ASSP Launches New Applied AI EHS Certificate
As AI is making major inroads into safety organizations, one of the most important aspects of the technology's successful application is ensuring proper training.
ASSP heard the call and joined with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to launch an Applied AI for EHS Certificate.
The new professional education builds core competencies in AI literacy, technology and tool evaluation, and the design of AI-enabled solutions. With a systems-level focus, participants will learn to identify where and how AI drives value across safety programs — linking safety back to management systems and industry standards.
Participants will also explore key principles of AI governance and responsible use in workplace safety, including how AI can enhance hazard identification, improve risk visibility, streamline reporting and support data-driven decision-making.
“Safety professionals need more than awareness of AI," says Donald Burke, PhD, associate professor, UAB, in a statement. "They need practical guidance, sound judgment and the ability to apply these technologies responsibly.”
ASSP believes that the timing of this certificate is important. “Early adopters will help shape how AI is applied across the EHS profession," says Linda Tapp, president and ASSP Foundation chair, in a statement.
Influencing how the technology is used was another consideration in developing this technology. “AI itself is not new, but its growth, accessibility, and influence are accelerating rapidly. I believe this is a defining moment for safety professionals to move to the forefront — to lead, influence, simplify their work, and take greater control of how AI is used to support people and improve organizations,” says Marla D. Corson, PhD, CSP, adjunct professor, UAB. “This program is designed to help EHS leaders build the confidence, judgment and practical capability to evaluate, govern and apply AI responsibly so they can create meaningful impact across their organizations and for the people they are responsible to protect.”
The instructors, Corson and Nia Jetter, senior principal technologist/engineer in Robotics AI at Amazon, have delivered large-scale safety improvements in corporate America and now teach AI and Safety together at UAB.
“Helping safety leaders understand how to evaluate, model and responsibly apply these technologies is critical if organizations want to realize the benefits of AI while maintaining trust, oversight and operational integrity,” said Jetter in a statement.
The inaugural cohort will begin on June 22, 2026, with additional cohorts for August 31, 2026, and January 25, 2027. Each eight-week cohort includes live, online class sessions and applied labs, with enrollment limited to 40 students. Participants who successfully complete the program will receive an ASSP certificate and digital badge.