Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

In this episode, Justin interviews Jennifer McNelly, CEO of the American Society of Safety Professionals, about her wide-ranging safety career, the ASSP publishing the first U.S.-Based standard on risk assessment and management, the ASSP's Standards-Based User Groups, and how safety practices are not about worker behavior but overall organization system safety improvement. Jennifer shares her excitement about National Safety Month and the upcoming Safety Conference + Expo 2026, from June 15th through 17th in Anaheim, California. Listen for inspiration on closing the safety gap in your organization.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMS and RIMScast.

[:16] About this episode of RIMScast. We are releasing this episode ahead of National Safety Month in June, and our special guest is Jennifer McNelly, the CEO of the American Society of Safety Professionals, but first…

[:43] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep will be held on June 9th and 10th. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep with AFERM will be held on June 16th and 17th. Links to registration are in this episode's notes.

[:58] Webinars. On May 21st, GRC returns to present "Is Your Fire Protection Strategy Outdated? Emerging Risks Are Changing the Rules."

[1:10] On May 28th, Zurich returns with "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/Webinars or through the links in this episode's show notes.

[1:25] Folks, RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today!

[1:43] If you plan to submit a session for the RIMS Canada Conference 2026, today, the air date May 19th, is your last day to do so. Visit RIMS Canada to submit your session. We hope to see you in Quebec City, October 18th through the 21st.

[2:02] On with the Show! June is approaching, and that means National Safety Month. That is also observed in several parts of the world. Who better to speak about safety than Jennifer McNelly, the CEO of The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)?

[2:20] Jennifer is an accomplished executive with more than 35 years of leadership experience in associations, government, and industry. She has been the Society's CEO since 2018, leading the global organization of more than 36,000 occupational, safety, and health professionals.

[2:36] Jennifer has some new risk management standards to discuss, under the safety umbrella. I also thought we would benefit from hearing her philosophies on safety and how the ASSP encourages its members to embed safety into their organization's culture. Let's get to it!

[2:55] Interview! ASSP CEO, Jennifer McNelly, Welcome to RIMScast!

[3:29] Jennifer McNelly and Gary LaBranche, CEO of RIMS, run into each other often at ASAE. They have talked about connecting. Jennifer is excited to be here on RIMScast to talk about collaboration, partnership, and keeping everybody safe at work.

[4:04] Jennifer asks every safety professional she connects with, "Tell me your story." She says she is an amalgamation of many stories that have led her to be the CEO of ASSP. She started in the political world. She says you've got to build strong partnerships to move things forward.

[4:26] That is the foundation of the mindset Jennifer brings to the ASSP. After politics, she spent time in the U.D. Department of Labor in the capacity of public-private partnerships. That's how you move things forward.

[4:41] This was followed by a deep commitment to the people in this nation who make things through leadership at the Manufacturing Institute and Global Stages. All of Jennifer's career has been at the intersection of people and the world of work, and making the world a better place.

[4:58] Jennifer says now she gets to do that with unbelievable honor for those who get up and run the world's economy every day, ensuring they get to go home as they were and better than when they walked in the door.

[5:11] Jennifer says that's about economic contribution, keeping everybody safe, and the commitment and heart of every safety professional. Safety brought her in the door, with a very unique lens of how we need to work together to send everybody home.

[5:32] Jennifer has been with ASSP for eight years, moving into her ninth year. She brings energy, passion, and connection to what ASSP is doing. She likes to think of herself as the catalyst for impact, to make workers' safety, health, and well-being an inherent right for everybody.

[6:11] Jennifer says everyone's got a safety story. Often, the thing that hits the headline is the "Somebody did …" and there was a whole set of events.

[6:23] Hence, today's conversation, anchored in the importance of risk identification, risk management, and integration into thinking every day by everyone.

[6:33] It's not just one thing that starts it. It can be the mindset of someone who's had a bad morning and lost childcare for their family. It can be about a system in process. It can be about a bad piece of equipment. It can be a bunch of other things, but what we hear is the headline.

[6:53] Jennifer says our goal is to unpack the story and get to the root cause and improve it, for everyone.

[7:00] Jennifer says the ASSP has over 35,000 members globally. A lot of the membership is in the industrial space. They have partners in insurance, and those who service as well as those who produce. ASSP calls this the Safety Ecosystem.

