: R, 1978

Editor’s note: The following is
he report of Regional Safety
Director Verna Ledger to the
29th IWA Annual Conference
on Safety and Health Septem-
‘ber 29, in Vancouver.

_ The I.W.A. has a history of
"being involved with Safety and
Health, a history we can be
proud of.

Many I.W.A. members have
participated actively for years
‘to attempt to make our Indus-
“try a safer and healthier place
‘to work.

_ Since 1952 four members
have served in the capacity of
Director of Safety for the

| TO ANNUAL CONVENTION

SAFETY DIRECTOR'S REPORT

I.W.A. All have contributed
expertly to improving the
working lives of our members.
As each one left us we ex-
perienced a sense of loss.

Brother Max Salter who re-
tired from his position in
August of this year will be
missed. Max did a tremendous
job in his role as Director of
Safety and Health for Regional
Council No. 1. All of us wish
him well.

Since being appointed to the
position of Safety and Health
Director in August, I have
found it a busy and exciting
job, and look forward to the
challenges ahead.

ACCIDENTS-FATALITIES

Current figures available
from the B.C. Workers’
_ Compensation Board report 43

woodworkers killed during the
first 8 months of 1978 and a
substantial increase in work-
caused injuries.

The philosophy that these

types of statistics are
’ inevitable in an industry rated

as hazardous as the forest in-
» dustry, is no longer acceptable
or believable. Methods exist
for correcting 90% of the un-
_ safe conditions, if industry was
forced to comply. Other condi-
tions which contribute to work-
caused injuries and disease
such as lack of training and
_ work-environment induced
| stress could be virtually
» eliminated as well, if em-
‘ployers were committed to
‘ g with the union in
eveloping and participating

_ The move is on — J.B. Para-
‘dis, Vice Chairman of the B.C.
Workers’ Compensation Board
ated at the 1977 Annual
"LW.A. Safety Conference,
_“Workers’ concerns in Occu-
ational Health have exploded
the past year’. He noted the
ndustrial Hygiene Depart-
nt of the Board had been
ombarded with requests for
inspections and information,
which they were ill-equipped
‘and too short staffed to com-
‘pletely satisfy.
_ His statements reflected
“only the minimum of concern
Which is directed to a depart-
nt most unions realize is in-
adequate. The whole question

directed at Local

ions and the Region, is
immense in proportion.

Workers newly alerted by

blicity on health hazards in

place, have suddenly

me vitally concerned
substances and

of occupational health which
las been

actively in Programs designed
to correct these conditions.

Tragically the toll of
fatalities continues in the
forest industry so we cannot
forget in our struggle for new
and varying solutions to prob-
lems of health and safety, that
the basic philosophy of educa-
tion and training must never
become less of a priority.

In the whole direction of
Safety across North America,
the I.W.A. has been a leader.
We have had programs calling
for action by Committees to
provide safer work environ-
ments and have ensured they
were implemented and en-
forced.

The requirements now are to
provide leadership in the area
of Occupational Health as well.
We have to know how danger-
ous our work is to our Health.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

in permanent damage to our
health or even death.

All at once occupational
health has become a priority
with the rank-in-file member.
It is obvious wages do not
mean everything these days;
as workers, we know pay
raises gained today will be
eaten up by inflation in a few
short months. Our concerns
therefore are developing in the
areas of more leisure time,
early retirement and the
health to enjoy both. :

This is not a concern unique
to our Region, labour groups
all over Canada are being
propelled by their members
into taking action in the area of
occupational health. The
Ontario Federation of Labour
held a major conference on
occupational health em-
phasizing Industrial Pollution
On The Job And The Harmful
Effects. The C.L.C. has hired a
full time Occupational Health
and Safety Officer and the B.C.
Federation has hired a_ full
time Director of Occupational
Health and Safety.

, a SAFETY PAGE

The fact is that unions across
North America are really
beginning to understand the
long hard road ahead in prov-
iding workers with the am-
munition to protect themselves
in the work place.

Research:
It is imperative that the
demand formulated and

presented in the 1977 negotia-
tions for a Research Fund for
Health and Safety again be in-
cluded in the 1979 negotiations
and made a priority. While
industry failed to recognize in
1977 that the funding for such a
program is their respon-
sibility, with further prepara-
tion and involvement of our
members, we know it can be-
come a reality in 1979.

Studies on Chain Saw Vibra-
tions Related to Raynaud’s
Phenomenon:

A group of researchers from
U.B.C. Department of Health
Care and Epidemiology have
recently applied to the Federal
Government for funds to con-
duct a survey of loggers in
relationship to vibration in-
duced white finger, medically
known as Raynaud’s
Phenomenon. The proposed
study would likely involve a
group who regularly use vi-
brating hand-held tools (chain
Saws) and comparing them
with a “control group’’ who do
not. They may also study a
third goup of workers who use
hand-held vibrating tools but
who are exposed to warmer
climatic conditions, since there
remains some doubt whether
both elements of cold and vi-
bration are required to induce
vibration White Finger.

