The draft standard provides a balanced measurement for us to advocate all safety professionals, and the Registry provides the mechanism to being this advocacy to fruition. During the past several years, federal and state legislators and administrators of regulatory agencies throughout the country have debated issues of safety and health. The central issue primarily focuses upon and galvanizes around those who deliver or provide such services, the safety professional. These discussions and debates, when reaching a final analysis and conclusion, have invariably addressed the competencies, credentials, education, experience, and continuing professional development of these persons. Some states, through their worker compensation systems, have established registries of these individuals.
Registries are different in concept from directories.
A directory differs from a registry in that it is an alphabetical index of the names and addresses of persons in an area, organization, or category of people. The National Registry of Safety Professionals and Other Registrants creates the means and methodology whereby any qualified safety professional and other registrants meeting the criteria can elect to be listed in the Registry. Serving as Registrar is the American Society of Safety Engineers. As we move to a global economy, there will arise a need to reach across national borders to provide services by qualified safety professionals and other registrants. With such a national recognition tool in place, safety professionals and other registrants will be more motivated to be proactive in issues affecting the profession.