Ask any member what IAM representation means to them and the answers are likely to range from contract negotiation and grievance handling to legislative activity and community service. A recent IAM video titled, ‘HAZMAT Ready’ profiles members engaged in an equally critical but often overlooked answer to that basic question.
Filmed at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Southern Maryland, ‘HAZMAT Ready’ follows local IAM safety representatives learning proper techniques for safe handling of hazardous materials in the workplace.
The 32-hour Chemical Emergency Response Training course is provided by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and conducted through the Center for Worker Health & Safety Education training center located in Cincinnati, OH. The training consists of classes in Hazard Recognition, Chemical Protective Clothing & PPE, Toxicology, the OSHA Standards on Hazard Communication, Access to Records and Hazardous Waste Operators & Emergency Response as well as a “hands on” spill simulation where participants respond to various chemical leaks.
“Safety rules are there for a purpose and you need to take that few extra minutes and the time to do it right,” said District 142 Ground Safety Coordinator Ron Miller. “We want to do a great job for our employers, but we want to do a safe great job for our employers.”
Click here to view the new IAM video.