Submitted by Andrea on June 8, 2009 - 2:00pm.
A Union Representative’s Guide to Occupational Safety and Health
Information from Publication #137
Two tasks face every worker and union representative:
1) How to recognize hazards.
2) How to get management to correct these hazards through the use of the Union contract or the law.
Listed below are a number of action items that the Local Union should undertake to identify and correct safety and health problems. In most cases, agreements will be
necessary with management in order to pursue these items.
Inspect the facility on a regular basis. The Health and Safety Committee, with special training in hazard recognition, should do surveys to identify every detectable hazard. Some surveys should be more specific, such as looking for noise problems caused by poor maintenance or for proper safeguards on all presses. Stewards and bargaining committee members should inspect their own areas for
hazards and poor housekeeping.
Pay attention to medical complaints and symptoms. Problems like headaches, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, frequent coughs, and irritations to the eyes, nose, throat, and skin could easily be caused by conditions at work.
Check OSHA Form 200/300 Check OSHA Form 200/300 which is the company's daily log of injuries and illnesses. The form is required by OSHA and contains both the daily list and a summary of recordable injuries and illnesses. The form must be provided to all workers and former workers. Obtain from the nearest OSHA office detailed
information on what should be recorded on Form 200/300. Use the log to:
Investigate all injuries and near misses.Correct the unsafe condition that caused the action. Was management aware? Why or why not?
Study each job for hazards and ask: Can someone be killed here? Can someone be injured? Can someone’s health be harmed? Watch the workers’ actions through a complete work cycle--what could go wrong?
Tell management to correct the unsafe conditions.
Get copies of all procedures and make sure the company follows its own rules.
Learn what medical tests are being given and the meaning of these. Union staff, a government agency (OSHA, Health Department) or even your personal doctor can help explain what the tests are for.
Instruct all workers to request exact copies of medical exam results and a written opinion of their significance. OSHA requires management to provide these to individuals upon request.
Conduct a survey of the workers to find out what hazards they are most concerned about and want eliminated first. This also helps raise their awareness about the hazards they face. Ask if they have ideas on how to fix the problem (such as reducing noise or guarding equipment).
NOISE
If you need to shout to be heard a few feet
away, then you most likely have a noise
problem.
Inform people in noisy areas that noise causes hearing loss and other health
problems.
Measure the noise levels and insist on getting the results of company measurements. Negotiate the right for the Union Safety Representative to take measurements-the noise meter is simple to use.
Demand a plan of action from the company to eliminate or reduce the noise.
Request ongoing progress reports.
Watch for noise enclosures which have been left over or “garbage noise" caused by machines in need of repair. Correct these on your safety tours.
Insist on engineering controls Federal law requires that engineering controls, not earplugs be used to solve noise problems. Ear protection may be used as a temporary measure until noise levels are reduced or if engineering controls have failed. Inform all
people who have been issued ear protection of this law and insist on a compliance date from the company.
AIR CONTAMINATION
Check for smoke, clouds of dust, unusual smells. There may be a health hazard. Identify all raw ingredients and byproducts, for example, what kind of dust it is.
Measure the contaminant if it is airborne. Company experts and government inspectors can take these measurements. Get a written
copy of the results. Negotiate the right for the Union Safety Representative to be involved in this sampling.
Notify the workers of a health hazard in their area. Let them know what is being done to or how they can help eliminate the hazard.
Insist on engineering controls since
Federal law requires that engineering controls, not respirators, be used to solve air contamination problems. Respirators may be used: only as a temporary measure until the air contamination is eliminated, if engineering controls have failed, or if the worker is exposed very infrequently.
Look for existing exhaust ventilation ductwork and hoods. Why are they there? What is the hazard? Is the ventilation adequate? Is it faulty? Blocked? The best ventilation of toxic materials is an exhaust duct which comes to the source of the exposure and eliminates it before it contaminates the air a worker might breathe.