[7:26] Justin says RIMS sees that Enterprise Risk Management is leading the way for the future of the profession. Justin asks how Jennifer sees safety risk integrating more deeply into ERM frameworks.

[7:42] Jennifer said in 2019, early in her career at ASSP, her pitch to the Board of Directors was for moving safety professionals and workers from basic compliance to a complete integration of human capital, total worker health, and principles like prevention through design.

[8:10] Risk Enterprise Systems are critical to that objective. ASSP just released a new standard, "ANSI/ASSP Z310.1 Risk Management — Guidelines for Assessing and Managing Risk."

[8:34] It's about management systems, operating in an organizational context, and creating and documenting a comprehensive approach. It's about stakeholder engagement, culture, and inclusivity.

[8:49] It also has an important mindset: Change always happens. Therefore, it's about dynamic operations, not static operations; about how you use clear and available information to lead forward, and consider culture and human factors, always with continuous improvement.

[9:11] Jennifer says we can't move forward without all those factors integrated into Enterprise Risk.

[9:18] The ASSP's Z310.1 Committee is comprised of 28 organizations. ASSP plays an important role in the marketplace. Its logo is a shield, and its members are guardians of workplace safety. Every one of them is a workplace superhero.

[10:05] Jennifer loves all superheroes because she loves the potential of hope that each one of us has that power.

[10:12] One of the things that is unique about ASSP's market position is its global-based standards. It brings companies together around the table to flesh it out. It's not a single company.

[10:34] Jennifer says injuries, serious incidents, and fatalities happen in an environment that's complex, dynamic, and always changing. By bringing together those who are doing the work, we gain consensus.

[10:49] Justin says there is a link to the press release in this episode's show notes. The press release mentions how ANSI/ASSP Z310.0 builds off the ISO 31000 standard. There's a lot of value in it for RIMS members. Please check out the link in this episode's show notes.

[11:17] Justin notes that ANSI comes with a lot of heft. The RIMS-CRMP is ANSI-accredited. RIMS is the only globally recognized risk management program through ANSI.

[11:37] Jennifer says that early in her career, she sat on ANSI's 17024 PCAC, the group that approved those kinds of standards. She is a firm believer in business driving business outcomes. They know what works.

[11:54] The workers doing the work and the business conducting the business know what works. Jennifer talks about cross connections and says we should be talking and doing more together. Each of us has a critical role.

[12:42] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes.

[13:04] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, to be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. Advance rates are available through June 5th.

[13:18] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, in Chicago. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information.

[13:31] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information.

[13:49] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are already open. The call for educational sessions has been extended to May 19th, the air date of this episode.

[14:06] Submit your session today. Early-bird registration will open in June.

[14:12] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni.

[14:27] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 18th and 19th in Columbus, Ohio. Details will follow on RIMS.org.

[14:37] Let's Return to our Interview with ASSP CEO Jennifer McNelly!

[14:44] Jennifer says standards bring consensus together, but members are asking how to use the standards and what to do with them.

[15:03] Members want the playbook because they are busy, underresourced, and over-expected. They have a stressful work environment. The ASSP launched Standards-Based User Groups in January of this year.

[15:20] The ASSP's partners collaboratively spend close to $7 million a year investing in keeping the standards updated. How do you move the standards to market? What do you do with them? There are hundreds of thousands of companies around the world that use the standards.

[15:38] To somebody who is just starting that journey, it's a challenge. The ASSP's Standards-Based User Groups dig into the company's maturity, the maturity of the safety professional, and help them move one step further.

[15:59] The point of Standards-Based User Groups (SBUGs) is to make the standards accessible. Jennifer says there are a couple of unique angles to the approach they are taking.

[16:29] The ASSP's Standards-Based User Groups approach starts where serious incidents and fatalities happen, fall from heights and energy controls, two things where there is a lot of technical expertise in lock-out, tag-out, and fall prevention standards.

[16:51] Jennifer says there is a disruption happening in business and in safety, the impact and influence of Big Data, AI, and analytics. The third SBUG is AI and Safety. Through technology partners, by integrating the Standards, it will level up what people have access to.

[17:23] The ASSP's traditional routes are through the safety professionals. By putting Standards-Based User Groups in the hands of the reporting systems they have to use every day, that is scaling in a way that has never been done before.

[18:06] The focus of the Standards-Based User Groups is scaling great knowledge in a framework denied by the industry.

