The National Safety Council has received a $25,000 grant from The UPS Foundation to promote women in safety. In the U.S., women are 47 percent of the workforce. But they are only 18% of health and safety professionals. In addition, males in the industry tend to have longer tenure, hold higher-level positions in their organizations and/or are more likely to directly supervise other staff.
“Today more women than men earn bachelor’s degrees, but women are still underrepresented in STEM fields,” said Nick Smith, interim president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “Women should always have a seat at the safety table, and this grant from The UPS Foundation will help NSC efforts to identify, advance and celebrate those opportunities.”
“As a safety professional at UPS, I’m thankful for the opportunities the company has afforded me,” said Andrea Quintero, UPS international operations health and safety director. “It’s critical that we increase awareness of the need for and opportunities available to women in the area of health and safety by encouraging diversity and inclusion in the profession.”
NSC will use the grant in three key areas. First, funds will strengthen the Council’s Women’s Caucus, which supports female safety professionals. To date, 300 women participate in the Women’s Caucus.
Second, NSC will further provide educational opportunities for women pursuing safety as a career. In 2018, the organization awarded its first Women in Safety Scholarship, and it will increase the number of those scholarships in future years.
Third, NSC will continue to celebrate and recognize female safety leaders through its annual Marion Martin Award, which honors female safety leaders who have achieved professional excellence in their area of specialty and helped pave the way to success for other women in the field. In addition, NSC will identify and promote high-caliber women for its other safety awards.
Those interested in recognizing an outstanding female safety professional can learn more about the Marion Martin Award here. Nominations for this award will be accepted until Feb. 4, 2019.
To apply for the Women in Safety Scholarship, click here. Applications are due no later than March 31, 2019.
To learn more about other NSC recognitions, including the Rising Stars of Safety Award, which honors safety professionals younger than age 40, visit nsc.org/awards.
