ASSP Standards-Based User Groups

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) recently launched the Standards-Based User Groups (SBUGs), a new strategic framework designed to move the safety profession beyond regulatory compliance toward measurable, data-driven excellence.

This launch solidifies ASSP’s role as the Trusted Source leading the strategic shift of safety from a regulatory minimum to a fundamental business driver.

The SBUG framework is immediately being validated by a major collaboration with Avetta, a leading provider of supply chain risk management software. This partnership provides the first real-world example of how consensus standards can be embedded into enterprise technology to benchmark culture and operational resilience.

The SBUG Vision: Standards as Strategy

ASSP’s Standards-Based User Groups will serve as collaborative networks where practitioners, innovators, and employers co-develop and operationalize safety standards. SBUGs create a formal feedback loop, translating complex consensus requirements into repeatable, data-informed business systems that are scalable across global industries.

“This is more than a partnership—it’s proof that standards are living tools that shape safer, smarter businesses,” said Linda Tapp, ASSP Board President.

“ASSP is leading the charge to operationalize safety as a strategic B2B imperative via our new SBUG framework, and we are proud to see Avetta validate this model by aligning with our standards.”

The Standards-Based User Groups (SBUGs) framework is immediately being validated by a major collaboration with Avetta, a leading provider of supply chain risk management software.

Avetta Collaboration: The First Proof Point

In the inaugural application of the SBUG model, Avetta has integrated key elements of the ANSI/ASSP Z10 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) and Z16 (Incident Investigation) standards into its new Avetta Cultural Maturity Index. This integration transforms qualitative safety perceptions into quantitative, standards-aligned results, enabling companies to measure strategic factors like trust, leadership, and engagement.

“Through our collaboration with ASSP, we’re embedding consensus standards directly into how organizations measure the cultural conditions that translate into safety performance and business impact,” said Abid Yousuf, Chief Customer Officer at Avetta.

“Our new Cultural Maturity Index demonstrates how ASSP’s SBUG framework can turn standards into scalable, data-driven tools that help companies not only protect people, but turn safety into a strategic advantage.”

Driving Collective Progress

The data and insights co-created through this partnership will inform ASSP’s SBUG research network, which will leverage these findings to enhance future standards development, provide practitioner guidance, and expand the profession’s collective Body of Knowledge.

This collaboration is a blueprint for future ASSP technology partnerships and a clear call for other industry leaders to join the standards movement.

• ASSP invites safety professionals, technology providers, and employers to learn more about the SBUG framework and its inaugural focus areas by visiting Standards Based User Group.