CAMBRIDGEWHO’SWHO:  What would you like to promote most about yourself or your business?

LINDA C. VISCARDI:  Attention to safety is part of the culture at BloodSource. Because of it, accidents have decreased significantly. Prior to my arrival at BloodSource, the experience modification was 145. That has since been reduced to as low as 105, saving BloodSource over $500,000 in insurance premiums.

When I was hired in 2002, there were 67 recordable injuries for that year. Since then, through the implementation of various safety programs such as HAZCOM, ergonomic, biohazard and defensive driving training, recordable injuries have dropped to as low as 28 [a year]—a 59 percent reduction.

I am proud to be an employee of BloodSource. Unlike many blood centers across the nation, where blood shortages result in surgeries being cancelled and the delivery
of care crippled, at BloodSource, we always have a safe and plentiful supply of blood for patients in need.We are committed to assuring that people with cancer, burn victims, surgery patients and children with leukemia have the best possible chance for survival. [I’d like to promote] the need for the community to help themselves, to help save lives. It’s actually a very rewarding process to donate blood.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?

Observing the look on somebody’s face knowing I’ve made his or her day a little easier, more comfortable and less stressful. People can’t be productive when they’re
faced with potentially hazardous situations.When those hazards have been eliminated or reduced, making their environment that much better and safer to work [in], it’s a great feeling knowing I’ve helped.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?

I will have to indentify two. One was the interior design (including the oversight of all safety and security elements) of the new, $50 million Sacramento County Data Center, for which I received the “Excellence in Safety” award from the Professional Safety Institute, National Safety Council.

The second was the removal of the underground storage fuel tank at BloodSource. For business reasons, it was decided that the unleaded fuel tank be removed. I discovered an oversight from many years prior to my arrival at BloodSource pertaining to the establishment of a fuel tax account. This is a critical element that must be in place should there ever be a contamination issue. I resolved the matter and not but a few weeks later, notification came from the County regarding potential contamination from the removal and replacement of the original fuel tank in the early 1980s.

As a result of this notification, it was required that soil and water monitoring wells be installed to obtain samples for contamination testing on a quarterly basis. Should it be determined that soil clean up is necessary, costs can escalate in the millions of dollars. Monitoring took place over a three-year period. Since we resolved the fuel tax account prior to the County’s notification of this potential contamination, BloodSource was covered by the state’s cleanup fund. Therefore, we only had to pay a $5,000 deductible instead of all the costs associated with the installation of the monitoring wells, quarterly lab analyses of soil and water, and removal of monitoring wells. About three weeks ago, I received the final site closure letter saying, “…the government is satisfied.”

What are your short-term and long-term career goals?

To continue to develop more effective [expanded] safety programs for the organizations. As the sole person responsible for overseeing safety, I would like to see safety culture reach more individuals and have it become more ingrained in the everyday lives of staff, because that also carries into their personal lives as well.

On several occasions, I have been asked to travel to different countries, including China, Vietnam and England, to assist in addressing workplace safety issues. I would like to help more countries and organizations find solutions for their safety concerns; I’m also interested in doing consultation work for large corporations as well as insurance companies. In addition, I enjoy working with companies in developing their corporate safety programs. I’ve had the opportunity to conduct site inspections to determine risk factors for insurance coverage.

What topic(s) do you consider yourself to be an expert on?

Waste management, chemical management, environmental health and ergonomics are my specialties. Understanding the legal requirements is quite an undertaking. If you don’t have the right resources, you have no idea what federal, state and local regulatory agencies require and what the permissible exposure limits (PELs) are. Therefore, I consider myself an expert in regulatory research.

How do you remain current in your profession?

I have several subscriptions. I read the California Hazardous Materials book “Required Training Guides for California” and “Cal/OSHA Compliance and Auditing”; these types of subscriptions, plus all their newsletters, keep me current on regulatory issues. I go through extensive training and regulatory updates throughout the year. Having been responsible for the review of state legislation and its impact on Sacramento County for the government for more than 20 years, I continue to look at proposed regulatory changes and how it may affect what I do in the safety field.

What makes you a valuable resource in your industry?

My attention to detail and analytical skills. I am extremely persistent in getting to the root cause with problem solving. Symptoms are one thing, but eliminating the cause is critical to prevent recurrence.

What is the most significant issue facing your profession today?

The challenge is trying to impart the importance and benefit of safety when everyone is so involved with their work on a daily basis.With a staff of more than 500 spread among 15 sites, it is very difficult to get involvement from all staff levels when one is so overloaded in a production environment.

What advice can you offer fellow members who work in your industry?

Enjoy what you’re doing. I love the variety of all the aspects of safety and how it interplays in a production atmosphere. If you truly don’t have fun with your job, it’s going to be a lot more stressful. You’ve got to communicate with the people. If you’re not out there in the work areas being visible, motivating and encouraging people, you’re going to have accidents. If you believe it, live it and love it, others will pick up on it.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about selling safety and preventing injury on the job. It’s a great feeling knowing I helped somebody in some way. It’s not just the people drawing and shipping the blood. From the mailroom person to the data entry person, as well as the people paying the bills, everybody has a part in saving somebody’s life.

What is your motto?

I believe safety is a habit you can live with and that a painless tomorrow is today’s reward for safety.