July 24, 2007
Restivo to advise National Safety Council
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Paul Restivo, director of the Center for Environmental Health and Safety at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, this fall will begin a one-year term as an advisor for the National Safety Council.
Restivo will be a technical advisor on the NSC's Board of Delegates, which includes professionals and experts from across the country who make recommendations to the NSC about current safety issues.
"I'll essentially be a liaison for colleges and universities and point out how NSC's services can best relate to us," said Restivo, who will be one of three representatives from a university on the 50-member board.
"The NSC has been around a long time and is viewed as the leading safety organization in the country," Restivo said.
While the NSC is commonly known for its death and accident statistics and programs such as the First Aid Institute, the organization's Web site says it also sets the standard for training, publications, and consulting to help prevent human suffering and economic losses.
Restivo's specific assignment on the board will be to focus on issues surrounding safety in the workplace. This falls in line with his work at SIUC, where he has been the director of the Center for Environmental Health and Safety since 1999. He will use his expertise to help steer the course of the development of the NSC's policies and programs.
Restivo will begin his appointment in October at the NSC's Congress and Expo in Chicago. But his work is already beginning, as e-mails stream into his inbox with materials to review in preparation for his new role.
While modest about his nomination, Restivo looks forward to serving on the board and being a voice for the nation's colleges and universities. "I want to be an advocate for educational institutions and be someone at the table who can raise their hand and say 'wait a minute'. I want to keep colleges and universities on the radar screen."