[18:16] Justin says it becomes a strategic risk management function. Jennifer says it is built into enterprise systems to drive action and make better decisions.

[18:30] Another Quick Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus application period is now open, and it will close on June 30th. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September.

[18:51] The Course Development Grant application deadline for Interval Number 2 will be on June 15th, 2026. Award notifications will be sent out in late July.

[19:06] General Grant applications will open on May 1st, 2026, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th.

[19:18] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information.

[19:27] Let's Conclude Our Interview with the American Society of Safety Professionals CEO Jennifer McNelly!

[19:47] Justin points out that June is National Safety Month. Jennifer thinks every day is National Safety Day! National Safety Month puts a consistent spotlight on safety. She believes safety professionals need more celebration.

[20:34] Jennifer loves to tell their stories. She is grateful to any safety professional and to anybody in the ecosystem listening today. Thank you for everything that you do.

[20:48] June is coming, and we are not done. Jennifer often talks about the gap. She uses the roots of ASSP and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire as a real example that the gap is always going to exist.

[21:12] Jennifer speaks of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. It is the roots of the ASSP. There remains a building on the corner of NYU where about 149 individuals perished jumping out of windows because the doors were locked. It is the foundation and grounding of safety in the U.S.

[21:36] Jennifer repeats that it is a real example of the gap. A couple of years ago, the ASSP Board of Directors went to the dedication of the building. Every year, Taps is played, and the ladder goes up, and it stops at the sixth floor.

[21:49] You see the bunting and the gap between where we are today and where they were then. Someone next to Jennifer said, "But it needs to go higher!" That's the point. There is always a gap because business is dynamic and ever-changing.

[22:06] Our responsibility as safety professionals and associations is to fill the gap and get ahead of it. With serious incidents and fatalities, the data has been flat for 10 years. Let's do something different.

[22:23] Let's think about the principles of prevention through design and crack the C-Suite decision-making. Jennifer talks about safety as good governance. How safety succeeds is about the economic decision-making process.

[22:44] Jennifer says it's got to be built into business in every way, shape, and form. Safety is never a moment or a one-and-done. It is a part of every part of business decision-making.

[23:07] NIOSH does tremendous research on the future of work and how dynamic it is. Every year, Jennifer calls senior executives and talks through critical things. She does that because research says one thing and the ASSP membership says another. There's a gap.

[23:28] Often, in that gap, Jennifer hears the term "research to practice." That leads back to the Standards-Based User Groups. What does the research say, what does the data say, and how do you scale it?

[23:42] There are several forces at play when looking at what's shaping the world of work. There's workforce instability; a fluidity that never existed before. It's one of the biggest emerging risks Jennifer sees.

[24:02] Next is the fact that safety is not a metric. Then there's the pace of change and technology, and the influence of leadership. Jennifer believes that leadership happens in every role and function. How do we empower individual and corporate leadership?

[25:15] If a company is doing minimal compliance with the law, data tells us that's not enough. Jennifer said a volunteer was excited to tell her they had removed cell phones from a site. But cell phones can be used to photograph risks you hadn't seen.

[25:54] First, understand what problem you are trying to solve. Is it technology looking for a problem, or a problem looking for a solution that the technology enables? That's the approach ASSP is taking.

[26:13] If we continue to have individuals die every year, falling from heights, how do we solve that through technology, because somewhere in that complex system, things are not where they need to be. That's a statement of forward motion.

[26:39] Jennifer says she thinks there is a huge opportunity, but it needs to be ethically used, transparent, and clear what problem we are trying to solve. AI in safety isn't new. ASSP worked with MakUSafe AI for three years as they started studying technology advancements in safety.

[27:04] Jennifer says wearables have been around "forever." They're a good practice. Someone has seen the problem and identified the solution, and our challenge is replication, application, and scale. ASSP is striving toward that and how technology can enable it.

[27:24] Jennifer says guardrails are something we hear from membership all the time. Jennifer wants it to be done in a way that integrates it seamlessly, not a new shiny penny. Jennifer is very careful to make sure changes are made at every level. This isn't a blame-the-worker approach.

[27:53] This isn't Big Brother is watching somebody in the workplace. This is about empowerment in an era of action. How does information become a learning opportunity to understand A + B + C + D?

