Johnstown, PA July 22, 2024
Creating a culture of health and safety at work is an ongoing endeavor. Reaching our goals is satisfying for all involved, especially those responsible for coordinating our efforts. But believe it or not, work safety isn’t the most rewarding aspect of Tom Monito’s job.
Tom’s title is Principal Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Professional at CTC, and he’s our featured employee in this installment of “Behind the Scenes.”
Tell us a little about your role as a Principal EHS Professional.
My primary responsibilities are to ensure corporate and project compliance with governmental regulations, accepted industry practices, and ISO standards; and to sustain the framework for the safety and well-being of our employees, contractors and visitors. This is accomplished through program development, code reviews, training, systems management, metrics monitoring, auditing, and most importantly co-worker collaboration. Some newer endeavors include involvement with Environmental, Social and Governance (EGS) reporting and developing our Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
What does a typical day at the office look like for you?
Quite honestly, there is no such thing as a typical day, other than responding to whatever comes my way, resolving the issue, and completing the task at hand. This may include evaluating new chemicals or processes and developing procedures, researching new regulations, arranging a hazmat shipment, waste handling, regulatory compliance, permitting and reporting, ISO support….
What are some of the challenges and rewards in your role?
The extreme variety of projects, the ever-changing regulations and requirements, and the diversity of tasking each week. There’s always something new to learn, assess, and address. But that is what has kept it challenging and interesting for 21 years. The most rewarding moments are when an employee finds and fixes an issue before it leads to an incident, or when someone talks about something they did safely outside of work! That is when the benefits of developing a strong safety culture are truly revealed and celebrated.
Describe your team collaborations at work.
I have had the opportunity to work often with just about every department and division within CTC and EVC during my tenure. I have been very fortunate to work with incredible people that are always willing to assist and provide support, including technicians, engineers, support personnel and senior management. It’s been a great balance of co-workers helping me and me helping them with all aspects of the organization, and I am thankful for their assistance and support.
Where do you envision yourself and this role in the future?
As the company continues to expand, it’s expected that the EHS role will need to evolve and become even more integrated with project execution and day-to-day operations. One thing for certain is that learning new requirements, new technologies, and always being ready for “what’s next” will continue to be the norm.
Give us an interesting fact about you that some people might not know.
I love everything outdoors, hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, kayaking, and snowmobiling. I have been blessed with the opportunity for many awesome experiences from hiking the Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, and the Appalachian Trail, to snowmobiling in the Canadian Mountains.
Anything else you would like to share with us?
CTC and EVC have seen many changes during my time here, from the Fuel Cell Test and Evaluation Center (FCTEC) and the “Little House in the High Bay” to innovative additive manufacturing and a slew of new CNC machines, and from packed offices to a large contingent of remote working force. One constant has been the quality people that I have had the honor of working with at an organization that treats employees as people and not numbers.
