EHS FY 2023 ANNUAL REPORT Fast Facts 704 Commonwealth Ave. | 2nd Floor | Boston, MA 02215 | bu.edu/ehs | oehs@bu.edu
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY OVERVIEW
Under the Office of Research Compliance, Environmental Health & Safety provides trainings, resources, and expertise to ensure that work, study, life, treatment, and school at Boston University and Boston Medical Center are safe for all.
EHS comprises:
• 4 departments:
– Occupational Health & Safety
– Environmental Management
– Medical Physics & Radiation Safety
– Research Safety
• 5 directors
• 4 associate directors
• 1 Chief Medical Physicist
• 25 technical staff
• 3 administrative staff
INSPECTIONS
EHS ensures safety throughout BU/BMC by:
• Inspecting facilities and equipment
• Training students, faculty, staff, and contractors on proper safety procedures
• Testing and calibrating safety equipment
• Tracking incident data
• Liaising with local, state, and federal safety, regulatory, and compliance divisions to ensure BU's safety protocols are current
• Investigating and resolving any workplace incidents, inspection findings, and safety issues
Fire safety inspections increase as campus life returns to pre-pandemic levels, but rates of other inspection types stabilize.
Research Safety
FY 22
Regulatory Agency Inspections
• MADPH Radiation Control Program audit: no items of non-compliance
• 8 MWRA inspections: passed
• Wastewater sampling: 1 violation, 1 notice of noncompliance, both corrected
2 Boston University Environmental Health & Safety 2023 Annual Report
Occupational Health & Safety FY 22 FY 23 Radiation Safety FY 22 FY 23
FY
23
TRAININGS
EHS again conducted more than 30,000 trainings in FY 2023
FY 22
FY 23
TRACKING & CALIBRATIONS
Health-related testing
• Tested: 272 asbestos evaluation requests completed
• Calibrated: 108 portable radiationmonitoring instruments
• Tracked: 817 dosimetry badges issued
– 19 individuals needed further investigation
Incident Tracking
FY 22
FY 23
BioRAFT has enabled EHS to effectively track training completion and compliance across the University.
Tons of waste and material handled
FY 22
FY 23
Contact Information
Robert Whitfield, Executive Director EHS bu.edu/ehs | oehs@bu.edu
704 Commonwealth Ave, 2nd Floor Boston, MA 02215
• Charles River: 617-353-4094
• Med Campus: 617-358-7840
3 Boston University Environmental Health & Safety 2023 Annual Report