The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), the world’s oldest professional safety organization, is pleased to learn of Monday’s U.S. Senate confirmation of Doug Parker to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as the 13th assistant secretary of labor.

“This leadership role was unoccupied for too long, and the position is more important than ever given the workplace safety challenges created by the pandemic and the continuing evolution of how work is performed,” said ASSP President Brad Giles, P.E., CSP, STS, FASSP, GIOSH. “We recognize that Doug is a strong proponent of protecting workers and believe his public policy experience will help OSHA. We look forward to working with Doug and his staff on many occupational safety and health issues.”

Founded in 1911, ASSP represents 36,000 occupational safety and health professionals worldwide in advancing safety in every industry. The Society is encouraged that the new head of OSHA is a longtime safety leader and advisor who plans to tackle national occupational safety and health challenges that are in line with others he has faced in his professional career, such as protecting workers from COVID-19 exposure and addressing the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities.

“It’s vital to understand the risks people confront every day on the job and to recognize that these risks often have life-and-death implications,” Giles said. “Workplace fatalities are preventable.”

Moving forward, ASSP pledges to work with Parker and his staff in a shared mission of ensuring safe and healthy conditions for the nation’s workforce. ASSP recently updated its OSHA guidance document, “A Blueprint for Occupational Safety and Health Reform,” that the Society first created in May 2017.

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