Salvatore (Sal) Caccavale is so passionate about safety that he literally wrote the book on it. His expertise is captured in “A Basic Guide to RCRA: Understanding Solid and Hazardous Waste,” published by the American Society of Safety Professionals.
Now, he’s bringing that same energy to the bus and motorcoach industry as the newly elected Chairperson of the American Bus Association (ABA) Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC). For Caccavale, safety isn’t just a job, it’s a mission.
As the Corporate Safety and Training Director for Martz Group, Caccavale has spent the last three years overseeing environmental, health, safety, security, and training initiatives.
But his career in safety spans nearly four decades and multiple industries, including manufacturing, mining, construction, and transportation.
“I found a way to use my experience to help protect the workers — the men and women I worked with for 12 years,” Caccavale said. “That’s what I strive for: making sure every driver, mechanic, and administrative staff member gets home safely each day.”
Passion for worker protection
As Chairperson of BISC, which serves 300 member companies, Caccavale aims to strengthen safety training, industry collaboration, and best practices by expanding education and outreach.
“My predecessors in BISC leadership have laid the foundation, and I want to continue focusing on making the entire motorcoach industry safe—both over the road and at our facilities,” he said.
His journey into safety started with his job in a chemical plant, where he joined the safety committee while working as an operator.
He credits the experience for sparking a career-long passion for worker protection and leading him to safety leadership roles in a variety of industries.
Beyond his daily work experience, Caccavale has contributed extensively to safety literature. On top of his book, he has written chapters for technical manuals for the National Safety Council and the American Society of Safety Professionals spotlighting industry-wide safety best practices.
His dedication to worker protection earned him the National Safety Council’s Distinguished Service to Safety Award, one of the highest honors in the field.
While Caccavale is now focused on the motorcoach industry, he sees safety as a universal priority that transcends competition, industry divisions, and organizational boundaries.
“I don’t believe in dividing the industry into separate groups,” he said. “When it comes to safety, there are no barriers. It doesn’t matter how much you charge for a bus ride or what company you work for. The goal is always the same: ensuring people get home safely.”
Caccavale has already supported BISC initiatives, including BISC West, which collaborates with the California Bus Association, and BISC East, which partners with the Great Northeast Motorcoach Association. Under his leadership, he hopes to expand these efforts and strengthen safety programs nationwide.
“My goal is to get the safety message out wherever I can,” he said. “It’s not about politics, it’s about keeping people safe.”
For more information about ABA BISC and its initiatives, visit www.buses.org.
