THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

REGIONAL SAFETY CONFERENCE
ADOPTS NEW TRAINING PROGRAM

For a number of years the accident and fatality

By ANDY SMITH
Regional Safety Director

rates have remained fairly consistent but

still far too high. 1968 was a particularly bad year with an increase in frequencies.

With a sincere desire to im-
prove the safety programs in
general throughout the indus-
try, the recent Regional Safe-
ty Conference held on March
29th gave consideration to and
adopted a job safety training
program, with the sincere
hope that it can be incorporat-
ed into the master agreements

in the various areas. It is not
the intention of the Regional
Safety Conference to usurp
the perogatives of manage-
ment, who have the legal and
moral responsibility for safe-
ty in general, but with the
sincere desire to give the Lo-
cal Unions and Safety Com-
mittees a more intimate and

responsible role in the formu-
lating of job safety training
programs.

In certain job safety pro-
grams it is envisioned that if
the above programs are insti-
tuted, then it will generate
more interest on the part of
everyone concerned with safe-
ty in our industry.

PROPOSED TRAINING PROGRAM

It is recognized in our in-
dustry that safety of the work-
ers is of paramount import-
ance and that operations with
good safety records have good
and economical production
and bad record operations
have poor production, and
that many workers severely
injured are unable to return
to gainful employment, which
creates a terrific economic
loss to our country and in
some instances the break-up
of a home.

With that in view, the exec-
utive of the Regional Safety
Council recommend to the
Regional Executive Board
that every consideration be
given to the addition of a fur-
ther section to Article XXI,
Accident Prevention of ‘the
Master Agreement and that
the following points be a con-
tractual demand in the next
negotiations in the various
areas, i.e., Coast, Southern In-
terior, Northern Interior, and
Independents.

1. That a Safety Training
be established and
implemented in individual op-
erations in conjunction with
the Local Union involved.

2. That this training pro-
gram shall incorporate the fol-
lowing points.

(a) All new employees shall
get pre-employment safe-
ty induction; said induc-
tion procedure shall be as
agreed upon by the Local
Unions and the individual
companies,

A review of all job safety
procedures shall be made
at least annually.

All employees transferr-
ing to new jobs with
change of equipment or
new procedures shall re-
ceive safety instruction on
that job as if they were
new employees.

All job training programs
negotiated in the industry
shall contain provisions to
incorporate proper safety
training to ensure that the
safety training is of equal
importance as job train-
ing.

That violations of any of
the provisions of the
safety training program
agreed upon shall be sub-
ject to grievance proced-
ure as outlined in the
Master Agreements.

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f) The foregoing shall apply
to all contractors and sub-
contractors.

GUIDELINES SET OUT
FOR LOCAL UNIONS

Guidelines for Local Unions
for job safety analysis and/or
training programs:

1. This program shall not
be construed for use as a job
analysis.

2. This program is intend-
ed to be strictly a job safety
analysis to concern itself with
hazards, unsafe work prac-
tices, unguarded machinery,
etc.

3. All job safety programs
shall incorporate the follow-
ing points:

(a) All employees shall be in-
structed by competent in-
structors.

(b) Instruction shall include
hazards in the plant as a
whole, hazards in the in-
dividual workman’s area

. to himself, and to others.
(c) Correct working proce-

dure.

(d) Safety responsibility.

(e) Pertinent facts regarding
Workmen’s C om pensa-
tion. :

(f) First aid attendance, loca-
tion and facilities.

(g) The importance of safety
committees in the field of
accident prevention
through joint consultation
and the importance of
each employee to support

their accident prevention
committee members.
Whereas statistics prove
that senior employees are al-
most as vulnerable to injury
as new employees for various
reasons, we therefore recom-
mend that all employees
be given a job safety analysis
once a year as set out previ-
ously. Wherever possible Lo-
cal Unions should endeavour
to have plant safety rallies
and group meetings where all
employees are exposed to dis-
cussion’ by competent safety
people from the Union and
others. These rallies shall be
held during working hours.

LIGHTER SIDE

_Good looking girl to her
girl friend: “What do you give
a man who has everything?”

Girl friend: “Encourage-
ment, sweetheart — lots of
encouragement!”

Kae kek,

Bachelor apartment: wild-
life sanctuary.
: Oke Sai ek:

Chokerman Charlie says

that a lot of guys would be in
clover if it weren’t for their
wild oats!

REGIONAL 3rd VICE-PRESIDENT Jack Munro addressing the Regional Safety Con-
ference March 29. Safety officers, left, Barney Doherty, 3rd Vice-Chairman; Andy
Smith, Safety Director; Jack Mumm, Ist Vice-Chairman; Jack Munro; Fred Ibis, 2nd
Vice-Chairman; Erich Ewert, Chairman; Pat Ewles, Secretary.

REGIONAL SAFETY CONFERENCE DELEGATES