IMPACT Safety and Health Roundtable was held on December 7, 2016 in Washington, D.C. It featured many new safety and health initiatives to improve safety performance in the workplace. Labor Co-Chairman, Bernie Evers, Management Co-Chairman, William Brown and Secretary Steve Rank welcomed roundtable members and special guest speakers to discuss current safety and regulatory issues. Roundtable members from across the United States meet bi-annually to address workplace safety and health issues that affect the ironworking industry. Special guest speakers addressed the most pressing workplace safety and health issues and members across the United States including plant owners and contractors weighed in.
HIGHLIGHTS
Special Acknowledgement: Roger Ferch of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
General President of the Iron Workers (IW), Eric Dean presented President of the AISC, Roger Ferch a special acknowledgement in commemoration and appreciation of his contributions to the roundtable
over the years.
Regulatory Update: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Special guest speaker, Dean McKenzie of OSHA gave roundtable members an update on the agency regulatory agenda and the new OSHA record-keeping and drug testing standard. His presentation was followed by a lively discussion about OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program.
3M-Iron Worker-IMPACT Safety Products Partnership Agreement
Paul Maturen and Craig Firl from 3M announced the agreement and gave a presentation on 3M training and safety products including fall protection, welding, respiratory protection and hearing conservation gear.
Project Owner and General Contractor Update: Scorecard on Performance and Incident Trends
Chris Fought from General Motors emphasized the importance of a well-trained workforce and workers in the field participating in Pre-Task Planning (PTP) and Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). Mr. Fought urged contractors and ironworkers not to take shortcuts. He further noted that the focus should be on all ironworkers, not just those erecting steel.
Kevin Turner from AECOM expressed confidence in the IW partnership and value of bringing the IW Safety Director, Steve Rank into the pre-construction process followed by an update on AECOM projects and scorecard.
Bill Mott from Associated General Contractors and Herb Strong from Haztek, Inc. also shared insights and updates.
UPDATES FROM THE IRON WORKERS
Canadian Safety and Health Initiatives
IW Canadian Safety Coordinator, Jeff Norris joined the meeting via Skype to share an update on Canadian Safety and Health Initiatives. Mr. Norris said that 2016 has been a year of managing risk for employees and contractors. While safety measures sometimes appear to be overbearing on some projects, some contractors in Canada saw impressive safety milestones. IW contractor, Waiward Steel in Edmonton celebrated 4 million work hours free from Lost Time Incidents (LTI). The ironworkers contributed well over half of the total man hours that led to the outstanding accomplishment.
Mr. Norris also mentioned there are some differences between Canada and the U.S. in safety regulations and how they are implemented. There's no federal standards established for steel erection in Canada. However, structural steel best practices will be established soon. One of the best safety initiatives being developed is measurement of competence, i.e. MODOS. MODOS is a real time tracking system of behaviors, actions and skills to identify strengths and weakness of workers. It identifies areas of focus and aids in talent placement, all of which lead to a safer and more profitable workplace.
Ironworker Safety Director Training Course
IW District Representative for Safety and Diversity, Vicki O'Leary gave the roundtable members an update about the national response to the Ironworker Safety Director Course. Ms. O'Leary noted that the course duration was extended to 3 days per requests from participants. She was pleased to announce that two ironworkers who participated in the training held in Ann Arbor this year will be appointed as safety professionals with their contractors.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION TOPICS
* Announcements on AECOM and General Motors project safety pilot programs
* Guest speaker: Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration
* Employment opportunities for Ironworker Safety Directors
* Voluntary Air-sampling Testing Program for shop and field operations
* Industry updates from the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association
* OSHA Standard for Reinforcing Steel and Post-Tensioning
* Opportunities with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals
* Program and advancements from the Center to Protect Workers Rights
* Innovative safety apps for managing workplace safety
* Safety video series targeting the "deadly dozen" hazards
FULL AGENDA
Ironworkers-IMPACT Safety and Health Roundtable Meeting
Palm Court Ballroom-The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue NW - Washington, D.C. 20036
December 7, 2016
I. Welcome and Introduction 1:00 PM
• Eric Dean, General President, Ironworkers International
• Bernie Evers – IMPACT Labor Co-Chair
• William W. Brown – IMPACT Management Co-Chair
II. 2017 Zero Incident Campaign – New Opportunities to Increase Safety Performance
• Eric Dean – General President, Iron Workers International
• Steve Rank – Executive Director of Safety and Health
• Vicki O’Leary – District Representative for Safety and Diversity
• Jim Stanley, FDR Safety
III. Special Acknowledgement - Roger Ferch of the American Institute of Steel Construction
• Roger Ferch, Update on American Institute of Steel Construction Initiatives
IV. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) – Update on Safety and Health Initiatives
• Joseph Main, Assistant Secretary of Labor, MSHA
• Pat Silvey, Deputy Assistant Secretary, MSHA
• Marvin Lichtenfels, Deputy Administrator, MSHA
• Kevin Stricklin, Acting Administrator, MSHA
V. Regulatory Update - Occupational and Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Dean McKenzie, Director, Directorate of Construction, OSHA
• New Recordkeeping and Drug Testing Prohibitions
VI. Project Safety Achievements and Initiatives in Canada – Skype Update Report
• Jeff Norris, Canadian Safety Coordinator
VII. The Ironworker Rigging Certification Program and New Initiatives for 2017
• Lee Worley – Executive Director, Ironworkers National Training Fund
VIII. 3M-Ironworkers-IMPACT Safety Products Partnership Agreement
• Paul F. Maturen - 3M Marketing Manager, Personal Safety Division
• Craig Firl – 3M Technical Manager, Personal Safety Division, Fall Protection Business
IX. New ANSI A10-48 Standards for the Tower Erection Industry
• Kathy Stieler, Director, ERI Installations and Safety
• Update on the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE)
X. Successes from CPWR and ACCSH Initiatives
• Pete Stafford, Executive Director of CPWR and Chairman of ACCSH
XI. New Developments - OSHA Subpart CC - Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard
• Beth O’Quinn - Vice President, Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association
XII. New Partnership Considerations with The Board of Certified Safety Professionals
• Dr. Treasa Turnbeaugh - PhD, MBA, CSP, Board of Certified Safety Professionals
• Christy Uden,- Chief Operating Officer
XIII. NMAPC Safety Work Group Update
• Wayne Creasap - Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety, The Association of Union Constructors
XIV. Project Owner and General Contractor Update – Scorecard on Ironworker Safety Performance and Incident Trends
• Chris Fought – General Motors
• Kevin Turner – Vice President of Building Construction, AECOM
• Bill Mott – Associated General Contractors
• Herb Strong - Business Development Manager, Haztek, Inc.
XV. Reinforcing Steel and Post-Tensioning Safety and Regulatory Update
• Tony Johnson - CRSI Senior Regional Manager, Harris Rebar
• Fred Codding - NARSC
• Steve Rank - Executive Director of Safety and Health
XVI. Roundtable Discussion – Open Forum
XVII. Closing Remarks – Co-Chairs 5:00 PM