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10 October, 1999Workers win improvements in ergonomics, reduced exposure to metalworking fluids and renewed funds for health and safety training and research.
USA: In the recent round of collective bargaining with Daimler/Chrysler, UAW negotiators secured some significant improvements in occupational health and safety. These include:
- an awareness and responsibilities programme for all Daimler/Chrysler employees;
- additional training for members of the local joint committees on health and safety;
- the introduction of risk assessment and hazard controls for high-risk jobs, giving priority to engineering over procedural or personal protective equipment solutions;
- the involvement of union safety representatives in official health and safety inspections, with access to all reports concerning violations of local, state or federal codes;
- the introduction of medical surveillance procedures to establish the respiratory effects of metalworking fluids, and reduce currently agreed exposure limits for machining fluids by 50%;
- consultation on the introduction of stricter limits for chemicals, including solvents, carbon monoxide and diesel exhausts;
- access to company reports on environmental issues that have an impact on employee health and safety;
- the review of health and safety-related preventative maintenance programmes;
- more frequent health and safety audits, with improved training for audit team members;
- improvement of ergonomic design and the review of current lifting guidelines, in order to improve working conditions;
- development of an emergency response plan to deal with any unforeseen health and safety emergencies;
- stricter enforcement of health and safety requirements for all contractor employees on Daimler/Chrysler sites.
Details of the agreement can be obtained on the UAW's website.
- an awareness and responsibilities programme for all Daimler/Chrysler employees;
- additional training for members of the local joint committees on health and safety;
- the introduction of risk assessment and hazard controls for high-risk jobs, giving priority to engineering over procedural or personal protective equipment solutions;
- the involvement of union safety representatives in official health and safety inspections, with access to all reports concerning violations of local, state or federal codes;
- the introduction of medical surveillance procedures to establish the respiratory effects of metalworking fluids, and reduce currently agreed exposure limits for machining fluids by 50%;
- consultation on the introduction of stricter limits for chemicals, including solvents, carbon monoxide and diesel exhausts;
- access to company reports on environmental issues that have an impact on employee health and safety;
- the review of health and safety-related preventative maintenance programmes;
- more frequent health and safety audits, with improved training for audit team members;
- improvement of ergonomic design and the review of current lifting guidelines, in order to improve working conditions;
- development of an emergency response plan to deal with any unforeseen health and safety emergencies;
- stricter enforcement of health and safety requirements for all contractor employees on Daimler/Chrysler sites.
Details of the agreement can be obtained on the UAW's website.