IATSE_1stQrtr_2018_web

SAFETY ZONE
By Kent Jorgensen,
Chairman, Safety Committee
Reporting A
Hazard At Work
H
ow does an employer know about a hazard at a workplace in order to fix it and protect us? If
you have taken one of the OSHA 10 Hour safety awareness classes, you will remember that one
of the responsibilities of the employer is to inspect the workplaces for hazards. So, how does an
employer know about a hazard at a workplace?
The best answer is we, the employees,
let our bosses know there is a problem.
We are the qualified people. We
have been hired because we know what
we are doing. Much of the training our
employers want us to have is identifying
hazards. And, the easiest way to let the
employer know is to tell them. Tell your
department head, tell the key, tell the
forewoman, tell somebody who can do
something about the problem.
I know there is the worry that you will
be labeled a trouble maker, lose your job,
or not get hired again. And, while retaliation
certainly happens and is difficult to
make right, experience has shown that
it is not the norm. Employers typically
don’t want to see anyone hurt. Whether
it’s because they don’t want to be fined
by OSHA, they don’t want the liability, or
they just don’t want to hurt someone, telling
your employer about a hazard is the
easiest way to get it corrected.
A young, freshly sworn-in member
takes a call to rig a show with a couple
dozen other people. While waiting for
the call to start a bunch of the crew
are complaining that the sawdust left
on the smooth concrete floor was really
slippery. They kept complaining
that they’d worked this show before, and
it was always like this, and no one ever
did anything about it, and someone was
going to get hurt. The new member quietly
stepped away, went to the person in
charge and mentioned that the sawdust
was making the floor slippery. The person
in charge said, “You’re right, go get a
broom and sweep it up.” Problem solved.
I know that was easy. I know it
doesn’t always work that way. I can be
naïve and look at things through rose
colored glasses. But, the most common,
best way to get a hazard taken care of is
illustrated in the above story.
Because employers and other people
in charge are not always willing to fix
things and not very many employers
have put a health and safety program in
place, here are some of the ways you can
report a hazard at work.
n In a dream world, run by safety professionals,
a worker follows their
employer’s procedure for reporting
a hazard. Tell your department head,
they report up the line to the person
who can take prompt, corrective action,
and the hazard is fixed. And, a
report should be made to the Local.
n Real world: Tell people in the company
to try and get it fixed. Some
companies have hotlines or other
way to make a report. Most of the
time it will get fixed. Sometimes
more leverage has to be applied.
n Call your Local. If the company
won’t fix it, is taking long time, or
just to put a little more pressure to
get it fixed tell the steward or BA.
They can help push the process.
n Call the IATSE Safety Hotline. If you
feel nothing is being done, or you
fear retribution call the Hotline. An
operator will ask some questions.
You can talk to an IATSE safety
member. You can leave a number
and have someone get back to
you. IATSE Safety Hotline: 844-IA
AWARE, 844-422-9273.
n Use the IATSE Safety App. The Safety
App has a feature that allows you
to report a hazard. A message will be
sent to someone that can help you
with your issue. It is a free app.
The important point is that for a
hazard to get corrected, the employer has
to be made aware of it. As our employers
are becoming more corporate, they
rely on us to find and report hazards.
Avoiding accidents is good for business.
It saves them money and makes their
insurance companies happier. I personally
don’t care why employers choose to
be safer. If it means IATSE members go
home at the end of the day the same way
they showed up, that is a good thing.
88 OFFICIAL BULLETIN