News

While requiring worker training is common in OSHA settlements, it isn’t everyday that an employer recognizes that the training can be best provided by the union to our members as

part of the settlement agreement, said Mike Wright, director of the USW Health, Safety and Environment department.

OSHA and Appleton Papers Inc. wrote the USW into the settlement agreement surrounding a lack of machine guarding at the company’s Appleton, Wisc., facility. OSHA said “points of

operation of machinery were not guarded to prevent employee(s) from having any part of their body in the danger zone(s) during operating cycle(s).” The agency issued a “serious”

citation to Appleton.

USW Local 2-469 member Grady Olson was seriously injured July 11, 2008 when his right arm was caught between a roll of paper and a powered “paster roll” in a paper coating

machine at the Appleton facility. Since the accident, interlocked barrier guards, among other

interim protective measures, have been installed on the coating machine. The company is correcting all 11 coater machines so that the same or a similar hazard will not result in serious

injuries or death to someone else.

Steve Sallman of the HSE department assisted the local union and stayed with the case through the OSHA citation and the company’s appeal. He and Local 2-469 negotiated the settlement

agreement. Sallman credited the presence and strength of the local union for getting the USW written into the training requirement. He thanked Local 2-469 President Rick Bahr and

Local 2-469 safety representative Nancy Smith for their hard work at the shop level in getting this accomplished.

“This is another example of what a strong local union can do to build the union around health and safety,” he said.

The USW will provide safety and health training for union and management safety representatives through an OSHA 10- hour course in general industry standards. Hazards will be identified and other potential OSHA compliance issues, such as machine guarding, will be discussed.

Brother Olson has had two surgeries, and doctors expect a few more in an effort to save his right arm. Last fall, Local 2-469 members volunteered to help with fall chores for him. Using leaf blowers and ladders, the members raked leaves, cleaned up the yard, washed the windows and cleaned his garage.

Duronda Pope of the USW’s Emergency Response Team also assisted Brother Olsen and his family.