Dear Chapter Members,
Welcome to fall! As the leaves turn and the year picks up speed, this season brings a new technical meeting, an invitation to join a standards user group, and several national safety updates worth your attention.
In this letter
- November Technical Meeting on November 12
- Join a Standards-Based User Group (SBUG)
- Scholarships and grants for Student Members
- Top stories from ASSP Government Affairs
- Advocacy updates and other news
November Technical Meeting
Join us online on Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 12 to 1 PM to hear why experienced workers may be the ones most at risk.
| Detail | Information |
| Topic | “Decision-Based Safety / Why experienced workers are most at risk” |
| Speaker | Joseph L. White, author and former DuPont safety professional with 30+ years of experience in high-hazard industries |
| Date | Thursday, November 12, 2026 |
| Time | 12 to 1 PM |
| Where | Virtual meeting on MS Teams |
| Register | NC.ASSP.ORG |
Plant a Seed: Join a Standards-Based User Group
Safety standards give us strong guidance, and putting that guidance into practice raises new questions. ASSP’s Standards-Based User Groups (SBUGs) are practitioner communities where members share experiences, compare approaches, work through challenges and learn from others doing similar work.
Current groups focus on:
- Fall Protection (Z359)
- Lockout/Tagout (Z244)
- AI in Safety
If you have experience in one of these areas, we would love to have you at the table. Participation is complimentary.
Scholarships and Grants for Student Members
The ASSP Foundation is accepting applications for academic scholarships now, and career development grants are open all year. Please pass this along to students in your network.
| Program | Who it is for | Deadline | What it covers |
| Academic Scholarships | College students in EHS-related associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs | February 15, 2027 (open since October 15, 2026) | College coursework |
| Career Development Grants | EHS college students and professionals | Apply anytime | Certification expenses, conference attendance and other non-degree professional development |
Last program year, the Foundation awarded $214,500 in scholarships to 114 EHS students. So far this program year, it has awarded $35,500 in grants to 68 recipients.
Thanks to generous donors, the ASSP Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships and grants to EHS students and professionals since 1990. This year, it could be you.
Fall Headlines: Top Stories from ASSP Government Affairs
Here is what stood out in this month’s Government Affairs and Advocacy Update.
- OSHA’s most-cited standards: The preliminary fiscal year 2026 list is out. Fall protection remains at the top, followed by hazard communication and lockout/tagout. It is a handy checklist for your own workplace.
- Warehousing and distribution: OSHA renewed its National Emphasis Program, targeting powered industrial trucks, material handling, falls, heat and ergonomic risks.
- AI adoption in safety: A new ASSP report, based on a survey of nearly 1,000 safety professionals, shows adoption accelerating. Concerns include data quality, resources, trust and privacy.
- Protecting young workers: The GAO found gaps in federal data on young workers’ injuries, illnesses and fatalities, and recommends better data collection, investigations and agency coordination.
- Opioid overdose response: OSHA released a fact sheet on recognizing overdose symptoms, using reversal medications and emergency response.
Changing Seasons: Advocacy Updates and Other News
What ASSP is doing for you
- New SIF Prevention Alliance: ASSP joined OSHA and other safety organizations to prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) through shared principles, resources, education and research.
- Fixed-ladder proposal: After OSHA’s August hearing on Walking-Working Surfaces changes, ASSP filed supplemental comments and will keep following the rulemaking.
- SIF Prevention Convening: The latest session focused on strengthening hazardous energy control, with more insights to come.
- MSHA respirator rule: The comment period on powered air-purifying respirators in underground mines is reopened. A virtual public hearing is November 17, and written comments are due December 8.
- Prevention through Design Award: Square Robot, Inc. won the 2026 award for technology that lets above-ground storage tanks be inspected without workers entering confined spaces. Nominations for 2027 are due March 1, 2027.
- Safety for NonProfits (S4NP): Volunteers and Purdue University graduate students provided pro bono safety services to two Lafayette, Indiana nonprofits.
Also worth a read
- Turning standards into practical guidance: A new article from the Standards-Based User Groups explores how guides and checklists help put standards into practice.
- PHMSA update: A finalized rule incorporates specified ASME and National Board code editions into federal hazardous-materials transportation regulations for certain transport tanks.
Wishing You a Safe and Cozy Fall
Thank you for everything you do to keep people safe this fall and all year long. I hope to see you online on November 12, and please consider sharing your experience in an SBUG. Reach out anytime with ideas for future chapter meetings.
Warm regards,
Frieda E. Sanders, PhD, AOEE, RBP (ABSA), IH-MESH, MESH
President, American Society of Safety Professionals, North Carolina Chapter