[28:18] Jennifer says when she thinks of behaviors and actions, she thinks of the C-Suite decision-making.

[28:26] What does the Board of Directors governing an enterprise know and understand about the human capital management and decision-making on the capital investment side of safety in the workplace?

[28:39] Justin notes registration is open for Safety 2026, held from June 15th through 17th in Anaheim. It's the 65th Annual Conference and Expo. Jennifer calls it a Safety Revival! For Safety members, coming together to learn, connect, and grow gives a unique sense of belonging.

[29:19] Jennifer calls it a battery-filling, energizing, impact like no other. It's a great opportunity to see what is on the leading edge and solve problems. The Expo is not a sales pitch. Everybody on that floor has to have a reason and something to share with safety professionals.

[29:45] Jennifer describes the 200 classes. There are over 700 program applicants each year. There's too much content and not enough time. There's top-notch technical content and the opportunity to connect with someone that you know you can call and get an answer from.

[30:20] Jennifer's favorite thing is to run around, hear stories, and take selfies. It truly is a welcoming and impactful event.

[30:32] Jennifer says she's the reason people stop the second they walk in the door. She reminds them why they're there. Last year, she wore an ASSP pickleball outfit to show it's about not just being together but also having fun. Sometimes we forget that connection and fun.

[31:14] People are going to learn, but have a great time while you're doing it! Jennifer says she will see everybody onstage! Anaheim will be the place to be!

[31:29] The link to the 65th Annual Conference and Expo for Safety 2026 is in this episode's show notes. Justin says it has been such a pleasure to connect with you, finally, and get the word out for National Safety Month. We're priming for National Safety Month.

[32:07] Special thanks to ASSP CEO Jennifer McNelly for joining us here on RIMScast! There are lots of links in this episode's show notes. Visit ASSP.org for more information, as well as the Safety 2026 Conference at Safety.ASSP.org.

[32:27] Also in this episode's show notes are the links to RIMS coverage of Worker Safety and prior coverage of National Safety Month. A lot of this information is evergreen, so I hope you'll check it out.

[32:39] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes.

[33:08] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact [email protected] for more information.

[33:25] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information.

[33:43] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.

[34:00] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management.

[34:14] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at [email protected].

[34:26] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!

Links:

RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | rimscanadaconference.ca | Submit Your Session by May 19!

RIMScast on YouTube!

Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines.

RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | July‒Sept. 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam

2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference | July 28‒Aug. 1 | Register Now

RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now!

ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026

RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today and Submit an Educational Session!

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RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy

www.assp.org | safety.assp.org | June 15‒17

"ASSP Publishes First U.S.-Based Standard on Risk Assessment and Management"

Jennifer McNelly — ASSP Bio

Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops:

RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep | June 9‒10 RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep with AFERM | June 16‒17, 2026

Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule

See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops

Upcoming RIMS Webinars:

"Is Your Fire Protection Strategy Outdated? Emerging Risks Are Changing the Rules" | May 21 | Presented by Global Risk Consultants

"From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction" | May 28 | Presented by Zurich

RIMS.org/Webinars

Related RIMScast Episodes: "RIMS Risk Manager of the Year Jeff Bray"

"Risk Leadership on the Construction Frontlines with Cynthia Garcia"

"Rubber Meets Risk: Lessons from John Baldwin of Discount Tire"

"Company Safety and RIMS Chapter Leadership with Tamieka Weeks"

"Security Risks with William Sako"

"Safety and Preparedness in 2024 with National Safety Council CEO Lorraine Martin"

"Opioid Awareness and Workers Comp Risks with Raji Chadarevian of the NCCI"

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About our guest: Jennifer McNelly, CEO, American Society of Safety Professionals

More from ASSP:

Standards-Based User Groups (SBUGs)

• News release: ASSP Announces Strategic Framework to Drive Safety Beyond Compliance; Avetta Collaboration Provides First Industry Proof Point

• Webpage: Standards-Based User Groups

AI white paper

• News release: ASSP Releases White Paper on AI and the Evolving Role of EHS Professionals

• White paper: AI and the Evolving Role of EHS Professionals.pdf

2026 Corporate Listening Tour report

• News release: ASSP Report Identifies Five Critical Themes Shaping the Future of Workplace Environmental Health and Safety

• Webpage (with 2026 report): ASSP Corporate Listening Tour

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