US: Unions criticise chemicals giant DuPont The United Steelworkers (USW) and the International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC) have released an open letter asking DuPont to address recent serious safety concerns. The letter cites recent incidents pushing the company to provide safer working conditions for workers and states "It's critical that the two companies work in good faith with their employees and the unions representing them." ICWUC president Frank Cyphers said: "It's clear that there are very serious safety problems at DuPont". USW international president Leo Gerard said: "We have close relationships on safety and health with many employers. But in the past DuPont has rejected any involvement by union safety and health professionals. We have the right to represent our members on safety and health."
The US-based company often claims to have a great safety record. It bases its safety culture on "behavioural safety" which focusses on changing worker behaviour, rather than removing or controlling hazards. Unions have disputed DuPont's claims for many years. In fact as early as 2005 the Steel Workers Union published a damning report Called "Not Walking the Talk: DuPont's Untold Safety Failures". Last week the US Department of Labor's health and safety wing, OSHA, issued citations to DuPont for three willful, one repeat and four serious violations at their chemical manufacturing plant in La Porte.
According to the Assistant Secretary of Labor, Dr. David Michaels, "DuPont promotes itself as having a 'world-class safety' culture and even markets its safety expertise to other employers, but these four preventable workplace deaths and the very serious hazards we uncovered at this facility are evidence of a failed safety program." OSHA has also placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program – which concentrates resources on inspecting employers who have demonstrated indifference towards creating a safe and healthy workplace by committing wilful or repeated violations, and/or failing to abate known hazards. It also mandates follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. Read more: News report; OSHA press release Source: Risks 715 Information on Behaviour Based Safety
sindicatos trabalhadores americanos criticam Dupont
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US: Unions criticise chemicals giant DuPont
The United Steelworkers (USW) and the International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC) have released an open letter asking DuPont to address recent serious safety concerns. The letter cites recent incidents pushing the company to provide safer working conditions for workers and states "It's critical that the two companies work in good faith with their employees and the unions representing them." ICWUC president Frank Cyphers said: "It's clear that there are very serious safety problems at DuPont". USW international president Leo Gerard said: "We have close relationships on safety and health with many employers. But in the past DuPont has rejected any involvement by union safety and health professionals. We have the right to represent our members on safety and health."
The US-based company often claims to have a great safety record. It bases its safety culture on "behavioural safety" which focusses on changing worker behaviour, rather than removing or controlling hazards. Unions have disputed DuPont's claims for many years. In fact as early as 2005 the Steel Workers Union published a damning report Called "Not Walking the Talk: DuPont's Untold Safety Failures". Last week the US Department of Labor's health and safety wing, OSHA, issued citations to DuPont for three willful, one repeat and four serious violations at their chemical manufacturing plant in La Porte.
According to the Assistant Secretary of Labor, Dr. David Michaels, "DuPont promotes itself as having a 'world-class safety' culture and even markets its safety expertise to other employers, but these four preventable workplace deaths and the very serious hazards we uncovered at this facility are evidence of a failed safety program." OSHA has also placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program – which concentrates resources on inspecting employers who have demonstrated indifference towards creating a safe and healthy workplace by committing wilful or repeated violations, and/or failing to abate known hazards. It also mandates follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law.
Read more: News report; OSHA press release Source: Risks 715 Information on Behaviour Based Safety