Attending the first meeting of the Canadian Health and Safety Committee are, l. to r., Dan Langlois, L-680; Braydon Anthony, L-580; Carl Ellsworth, L-359; Ernie Aker, L-73; Jason McInnis, national safety director and committee co-chair; Andre Fleury, IR; Cheryl Hamer (on behalf of L-146); and Eric Zimmerman, L-555. Also attending but not pictured are Grant Jacobs, national training director and committee co-chair; Jim Tinney, L-128; Rob Lauzon, Dist. Lodge D11; and Richard MacIntosh, IR.
Group will share knowledge, develop initiatives among lodges
CANADIAN BOILERMAKERS launched a national health and safety committee this summer as a way to share best practices and develop joint initiatives among all lodges and across all industries where their members are employed: field construction and shops, cement, and shipyards.
Jason McInnis, Canadian National Safety Director, and Grant Jacobs, Canadian National Training Coordinator, co-chair the committee.
The committee held its first meeting July 31 in Toronto, Ontario. Committee members attending included Ernie Aker, representing Local 73 (Halifax, Nova Scotia); Braydon Anthony, pres. of Local 580 (Halifax, Nova Scotia); Carl Ellsworth, BM-ST of Local 359 (Vancouver, British Columbia); Andre Fleury, IR; Cheryl Hamer, on behalf of Local 146 (Edmonton, Alberta); Dan Langlois, BM of Local 680 (St. Catherines, Ontario); Rob Lauzon, BM-ST of District Lodge D11 (Brisco, British Columbia); Richard MacIntosh, IR; Bill Morrison, BM-ST of Local 191 (Victoria, British Columbia); Jim Tinney, BM-ST of Local 128 (Toronto, Ontario); and Eric Zimmerman, representing Local 555 (Winnipeg, Manitoba).
The committee formed after McInnis, Western Canada IVP Joe Maloney, and Eastern Canada IVP Ed Power met earlier this year to discuss how all Canadian locals could benefit from a national forum to examine health and safety issues. Each local named a representative to participate in the group.
At the committee’s initial meeting, participants addressed disaster response training, audiometric testing to prevent hearing loss, and roundtable topics that included asbestos, “boiler flu,” and educating medical doctors and worker compensation personnel on the occupational hazards of the Boilermaker trade.
The committee plans to meet at least twice each year.
