionals deal may hear the word used in several contexts in a given day. 

Note what is occurring, internationally. It is accepted that a hazard is defined as the potential for harm. For the work of safety professionals and the practice of safety as I know it to be, I offer the following definition of hazards ... 

During my discussions with Dr. Thomas A. Selders in developing a definition of the practice of safety, he offered this eritique The principal shortcoming in what safety professionals do is that they seldom are in a position to anticipate hazards and give counsel on their avoidance. Dr. Selders point was that our activity did not start soon enough in the decision stream, that it was not proactive. 

Select appropriate procedures to minimize exposure. Use the "basic prudent practices for handling chemicals," which are discussed in Chapter 5, section 5.C, for all work with chemicals in the laboratory. In addition, determine whether any of the chemicals to be handled in the planned experiment meet the definition of a particularly hazardous substance due to high acute toxicity, carcinogenicity, and/ or reproductive toxicity. If so, consider the total amount of the substance that will be used, the expected frequency of use, the chemical s routes of exposure, and the circumstances of its use in the proposed experiment. As discussed in this chapter, use this information to determine whether it is appropriate to apply the additional procedures for work with highly toxic substances and whether additional consultation with safety professionals is warranted (see Chapter 5, section 5.D). 

Definitions Section TypicaUy, a FMEA report wUl contain phrases or words that are seldom associated with the everyday practice of the industrial safety professional. It is therefore important to provide definitions and explanations of terms and phrases that will be utilized in the FMEA. 

System Safety The Concept This chapter outlines the system safety idea in terms that relate well to the definition of the practice of safety given in Chapter 2. Lessons can be learned from the successes attained by system safety practitioners. System safety is hazards and design based. So is the entirety of the practice of safety. As opportunities arise for generalist safety professionals to participate in the design processes, the need for system safety skills will be apparent. 

Safety professionals take a variety of approaches to achieving safety, each based on substantively different premises. They can t all be right or equally effective. To promote a discussion toward establishing a sound theoretical and practical base for the practice of safety, a listing is presented of general principles, statements, and definitions that are believed to be rational. The list is a beginning It is not complete. 

As a logical follow-up to the definition of the practice of safety given in Chapter 2, comments are made in this chapter on the knowledge and skills a safety professional is expected to have for the professional practice of safety. As research moved forward for this chapter, the content of Chapter 5, in which transitions occurring in the practice are reviewed, became more important. Knowledge and skill requirements for the practice of safety at a professional level are in transition and are expanding considerably. The following resources are used as the principal resources for this chapter. 

Several safety professionals say, in summary, that while it is relatively easy to identity lagging indicators, it may be difficult to identify leading indicators accurately but that trying to do so is important. As will be seen in this chapter, it is easier to write definitions of leading and lagging indicators than it is to practicably apply them. 

Browning s statements are thought provoking. Certainly, safety professionals focus on causal factors as a fundamental in the practice of safety. And, it seems that potentially destructive energy, the release of which occurs in hazards-related incidents, is directly related to the definition of hazards previously given in this book... 

This outline of The System Safety Idea encompasses most of the definitions previously given and goes beyond several. Safety generalists should ask How closely does The System Safety Idea come to the outcome expected as the transitions in the practice of safety now in progress proceed Do safety professionals serve themselves well by becoming knowledgeable and skilled in system safety As is said in Chapter 5 Transitions Affecting the Practice of Safety ... 

Good management practice requires that safety professionals who are to make or arrange for risk-based system audits obtain acceptance from personnel to whom counsel is given of a definition of an audit and what an audit is to accomplish. Several writers have published such definitions and outlined what information the audit should provide. Their views are helpful. 

We can define restraints as any manual method, physical device, or mechanical device used to restrict the freedom of movanent or normal access to one s body. Due to an increasing number of reports of injury and death associated with the incorrect use of patient restraints, the IDA warns health professionals to ensure the safe use of these devices. Restraints can include safety vests, lap belts, wheelchair belts, and body holders. Incorrect use of these devices can involve using the wrong size for a patient s weight, errors in securing restraints, and inadequate patient monitoring. Such mistakes can result in fractures, bums, and strangulations. We can simply define a restraint as any manual method, physical device, mechanical device, material, or equipment attached or adjacent to a patient or resident s body that restricts freedom of movement or normal access to one s body. Under this functional definition, other devices or facility practices also may meet the... 

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