International Safety & Health Symposium,

Wanda Turner

My name is Wanda Turner and I am the Executive Administrator for the World Safety Organization. 

The World Safety Organization (WSO) was founded in 1975 due to an international conference, organized by the Safety Organization of the Philippines Inc. (SOPI), in Manila, Philippines.  Over 1,000 delegates from over 20 countries were represented at that conference (Thailand, USA, Japan, Australia, China, Iran, Singapore, Spain, Nigeria, Sweden, Iraq, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Hong Kong, and others).  On that occasion, the conference delegates agreed on the need for an international exchange of information, programs, new research methods, and data, in the areas of safety, environment, and all associated fields. 

In 1975 the WSO was incorporated as a not-for-profit, non-governmental, non-religious, civic entity in the Philippines, and started to work with safety professionals around the world on the promotion of the organization, development of programs, etc.  Conferences, seminars, congresses, and small classes/courses were given through the years in the Pacific Rim Countries.  The purpose of the organization was to protect people, property, resources, and the environment; to promote safety; and, of course, to work toward the goal to “Make Safety a Way of Life.”

There are now several thousands of national and international companies, corporations, and other entities, that have received the WSO Honorary Membership for the support they provide for their employees by paying their WSO dues.  There are also several organizations holding the “WSO Organizational Membership” in the WSO, which, together with the “WSO Institutional Membership,” brings to the WSO universities and research institutes, national and international associations, societies, and organizations, and covers additional scores of members.

The WSO has set up offices, recruited personnel, and provided facilities to pool technological and methodological knowledge in the health, safety, environmental, and accident prevention fields worldwide to share this wealth of information.

The WSO is undergoing a strong growth period.  With individual referrals and recommendations from the WSO members, there is a continuous growth of the membership and a pool of professionals seeking the WSO certifications.  One of the latest WSO programs is directed toward professionals seeking the WSO certifications, and toward the new generations of professionals and practitioners of safety and accident prevention: the students of the safety and environmental programs of various universities in the U.S.A and other countries.

The WSO’s purpose is to internationalize all safety fields including occupational and environmental safety & health, accident prevention movement, etc., and to disseminate throughout the world the practices, skills, arts, and technologies of the safety and accident prevention fields.

The WSO's certifications are accredited through ICAC. The International Certification Accreditation Council's Board of Directors, in compliance with the ISO/IEC 17024:2012 standard, after conducting a comprehensive evaluation and thorough assessment of the designated certification program, and with the recommendation by the ICAC's Accreditation Review Committee, has determined it appropriate, deserving, and proper to convey the distinctive recognition and honor of ICAC Accreditation to World Safety Organization, Certified in Environmental & Occupational Safety & Health.