DES PLAINES, IL – This year, theAmerican Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. It was formed in October of 1911 to enhance safety with the mission “to promote harmonious action in safety work and to educate members in all matters relating to industrial safety and accident prevention.”

Today, ASSE has more than 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental practitioner members located worldwide with 151 chapters, 35 sections and 60 student sections. It has a scholarship program for students and research; is secretariat for several American National Standards Institute committees and projects; serves as the administrator for the U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to the International Organization for Standardization; provides technical publications and professional education programs and is a founding member of the International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organizations.

To celebrate its centennial, ASSE will debut a documentary on the history of safety and ASSE the first of the year and an updated Professional Safety journal. Additionally, ASSE is preparing for its professional development conference and exposition: Safety 2011, to be held in Chicago at the McCormick Place Convention Center June 12-15, 2011. In addition to is educational sessions, the conference will celebrate the centennial with a gala on June 13 at Navy Pier.

On October 14, 2011, ASSE’s annual Leadership Conference for member leadership will hold a birthday celebration in Illinois.