W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — ASTM International has honored Greg B. Hale, P.E., chief safety officer and vice president of worldwide standards and auditing for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Orlando, Fla., with the 2013 William T. Cavanaugh Memorial Award. Hale received the award for his extraordinary contributions to amusement park safety through the development, promotion, implementation, harmonization and adoption of standards worldwide from ASTM International Committee F24 on Amusement Rides and Devices.

The award commemorates W.T. Cavanaugh, chief executive officer of ASTM from 1970 to 1985.

Hale has been an ASTM International member since 1989. As chairman of Subcommittee F24.80 on Harmonization, he has worked for the international adoption and harmonization of standards, including collaborations with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and with the Canadian Standards Association and regulatory community. He has facilitated open industry sessions in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East to bring together experts and key regulators to raise awareness of ASTM International standards for amusement rides and to promote the harmonization and adoption of ASTM ride safety standards to enhance the safety of the amusement industry worldwide. For his contributions to improving safety in the amusement industry, his technical expertise and his work in promoting the use and adoption of F24 standards, Hale received the Dr. Richard H. “Doc” Brown Memorial Exceptional Service Award in 2010.

In his work at Disney, Hale leads a global team of ride design, operations and maintenance professionals responsible for theme park safety, accessibility for guests with disabilities and technology advancements. With this team, he works to evaluate and develop new safety technologies, facilitate the exchange of safety-related information, integrate best practices into safety protocols, conduct internal reviews to monitor compliance with regulations and standards and anticipate safety challenges. Hale is responsible for innovations that have advanced accessibility for people with disabilities, and he is co-inventor and patent holder of 63 U.S. and foreign patents. He has worked at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts since 1988, and he has held such positions as director of facilities and attractions regulatory compliance, and director of ride and show engineering. Prior to his current role, Hale was vice president of design and engineering and regulatory compliance.

Hale is active in industry associations such as Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers International and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. He is a member of the AIMS Educational Advisory Board, and he is chairman of the IAAPA International Standards Harmonization Committee and a former member of the IAAPA board of directors. He has received the IAAPA Outstanding Service Award for his contributions to safety and standards for the industry, and the IAAPA Public Affairs Award for leadership regarding critical safety issues in the amusement industry. He is involved in several other trade and professional groups and has received other industry awards as well.

Hale holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Mississippi and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Florida.

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions.

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