In 2023, the UFCW continued to protect our members on the local level through health and safety training sessions.
This year, the UFCW Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Office held its first OSHA 30-hour general industry class in West Berlin, N.J., for members who are part of the UFCW’s cannabis apprentice programs.
At the training session, 12 new cannabis apprentices reviewed OSHA standards and regulations to prepare them for their new and exciting workplaces. This OSHA training included presentations about the various hazards in the workplace, from active shooter situations to the importance of maintaining a clean walking and working surface. The class also emphasized both the rights of the employee and responsibilities of the employer.
The apprentices agreed that these kinds of trainings help empower them in the workplace. One of the apprentices said they “liked the focus and education on keeping those around us safe.”
Members of UFCW Local 540 traveled to Cincinnati this year to participate in the Department of Transportation “train the trainer” class, which was held at the ICWUC’s Center for Worker Health and Safety Education in coordination with the OSH Office. This training is targeted for workers at facilities where hazardous chemicals are loaded and unloaded and for covered workers, shipping and receiving biological waste. The purpose of this class is to develop and empower trainers that can share their vast knowledge and work experience with their communities, and topics include hazmat basics, chemical properties, and toxicology.
A UFCW Local 540 member who participated in the train the trainer class said that being a trainer is “what we do, all for our members to be safe.”
These health and safety training sessions are available to all UFCW locals. If your local is interested in working with the OSH Office to hold a training session, have your Region Director contact Roy McAllister, the director of the OSH Office, at rmcallister@ufcw.org.
Here are the health and safety articles that appeared in OnPoint this year:
UFCW Members Benefit From Health and Safety Training
OSH Office Holds First OSHA Course for Cannabis Apprentices
Help Keep Our Members Safe in the Summer Heat
OSH Office and Local 324 Hold Health and Safety Training in California