24 August, 2009ArcelorMittal committee resolves to establish union safety communications network and to focus on preventing fatalities and increasing skills and awareness training across the company globally.
GLOBAL: The ArcelorMittal Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) met on August 18 and 19 at the IMF's Head office in Geneva. Members of the JGHSC carried out a review of the committees work so far and also developed plans for the future in order to improve occupational health and safety in the company.
On the first day the meeting began by receiving a report on the most recent fatalities in the company from the local union representatives (one fatality Ostrava, Czech Rep, one fatality Monessen, USA). The union members of the JGHSC discussed ways to improve the information flow between plants and unions at the global and national level in particular when a fatality had occurred within the company. The JGHSC agreed to develop a union safety communications network within the company, to address this issue. The network would also be used to exchange journals and safety information produced amongst the unions.
Since signing the JGHSC the union representatives had carried out a survey of its members to see if the agreement had now been implemented throughout the company as required. From the replies received it was clear that there was a good level of understanding among unions about the agreement and that in the majority of cases joint union -management health and safety committees where now in place.
The second day of the meeting was dedicated to planning for an industrial restart within the company and assessing the health and safety implications. Four potential areas were identified by the JGHSC as future areas of the work. The areas were measures to prevent increases in fatalities, maintenance of plant and machinery, skills and awareness training, and employee security.