The proposal for this re-
search has received support of
the I.W.A.

Proposed Study on Penta-

chlorophenol and Other Wood
Preservatives:

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

A group of researchers from
the University of Washington,
recently met with officers of
the International and Regional
representatives in Occupation-
al Héalth and Safety to discuss
their proposal for a study of
workers exposed to wood
preservatives used in the
forest industry. If funding is
obtained it is possible that the
study may be conducted in the
lower mainland area of B.C.
because of the number of
workers required to make an
accurate assessment.

It is imperative we begin to
know the health hazards we
are exposed to, sO we can
determine the solutions.

Dr. Jeanne Stellman, Chief
of the Division of Occupational
Health and Toxicology, Ameri-

- can Health Foundation, and

author of the book ‘‘Work Is
Dangerous To Your Health’,
was invited to B.C. by the B.C.
Fed. Occupational Health and
Safety Committee to partici-
pate in seminars, tours and
meetings for B.C. unions. The
C.L.C. Labour Education and

Studies Centre sponsored the
month-long visit by Dr. Stell-
men.

iz

The I.W.A. Regional Safety
Council Officers and Local
Union Safety Directors were
fortunate to meet with Dr.
Stellman on August 25th to dis-
cuss the health hazards in the
woodworking industry. Dr.
Stellman also toured two mills
— Hammond Cedar in Local 1-
367 and Canfor P.—H. in Local
1-357 to observe some of these
health hazards first hand.

In later discussions at Local
Union Safety Council Meetings
Dr. Stellman, quoting from her
book, said, “‘Each day workers
enter a battlefield, but they
fight no foreign enemy and
conquer no lands. No borders
are.in dispute. The war they
are fighting is against the
poisonous chemicals they work
with and the working condi-
tions that place serious mental
and physical stress upon them.
The battlefield is the work-
place, and the casualties of this
war are higher than those of
any other in the nation’s his-
tory’. Dr. Stellman urged
I.W.A. members to continue to
strive through education,
legislation and negotiations to
gain protection for their health
and safety.

ERGONOMICS

Since attending the first
International Safety Con-
ference in Seattle during April,
1978, many of our. members
have adopted the ideas put for-
ward there. The theme of the
Conference ‘‘Ergonomics”’
dealt with the total work en-
vironment picture, including
not only chemical and physical
stresses, but the psychological
stresses such as_ boredom,
fatigue and job satisfaction.

Members have recognized
that solving one problem, such
as noise abatement on a
particular machine, may only
create other problems (i.e.
heat, poor ventilation). It is
sensible then to consider the
total concept of the effects of
the workplace on the worker,
including the psychological
stress factors and attempt to
improve them all.

CANADIAN CENTRE —

Legislation authorizing a
Canadian Centre for Oc-
cupational Health and Safety
has passed the Federal House.
A site close to a university and
heavy industry will be chosen
this Fall and the Centre will
likely swing into operation
early in 1979.

It is therefore a reality, a
centre for Occupational Health
and Safety paid for by the tax-
payers of Canada, will be built.
It is up to labour to ensure that

the Centre will serve the work-
ing people of Canada.

The Centre should be
established not only to initiate
research into Occuption health
hazards and act as a resource
for up-to-date information on
health and safety, but also to
develop standards to prohibit,
the import, manufacture and
use of any injurious substance
or hazardous equipment or
material.

COMPENSATION BOARD

Reports by Local Unions
indicate increasing numbers of
claims which must be process-
ed. Many of these related to.

Policy questions on Industrial

Disease, yet to. be determined
by the B.C. Compensation
Board. The I.W.A.’s position
must be that the Board and the
employer have a responsibility
to the victims of industrial dis-
ease, to provide compensation
covering loss of earnings, loss
of function, loss of job benefits
and all phases of rehabilitation
and location.

An obvious need exists for
Local Unions to co-ordinate
and exchange information on
claims problems to enable us
to determine where problems
exist and to define problems
that are developing.

Meetings of the Advisory
Committee on Industrial First
Aid Regulations were held on
July 25 and 26 to discuss the
first draft amendments to the

regulations. Only two union
representatives were present
at these meetings — Brother
Bruce Elphinstone, represent-
ing the B.C. Fed. and Sister
Ledger, representing the
I.W.A. It was obvious from the
begifning that the Board was
intent on rushing the first draft
amendments through in spite
of protests from the union rep-
resentatives. Second draft

mm b¢ Preliminary
examination of the proposed ~
amendments have uncovered

some real problems. It seems
obvious the proposals are for
considerably reduced Stand-

ards for Industrial First Aid
coverage.

Most I.W.A. Locals in B
are seeking the input of ioe
First Aid people to enable them

See “REPORT” page 10 <

ee ee