·  by Nikki Pollo

USW partners with Republic Steel to perform safety stand-down

Tragedy may inspire change that shapes a better future for others.

In the case of Republic Steel, a steelmaking company with plant locations in Ohio, Indiana, New York and Ontario, Canada, a better future for the steelworkers is beginning to advance.

USW & Republic Steel safety stand-downMultiple years of health and safety complications ultimately lead to a settlement agreement among Republic Steel, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the United Steelworkers (USW).

Following the settlement, the union embarked on a focused effort to improve the union and members’ involvement in workplace health and safety across six of the manufacturing facilities in three states and the province of Ontario. The OSHA citation leading to the agreement was significant covering four of the six facilities. These efforts are a work-in-progress with more opportunity ahead.

An early requirement of the settlement agreement called for the company to perform a “safety stand-down” in each department for every shift in the four facilities. As opposed to standard classroom training, the company and union voiced the need for a more hands-on tactic in order to ensure health and safety takes priority at Republic Steel.

Republic Steel President and CEO Jaime Vigil challenged the USW and company’s safety management to develop a strategy for a more extensive safety stand-down. In doing so the Steelworkers first extended the safety stand-down to reach six locations instead of just the proposed four. Together, the company and USW brought a form of hazard mapping training from the Tony Mazzocchi Center for Health, Safety and Environmental Education (TMC) to the shop floors.

The workers at each plant initially participated in a classroom introduction and then in small groups they relocated to the shop floors to identify hazards with a TMC facilitator, company manager and union representative. The distinguished health and safety hazards were tagged and photographed. From there the hazards were listed and categorized, then prioritized. Solutions have been recommended and are slated to be addressed as quickly as feasible.

“Each facility was different,” Mary Millspaugh, a Tony Mazzocchi Center trainer out of USW District 7 said. Millspaugh was heavily involved with conducting the training for this project.

She explained that in smaller facilities such as Gary, Ind., “we were able to fix some hazards the same day they were identified. In larger facilities like Canton, Ohio, we identified the hazards and then they were immediately sent to maintenance in order to eliminate [hazards] by priority.”

Kim Steinhoff, TMC trainer from District 2, advocated to the workers to continue such practices beyond the safety stand-down project.

“We left tags with crew members so that they can continue identifying hazards and presenting them to management,” Steinhoff said, “and informed them that sometimes you have to just keep fighting. It’s worth your lives.”

Workers from the facilities expressed some positive and some uncertain opinions, but all were willing to take part in this new plan to combat safety hazards in their workplaces.

“The workers at Republic Steel are skeptical of this process and they have good reason to be,” USW Health, Safety and Environment Assistant Director Jim Frederick said. “For years they have seen safety managed poorly; but the company leadership is working with us to change this.”

Republic Steel and the United Steelworkers plan for this new emphasis on workplace health and safety to provide every worker with a safe road home.

Press Inquiries

Media Contacts

Communications Director:
Jess Kamm at 412-562-2446

USW@WORK (USW magazine)
Editor R.J. Hufnagel

For industry specific inquiries,
Call USW Communications at 412-562-2442

Mailing Address

United Steelworkers
Communications Department
60 Blvd. of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA 15222