Health and Safety Report – January, 2022
October, 2021 – Fatality Investigation & JHSC Recommendations
The Joint Health and Safety Committee has presented 24 written recommendations to the Company regarding the fatality that occurred at our Plant on Oct. 22, 2021. This is a legal function of the JHSC and it has the power to identify situations that may be a source of danger or hazard to workers, and make recommendations to our employer and the workers for the improvement of the health and safety of workers. By law, when the Company receives written recommendations from the JHSC, they must respond in writing within a certain period of time.
Agreement to a recommendation must contain a timeline for implementation, and if they do not accept any recommendations, they must give reasons why they disagree. As these recommendations were presented going into the Christmas break, we agreed to start the clock in the new year, setting the deadline for January 31. We will be tracking the recommendations on the JHSC minutes posted in each clock house, and we’ll discuss the Company’s responses to our 24 recommendations in our next report. The MOL incident investigation is still open.
Skilled Trades Diagonal Slice Meetings
Following the Oct. 22 fatality in our Plant, the Plant Manager and Assistant Plant Manager initiated weekly diagonal slice meetings with the Skilled Trades to engage us in conversations and solicit feedback focused on Hazardous Energy Control. As these are safety related discussions, I have been invited and will be participating in them going forward. Their goal is to talk with every Tradesperson in the Plant, both legacy and new hire, and meetings are scheduled every week throughout this year. So why Energy Control?
Obviously, energy control was a contributing factor in the Oct. fatality and everyone, myself included wants to make sure all of us who are authorized to use energy control is properly trained and knowledgeable for what is required of the Hazardous Energy Control Program that is applicable to the task we are asked to do.
One problem with energy control is the more we become familiar with it, the more we may become complacent to it. For example, we may lock out the same machine to do the same task a hundred times, and usually this means main electrical (E1) and main air (A1). But what if the task is a little more involved, a little deeper into the machine, not something we usually do? Is the same E1/A1 lock-out sufficient? How would we know? This is why its so important to read the Energy Control Layout (ECL) or lock-out map, looking at warning and notice boxes and, please ask questions of your G/L, T/L or Co-Workers if you’re unsure.
Issued by,
Unifor Health and Safety Rep Edward Steers, 905 641 6420, Cell/Text 905 658 3271, ed.steers@gm.com
Alternate Unifor Health and Safety Rep Richard Piper, 905 641 6505, PTT 7440029, richard.piper@gm.com
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