Health and Safety

Negotiators Hold Ford Accountable for Health and Safety of UAW Workers

The UAW Ford bargaining team won several improvements to address health and safety issues while holding the company accountable to its stated commitments.

The following are some improvements negotiated by our team:

• Enhanced ergonomics, metalworking fluids control and placard requirements.

• Increased training for UAW health and safety representatives.

• Coordinated health and safety research.

• Consistent discipline for alleged safety violations by management.

• Greater involvement of UAW health and safety representatives in numerous issues.

Placards: Accurate Safety Signage Now Mandatory

Inaccurate or nonexistent placards on new and/or modified machinery are serious safety hazards. The UAW team at Ford won language that forces the company to immediately correct this and ensure that accurate placards are affixed to newly installed machinery so workers have full knowledge about the machinery and the required tasks and minimum standards before starting work. Placards will be standardized throughout the Ford system so workers who transfer between facilities will understand job standards and potential health and safety hazards at their new facility.

Placards will also be part of the preventive maintenance program and subject to a yearly visual inspection by skilled trades.

Temporary Ergonomics Fixes Must Be Permanent

The proposed language also calls on the company to make a permanent ergonomics correction — instead of a temporary fix — within six months of a problem being identified by the local ergonomics committee. Language was won to review additional advanced ergonomics training for ergonomics committee members.

Under the proposed contract, UAW members at smaller Ford facilities will benefit from new language that increases the hours allotted to the union ergonomics committee for training. Worksites with fewer than 50 bargaining unit members will be allowed to have their ergonomics committee devote up to eight hours per week on ergonomics training, investigation and analysis. Worksites with 51 to 124 workers will be granted up to 16 hours per week.

Training, Duties for Health and Safety Representatives

Our bargaining team at Ford won language that improves and/or increases training for UAW health and safety representatives and/or members in a number of areas, including:

• An enhanced Guidelines, Responsibilities and Safe Practices (GRASP) refresher course.

• Training materials in digital/Web format for enhanced, timely delivery.

• Updated Confined Space Entry Program.

• Improved “Train the Trainer” techniques course.

The company will reimburse UAW representatives for attendance at external health and safety standards meetings such as those by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) on standards affecting the workplace. Attendance at these functions gives our union say in how national health and safety standards are set.

The health and safety representative will also conduct focused departmental health and safety audits on a weekly basis with company representatives. The results will be reported to the plant Safety Process Review Board.

Consistent Handling of Health and Safety Violations

Health and safety violations are serious, no matter who is responsible. UAW negotiators demanded and won timely investigations of health and safety violations that are alleged against non-bargaining unit personnel.

Coordination of Research

In an attempt to coordinate research efforts and make the most efficient use of available resources, health and safety negotiators won language that requires Ford to participate with our UAW health and safety counterparts at General Motors and Chrysler to develop a common research agenda and projects.

More Reporting/Monitoring of Metalworking Fluid Exposures

Our UAW Ford bargaining team continues the union’s work to ensure that UAW members are protected by stricter standards than those adopted by the federal government, which are not always adequate or based on the best available science. In previous agreements, for example, we have negotiated a limit of 1 milligram per cubic meter for exposure to metalworking fluids, far stricter than the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard of 5 milligrams per cubic meter. In this round of negotiations, UAW bargainers won language that states if the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) reaches 50 percent of the UAW-negotiated exposure limit of 1 milligram per cubic meter, the company is required to perform additional monitoring and corrective action, if necessary.

Each applicable facility will also be required to provide an annual oil mist map to determine where mist occurs. UAW health and safety representatives will be trained and participate in mist-mapping procedures.

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