Document e5ejEv6g4XnZ3j96RXywR4M0e

Labor Seuion* mittccs. Out of that 1,100,1 would say that 60 per cent oro effective. When labor and management sits down togethor to work out effect!vo goals, activities, responsibilities, and methods, accident reductions arc enjoyed. In these Joint programs, management must pro vide safo conditions and leadership; tho union must cooperate by providing safety minded employees and assist wherever possi ble in seeing that unsafe conditions and un safe acts aro corrected. A few yoars ago, an IBEW local in St. Louis and the Union Electric Company completely described their successful labor-management safety activi ties. This proves it can work if both sides ore interested and will shore in their responsibil ities. Lennle: One of the problems involved with labor-management safety committees is that labor must indicato that it has guts. A labor union safety committeeman is in an ex tremely awkward position. If he is doing his job ho will not get elected at conventions or meetings, because he will not be popular. In our plant, when the company catches a man violating safety rules, it can schedule disci plinary measures and must notify tho un ion's safety chairman of what they intend to do. A safety chairman that wishes to remain popular, will always say, "Let's take this action to arbitration.'' However, if he is doing his job properly, he will notify the grievance committee feat this fellow de serves all he is getting and if we don't .stop this fellow now, we will be informing his widow that he was killed in an accident. In order to havo a labor-management safety committee work properly, it is neces sary to stay away from grievance procedures. The safety chairman should be a man stand ing alono at local union meetings, saying feat fee union members arc violating the safety rules, taking short cuts, and looking for trouble, The safety committeeman must stand up and be counted. There is no use coining to a Congress like this and then going back home and remaining quiet. We must show management that we are not afraid of being unpopular in order to save accidents and lives. Delegate: If top management sincerely be lieves in accident prevention and health, there is no need for any committees, includ ing the labor-management safety committee. We have a dedicated safety committee that can evaluate a situation and determine what corrective steps should be made, which are agreed to by all members of tho labor-man agement safety committee. Yet, top manage ment will say that the recommendations ci ther interfere with the process or cost too mud) money. Therefore, economics came be fore safety. In ono instance, tho safety com mittee agreed feat a certain operation should bo shut down until proper hearing loss pre vention was provided. However, the opera tion was running the next day, and nothing was dono to correct tho situation. Again, tho oconomic factor predominated. In my esti mation, it all boils down to the fact that top management must want accident prevention before it will over bo a successful feet Mr. Andrews, Michigan State Labor De ments: As tho various comments are offered, you will always notice that costs come into the picture. I would like to use tho term in vestment rather than cost. I believe that those who ore in the position of handling the final decision con be sold on sound accident prevention investments, if they are properly informed. Therefore, it is up to the safety committee and safety people to bo certain that top management is informed fully, so that a proper decision can be made based on all of fee facts. I doubt that anyone in this room can recoil an accident that oc curred which could not have been prevented for less money than it cost to have the accident. Gold: Are there any now safety devices for rubber rolls; if so, where can literature on these safety devices be secured? Culver: I am not aware of any new safety devices for rubber rolls. I assume that the questioner is asking about rolls feat ore on a mill that mixes rubber. I believe that it is impossible, at this time, to guarantee that tho operator will not be subjected to a cer tain amount of hazard. The Job itself is haz ardous. This means that the operator has fee responsibility for being cautious. There is usually an emergency stop control which fee operator can actuate if he is caught or on the verge of being caught in tho rolls. Out side of that, I do not know of any mechani cal device that will ensure the operator can not bo caught in the rolls. Gold: I would suggest that people inter ested in safety devices for rubber mills and calenders, should obtain the B28.1-1949 (re vised 1959) Safety Code for Mills and Ca lenders in the Rubber Industry, published 33