Striking for the Sake of Safety

Tracy Bennett

 October 6, 2004—Earlier this year, I read a news report out of Australia where construction workers walked off the job following a crane accident. No one was injured in the accident that involved the boom of a crane hitting a light tower, causing broken glass to fall. But the workers, who were essentially striking for safety, bargained not to return to work until the cause of the accident could be determined.

 

A founding principle of organized labor in this country is the improvement of conditions for workers, but actually walking off the job for the sake of safety comes as both a fresh and innovative concept. When most labor strikes are disputes over wages or benefits, the raw emotion of the Australian construction workers is a sharp contrast to most modern-day labor strikes.

 

Meanwhile, construction remains “one of the nation's most hazardous industries,” says OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. Many companies make safety a top priority, but the fact of the matter is most job sites involve multiple contractors working simultaneously. It is sort of like a choir with one member singing out of tune—that one bad note affects all the performers.

 

Recently, OSHA proposed a new voluntary program designed to reduce injuries and reward individual safety efforts. The agency plans to establish a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) exclusively for the construction industry. Past voluntary programs focused on specific work sites, but the new program will allow participation from subcontractors who move from site to site and general contractors with short-term projects.

 

The upside for participants is that VPP companies are exempt from routine OSHA inspections, but the benefits also affect all workers and companies that come in contact with the VPP participant. Consider that the injury rate for VPP participants is 50 percent below the average rate for their industries.

 

Recognition from OSHA for excellent safety programs is an added plus, but more importantly is the advantage VPP participation may give in a competitive market where those companies are immediately identified for their safety and health excellence.

 

Proactive safety programs may get less attention in the press than those bold Australian workers who reacted from their gut, but it is no less important. To both I say, “Way to go!

 

OSHA will be accepting comments on its proposed construction safety program until October 30. For more information, go to www.osha.gov.