·  by Nikki Pollo

United Steelworkers, Constellium work together to eliminate health and safety hazards

The United Steelworkers’ comprehensive labor-management health and safety program was launched at Constellium Rolled Products in Ravenswood, W.V., last month. On May 18-20, representatives from the International, USW Local Union 5668 and company management gathered to begin the preliminary stages of Looking for Trouble.

HSE: Looking for Trouble, Constellium“Statistically speaking, the Ravenswood plant is one of the safest places you can be. However, we can never eliminate every hazard and the accidents we do have often are very serious,” Constellium CEO Buddy Stemple said.

“Looking for Trouble is designed to be one component of our EHS program where we identify, contain and correct hazards in the workplace. It is an opportunity for everyone to participate in making this a safer place to work.”

The first two days spent at Constellium consisted of a walk-through audit of the entire aluminum facility, where union and management officials noted health and safety hazards and apparent system failures. The group also connected after the tour in order to review current processes and procedures such as the current Lock-Out/Tag-Out program. On May 20, the International Union representatives provided a real-time response survey for the local union and management at Constellium, in order to gather anonymous data that outline aspects of the USW program.

The information collected from this survey was then compiled to aid in reviewing where the local union and company management have determined are areas to consider revising and working on to better eliminate hazards.

USW Local Union 5668 Safety Chair Mark Lynch shared that over the years, members have gone through numerous catastrophic injuries, amputations and even fatalities. A devastating fatality occurred in August of 2013.

“We cannot continue down this path,” Lynch said. “Due to new management in 2014, there have been positive changes. The change that I’ve seen here regarding safety and health in the last year is very promising.”

But Lynch and the rest of Local 5668 representatives believe that true change will only take place when these positive ideas are implemented and meet the employees on the plant floor.

This past March, local union and company members together attended the 2015 USW Health, Safety and Environment Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., where Looking for Trouble was introduced to conference-goersHSE: Looking for Trouble, Constellium during a panel session. Lynch explained that the conference and attendance was encouraging to all considering the history at Ravenswood.

“The company has agreed to accept the Steelworkers’ new safety and health program called Looking for Trouble,” Lynch said. “As long as the company is willing to work with the Steelworkers’ safety program, we will continue the relationship and eliminate injury.”

After the labor-management work at Constellium in May, USW Tony Mazzocchi Center Program Administrator John Scardella and USW Goodyear Safety and Health Coordinator Mike Weibel, together worked on drafting a report which listed recommendations to help the joint health and safety committee members in taking the next steps to improve worker safety. The report was directed to company management and local union members at Constellium.

“I am very pleased the USW has chosen us for implementation and development of the Looking for Trouble program,” Constellium Director of EHS and Security Tom Sloan said.

“It’s exciting to think that we will be working together to develop a program that will not only benefit our employees, but potentially be shared and used to protect other people across North America. I have every confidence that working together, toward the same objective, we will be successful.”

Local Union 5668 met on June 9, 2015 to begin reviewing and discussing recommended fixes, changes and updates to programs and procedures regarding health and safety.

“Considering the conversations that have taken place over the past year I anticipate that we will continue to work together for the safety of our members,” Lynch said.

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