Health and Safety
Lockout/Energy Control
During negotiations the union made gains by strengthening the language that gives members the right to control hazardous energy. This can save lives by keeping powerful machines from operating while workers are in harm’s way.
Ergonomic Improvements
The UAW gained new job analysis methods to analyze and redesign work tasks. With these tools, the ergonomics analysts will identify and correct more jobs that cause strains and sprains. The company agreed to train ergonomics analysts to use the 1991 NIOSH lifting equation. This assessment tool can be used to improve protection for our members from the risks of jobs that require lifting, bending or twisting. Other analysis tools will become available upon the completion of a study within the first year of the contract.
Ventilation System Training
The proposed agreement increases the ability of UAW members to improve air quality in their facilities. Local joint health and safety committees will be trained to evaluate ventilation system performance, and skilled trades members will be trained in preventive maintenance of ventilation systems.
Evidence of Medical Visits
The UAW obtained from the company a commitment to provide written evidence of medical visits to any worker who requests it within 24 hours.
Improved Noise Protection
It has been scientifically demonstrated that noise levels below the OSHA action limit can cause hearing loss. The UAW gained a commitment from the company to inform local joint health and safety committees of areas in its facilities where these dangerous but permitted levels of noise have been identified.
Health and Safety Research
Our bargaining team worked hard to ensure that there will continue to be joint research on factors that affect our members’ health and safety. As a result, the UAW-Chrysler Scientific Advisory Committee will remain intact as well as the $1.2 million commitment for research funding. In an effort to utilize joint research funds more effectively, the National Joint Committee on Health and Safety now will be able to coordinate research efforts with joint committees for UAW-General Motors and UAW-Ford.
Hazardous Machining Fluids
In these negotiations, the UAW gained improvements in the monitoring and control of machining fluids. The company is now required to map the concentrations of fluid mist in the air of its machining plants and identify those areas in which concentrations are greater than agreed upon limits. UAW health and safety representatives will be trained to measure fluid concentrations and will participate in mist mapping.
Plant Emergency Drill
The UAW improved plant emergency and take-shelter practices. Under the proposed agreement, evacuation and take-cover drills will be performed during the first and third years of the contract in real-life situations on all shifts when workers are present.
Hazardous Chemical Exposure Protection
• Some of the highest concentrations of hazardous chemical exposures occur in non-routine intermittent tasks (such as cleaning out tanks). The UAW gained a commitment from the company to evaluate hazardous chemical exposures for these tasks.
• In some cases, Chrysler has established Company Permissible Exposure Limits lower than those of OSHA. These will be provided to UAW health and safety representatives, enabling the union to ensure that these lower limits are followed. To facilitate the ability to do this, health and safety representatives will be trained to read and interpret industrial hygiene reports.
• Material safety data sheets (Hazard Communication Sheets) provided by manufacturers are notoriously incomplete and lacking in key information. The UAW received a commitment from the company to make efforts to obtain complete chemical hazard information from suppliers and to provide that information to our members.