BARGAIN FOR QUALITY UAW WORKING CONDITIONS
Demand specific improvements in the plant either through formal contract negotiations or through informal agreements
with management at the corporate or local level. Winning grievances on health and safety establishes precedents that can be used to maintain good conditions in similar circumstances.
Set your own standards for health and safety. The UAW was organized not merely to see that minimal government standards are
met, but to see that workers have the best possible conditions. Treat the OSHA standards like the minimum wage laws. It’s good that they exist but a Union shop should gain as much beyond minimum standards as possible. UAW locals have won solutions to health and safety problems that are superior to
what the law requires.
Do not take for granted management claims that chemicals or fumes are harmless. Most workplace hazards have never been adequately studied. Most OSHA health standards were established by using what little medical information was available in the 1960’s and with questionable assumptions about safety factors. Chemicals once thought to be safe have now been found to be hazardous.
MANAGEMENT’S SAFETY PROGRAM
Insist that management develop a good safety program. The company should:
Consult with professional health and safety experts to survey the plant for hazards and recommend solutions. Conduct a Job Safety Analysis and develop written safe job procedures for each job.
Develop a hazardous materials manual for all chemicals in the plant. Most plants do not yet have this manual, but it is important to
start compiling one. There should be at least a list of all chemicals and materials used. The manual should contain a material safety data sheet (MSDS), available from the manufacturer on each substance, with information on its possible hazards and instructions for safe use
and emergencies. The manual should be readily available to all workers on all shifts. The best system is to have both a plant-wide
list located in a central office and departmental lists located in each department.
Label all containers of chemicals.
Post warning signs in areas using toxic materials.
Instruct new hires or newly transferred people in detail about potential hazards and how to do the job safely. Refresher information should be provided periodically. Safe job procedures and the Hazardous Materials Manual should be used as a basis for
the training.
Establish a Health and Safety Maintenance and Housekeeping Crew to correct all maintenance and housekeeping problems identified by the Safety Committee.
Provide periodic medical examinations for workers exposed to potentially harmful materials. Report periodically to the Local Union on the implications of the results of these medical exams.
Prepare written plans for improvements in plant conditions. Share these plans with the Local Union. The UAW must assert a union vision
and maintain an independent union capability in health and safety as joint activities expand. Every UAW member assigned to health and safety duties at the worksite level must be selected by the union, and must be held accountable to the membership. Management attempts to appoint hourly safety representatives outside the collective
bargaining agreement. Those without union agreement should be challenged. Where we have multiple representatives with joint health
and safety assignments, these representatives should meet separately from management, and with the membership, to maintain their own identity separate from the joint activities. We must expand union based
training for local representatives about workers' rights and management responsibilities, even where joint programs
provide technical training. We must enlist local representatives and members in political action and press OSHA for the standards we
need.
OPPOSE BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
Unfortunately some managements are resorting to implementing behavior-based safety and incentive programs. Such programs are based on the premise that work behavior is the cause of the vast majority of injuries and illnesses. These programs emphasize the use of personal protective equipment and compliance with procedures
instead of the more effective hazard controls using engineering methods such as guards, ventilation systems and job re-design. The
immediate damage to our members is that serious problems like respiratory illness among machining workers or repeated trauma disorders are hidden until they become extreme or additional members fall victim to the hazards. We must oppose all practices, which discourage our members from reporting injuries. Incentive programs which reward groups of workers or individuals if they don’t report injuries must be opposed. Discrimination or retaliation against injured
members is a violation of OSHA Standard (11-c) must be fought vigorously. Companies implement incentive programs to reward workers for not reporting injuries and illnesses. Some give away jackets and hats or hold pizza parties for workers that do not report
injuries. A similar result occurs when companies punish workers that are injured. Programs that bribe workers to not report injuries and illnesses and drive problems underground must be challenged and
eliminated. Behavior Based Safety Programs or incentive programs can come in different forms: I.e. Reduced prices on beverages, pizza parties, lunches, television raffles, safety bingo, and any other program that may give incentive for employees not to report injuries.
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