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HEALTH AND SAFETY

SAFER conference slated for
Victoria in January of 2005
The conference call and registration
materials have gone out to Steelworkers
local unions on the B.C. Coast and
southern Interior regions to send
delegates to next year's conference put
on by the Safety Advisory Foundation
for Education and Research (SAFER).
The conference's theme will be “Safety
Excellence - A Culture of Prevention.”
Neil Menard, former national first vice-
president of IWA Canada, says the
program will focus on “developing a
culture of prevention” in forest industry
operations. The event will take place on
January 24 and 25 in the Victoria
Conference Centre. Brother Menard
encourages local unions to book their
delegates early to ensure participation in
desired workshops. Delegates can
choose any five two-hour workshops
which include themes covering shift
work and extended hours, peer to peer
safety, how to get rid of apathy towards
safety, invisible
disabilities,
contractors and
safety issues,
setting the
agenda for the
Forest Industry
Safety Council,
motivating safe
work practices,
ergonomics,
safety as workplace change, organizing
a health work culture, disability
management and return to work, and
examining practices that produce health
or harm to workers. “We have an
ambitious program this year with some
new and exciting workshops,” says
Brother Menard, who adds the
conference offers both workers and
management an excellent opportunity
to mix and exchange ideas and
information. “It's impossible to leave a
SAFER conference without some new
ideas and motivation to make changes
for healthier and safer workplaces,” he
says. The conference will open with an
interactive session entitled “WCB
Partnering Initiatives for Cultural
Improvement.” Reps from the board,
labour and industry will give information
and lead discussions on performance
based regulations, certificates of
recognition, and the newly-founded B.C.
Forest Safety Council.

Neil Menard

Mill worker killed in accident
at Hammond Cedar operation
A Steelworkers Local 1-3567 member
lost his life on October 4 in a tragic
accident at the Interfor Hammond Cedar
Mill in Maple Ridge. Brother Bhupinder
Dhugga, age 42, was killed when he was
crushed in a conveyor belt. The accident
has been investigated by the Workers
Compensation Board, the Coroners
Office and the sub-local safety
committee, assisted by local union safety
director Les Veale. “The investigations
are still trying to determine the cause of
the accident, which has shocked and
saddened our membership in the mill
and local union,” says Brother Veale.
“Our sincerest sympathies are extended
to Bhupinder's family and friends at work

and in the community.”

= Seen reading the Occupational Health and Safety report to the conference was Ron Corbeil (standing). Seated is

IWA Council chairperson Norm Rivard.

PHOTO BY NORMAN GARCIA

IWA COUNCIL CONFERENCE RECEIVES HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT

OH&S program to continue

DELEGATES TO THE FIRST Steelworkers - [WA Council
conference were informed that the newly-merged union
will continue to attach a high priority to occupational
health and safety issues affecting workers.

Ina report to the conference on behalf of the IWA Council,
USWA staff representative Ron Corbeil, the former national
safety director for IWA Canada, said the Council will continue
to operate with a Health and Safety Council, local health and
safety directors, and an annual conference to educate and train
an active membership.

“The importance of health and safety, particularly, but not
only in the forest sector, is recognized and preserved in our
merger with the Steelworkers,” said Brother Corbeil. “Indeed
the Steelworkers have, like the IWA, been at the forefront of
improving health and safety for working people in Canada.”

Corbeil outlined several initiatives developed by former
TWA Canada local union health and safety directors to
improve the overall safety programs and reduce accidents.
They include: developing a health and safety program manu-
al to clearly outline the best practices of health and safety rep-
resentatives at all levels; training health and safety trainers;
developing better lines of communications sharing; raising
public awareness about the hazards of our industries, and pro-
viding health and safety education to our school system.

“With our recent merger, these initiatives could not be
more timely,” he added.

On the political front, the council report said “we have our

Woodworker killed in Weyco mill

ANOTHER WOODWORKER has been killed in the
B.C. Forest Industry. On the morning of November
17, Local 1-3567 member Lyle Hewer lost his life
while cleaning out an 18 foot high hopper that was
plugged with hog fuel at the Weyerhaeuser New
Westminster Lumber division sawmill on Annacis
Island.

While cleaning the plugged hopper, Brother Hewer
was struck, trapped and axphysiated by a large
amount of debris from above.

Discovered by fellow workers, it is believed that
Brother Hewer was trapped for 20-30 minutes.
Paramedics and firefighters rushed to the scene,
worked on Lyle and rushed him to Royal Columbian
Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

work cut out for us.” In British Columbia the Gordon
Campbell Liberals have gutted health and safety regulations.
Local unions in B.C. and elsewhere are faced with growing
workers compensation-related caseloads.

“In Ontario the Liberal governmentis slowly fixing some of
the mess they inherited but, as is typical, the damage is not
easily fixed,” said Corbeil.

In Manitoba the report mentioned that local unions made
a presentation to a review panel, calling for improvements to
Medical Review Panels, the Appeals Process, Modified Work
Programs and Monetary Reward Programs.

On the federal front the Westray Bill (Bill C-45) was passed
into law on March 31, 2004, to hold corporate executives and
directors accountable if they are criminally responsible for
workplace accidents. The United Steelworkers deserved the
lion’s share of the credit for holding an effective lobby in the
decade following the Westray Mining Disaster.

In 2004, the BC Forest Safety Task Force report was given
as the Minister of Skills, Training and Labour asked that all 20
of its recommendations be implemented. In August the BC
Forest Safety Council was established to ensure implementa-
tion of the recommendations. Brother Corbeil sits as the
council’s secretary-treasurer.

Ten associations are represented on the board of directors.
IWA Council safety council chairman Les Veale sits as an
alternative director.

“We send our sincerest condolences to Lyle’s fami-
ly,” says Les Veale, [WA Council Safety council chair-
person. “The accident has been a huge shock to Lyle’s
fellow workers who were greatly shaken by this
tragedy. @

Brother Veale assisted the WCB in its investigation
which is still ongoing.

It is believed, by safety committee reps, that the
board has written up the company for not having con-
fined space procedures for the hopper. The hopper
has been cleared the same way for many years.

Brother Hewer, a veteran worker at the operation
for some thirty years, is survived by a wife and two
children. Funeral services were held in Burnaby on
November 26.

16 | THE ALLIED WORKER DECEMBER 2004