March 22, 2002

It is a homecoming of sorts for Bob Castaldo (below right), who recently was selected to be the new safety director at the MGH. Castaldo had served as assistant safety officer from 1978 until he left the MGH in 1988. During his time away, he worked as safety manager at Beth Israel Hospital and safety director at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

"It is nice to see some familiar faces from my time here before and also meet new members of the team," says Castaldo. "And I’m extraordinarily grateful that the safety office was in such good hands while this position was open. It makes my transition much easier."

Those good hands belong to George MacNeil of MGH Buildings and Grounds, who served as interim director for the Safety Office since November 2000. The office is responsible for establishing safety policies and procedures for the hospital. During that time, the members of the Safety Office, which now is called the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Department, have continued working with departments and staff to lead and support safety efforts throughout the hospital.

The EHS Department probably is best known for one aspect of safety that affects all MGHers: mandatory fire safety training. Employee attendance at these training sessions, which include emergency response training and hazardous materials awareness, increased by 10 percent in 2001. EHS staff strives to deliver tailored fire safety presentations to all groups of employees. Among other fire safety duties, EHS staff also continue to participate in regular site visits to evaluate departmental risks of fire hazard.

Other EHS activities include: investigating and testing indoor air quality; chemical waste management; biohazard materials registration; environmental compliance; monitoring and reducing employee injuries in the workplace; and reporting to regulatory agencies such as the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority and the Department of Environmental Protection.

Some higher profile projects recently accomplished by the EHS Department include the launch of the Mercury Containment Initiative to reduce mercury discharge into the sewer system and the construction of the Hazardous Materials Decontamination Room, located outside the Emergency Department.

"We’ve accomplished a great deal this year, thanks to the support of various departments and the EHS staff," says MacNeil. "With Bob joining the department, I’m confident that our goals for 2002 will be exceeded."