Safety & Health
Director: Jim Tomaseski
202 728-6040
safety@ibew.org
What's New in Safety & Health:
IMPORTANT: Ladder Recalls!
Louisville Ladder: Certain Type IA, Type I and Type II “D” Rung Fiberglass Extension Ladders...
Michigan Ladder: Certain Type IA, Type I and Type II “D” Rung Fiberglass Extension Ladders...
IBEW Journal: Employers Must Pay for Protective Equipment, OSHA Says
OSHA regulation on Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
About the Safety & Health Department:
The Safety and Health Department is assigned responsibilities related to safety and health involving all trade jurisdictions of the IBEW. The department’s primary focus is occupational safety, although home, community, and personal safety and health issues frequently require departmental attention.
Regular department duties include:
- maintaining a database of IBEW member related on-the-job accidents, including reporting significant accident trends to OSHA and other government agencies
Local unions are required to report serious lost time accidents and fatalities using the web based accident reporting system
REPORT OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURY, ILLNESS OR FATALITY – FORM 173
- processing IBEW Life Saving Awards submitted by local unions
- representing IBEW interests on national consensus committees relevant to IBEW member safety and health such as the National Safety Council, ANSI & NFPA
- serve as the liaison for the IBEW to OSHA, MSHA, FAA and other government agencies responsible for safety and health matters affecting IBEW members
- coordinate common safety and health interests with the AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades, and affiliated unions
- coordinate safety and health issue with others departments in the International Office
- responding to local union requests associated with safety and health topics
Safety and Health Resources
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) www.osha.gov
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) www.msha.gov
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/
Center for Disease Control www.cdc.gov
Department of Health and Human Services www.hhs.gov
Federal Emergency Management Agency www.fema.gov
Department of Homeland Security www.dhs.gov
American Red Cross www.RedCross.org
American Heart Association www.americanheart.org
Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) www.cpwr.com
Electronic Library of Construction Occupational www.cpwr.com/rp-elcosh.html
Safety and Health (ELCOSH)
Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP)
http://www.dol.gov/esa/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/main.htm
National Safety Council (NSC) www.nsc.org
AFL-CIO Safety and Health at Work www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/
American National Standards Association (ANSI) www.ansi.org
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) www.nfpa.org
National Electric Safety Code http://standards.ieee.org/nesc/
The Construction Safety Council www.buildsafe.org
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOSH) www.ccosh.ca
Electrical & Utilities Safety Association (EUSA) www.eusa.on.ca
IBEW Safety Caucus
The IBEW convenes an exclusive IBEW-only safety caucus once each spring, and again each fall. The meetings are held in conjunction with the National Safety Council Labor Division meetings, enabling caucus delegate’s easy access to those sessions also. This safety caucus provides the 100-plus IBEW members that regularly attend these meetings the necessary time to discuss issues critical in furthering occupational safety for IBEW members. During a recent meeting, International President Hill affirmed the commitment from his office to the future of the caucus, and directed delegates to align their focus toward an advisory role to the international office on safety matters affecting IBEW members.
A structure to the caucus has evolved, including jurisdictional workshops, training workshops, and open discussion time on each meeting’s agenda, in addition to regulatory and legislative updates from the Safety and Health Department. Recent meetings have included mini-training sessions (two hours or less) on subjects of interest to a cross section of trade jurisdictions. As time permits at future caucus meetings, additional training sessions will be included as regular agenda items.
The caucus met earlier this year in Bettendorf, Iowa. One hundred twenty six delegates were in attendance, making this meeting the largest since the inception of the caucus in 2002. Delegates were given the opportunity to attend sessions on the following subjects:
- Effective safety committees
- Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP)
- Mobile Workforce demonstration for construction
- Fall Protection – the new ANSI Z359 rules
- Industry breakout session
- Construction – inside
- Utility/Outside
- Telecommunications
- Manufacturing
The industry breakout sessions met for approximately two and one-half hours each. The caucus reconvened when the session concluded for the purpose of summarizing each session. Reports were given from each industry session and delegates were given the opportunity to discuss the issues identified in the reports.
The next IBEW safety caucus is scheduled for Thursday, September 18, 2008 in Anaheim, CA. The National Safety Council Labor Division will meet following the caucus on September 19, 20, & 21.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently published a new edition the Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. The document is intended as a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals. The information found in the guide should help users recognize and control occupational chemical hazards. Both a web-based and a spiral bound version of the guide are available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/
There are also new guidelines for CPR and the use of AED units:
New Guidelines Poster...
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