Spreading the Word on Right to Safe Work Place
Prince George, B.C. – As another round of inspections of sawmills for combustible dust get underway today, the first message going out to workers is that they have the right to refuse to work if they believe the work place is not safe.
"We have always said to folks that they had that right" says Frank Everitt, President of Local 1-424 of the United Steelworkers, "But we want to make sure they understand they can exercise that right without fear of repercussions."
The spreading of that word is part of a new aggressive plan to improve worker safety and deal with combustible dust in sawmills. As was reported on 250News yesterday, the plan was developed during a special meeting that involved labour, industry, WorkSafeBC and the provincial government.
Under the plan, WorkSafe will double it's sawmill inspection team to 20.
Initially, the inspections will focus on those mills which were found to be non-compliant in the previous inspections and Everitt is hopeful fewer mills will be on that non-compliant list.
Everitt says the new plan has built in flexibility "This is not a one size fits all solution" says Everitt "We know the smaller mill operators may have some difficulty so that is why the plan includes offering assistance to those smaller mills to make the necessary improvements."
The Council of Forest Industries will start its convention in Kelowna today. The participants who developed this new plan will be attending a session with WorkSafe BC at the convention. Everitt says the Steelworkers will be on scene as well, and will be distributing some information reminding workers of their right to a safe workplace.
Comments
So does this mean that, as it seems in our society, if one worker decides that the mill is unsafe today, he can shut the whole place down?
I can see a lot of potential abuse here.
give more..
No..but he has the right and legal obligation under the Workers Compensation Act to refuse unsafe work without penalty. The employer is legally required to make workers aware of the act regs and provisions.
We aren’t in the dark ages when it comes to safety however effective OH&S programs are lacking in all sectors.
Excellent news! More power to the people and the unions. Now we need to see if a worker really can refuse work because of safety issues without suffering some kind od punishment from the plant owners. I am skeptical on that part.
Kind of sad though, use to be the government would ensure workplaces are safe, now it’s more up to the workers. I think the “get out of jail free” cards for the owners of BFP and Lakeland sends the wrong message about worker safety. IMO
When the abuse that Give more correctly foresees actually happens, once too often, and the plant permanently closes, will that be “punishment from the plant owners”? or simply an expression of simple economic reality?
Watch what happens then, it’ll be real interesting. Will the Union sponsored ‘Worker’s Committee’ that takes over the plant the former corporate owner has just abandoned operate it in a perfectly ‘safe’ manner?
Or will it quickly become a more dangerous place to work than it was when the former owner still ran it?
Those Chinese coal mines come to mind again.
Well socredible; 4 dead workers and 40 injured workers in two separate sawmill accidents is kind of “abusive” to those workers and their families, on this I think we all agree.
Maybe we should settle for a balance of authority and power with respect to determining and enforcing safe workplace conditions.
I have always believed there should be a “fair” balance between unions, business and government.
Where were the unions? Should they be looking out for their members?
Wow, between yourself and socredible all the questions have been asked.
Funny thing about the righty tighties, always asking questions, as a substitution for thoughtful comment. So tell me; what is your record for most consecutive questions asked in a single comment JB?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZMWgW6QNuw
People#1, sure we ask a lot of questions. JohnnyBelt, Hart Guy, me, and many others.
But from you we don’t get much in the way of answers on anything to do with this issue.
Which leads us, and I think I can speak for others when I say this ~ even though the two others I’ve mentioned above may well disagree with me on other issues, as is their right, and yours, too ~ to a bigger question.
And that is, just how thoroughly you and others like you actually are able to think things through?
To see the ‘big picture’.
To look at ALL the effects of enacting the prescriptions for workplace safety you are so sure are going to make the workplace safer. Even though I doubt you’ve ever spent any time actually working in any workplace, let alone ever been charged with managing one.
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