Posts Categorized: Health & Safety

Members of UFCW Local 540 recently traveled to Cincinnati to participate in the Department of Transportation (DOT) training at the ICWUC’s Center for Worker Health and Safety Education. The ICWUC holds health and safety workshops in coordination with the UFCW Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Office to provide our members with the best training and trainers in multiple industries.

One of the training courses we offer is the DOT “train the trainer” class. 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 DOT Train the Trainer class said that being a trainer is “what we do, all for our members to be safe.”

The ICWUC’s Center for Worker Health and Safety Education offers a variety of other classes as well, from first aid to OSHA 30-hour courses and more. You can find more information about training courses offered at the ICWUC’s Center for Worker Health and Safety Education here.

The UFCW Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Office recently 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.”

These OSHA training courses are just a small part of the health and safety training sessions that 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, or Caleb Willard, assistant director of the OSH Office, at cwillard@ufcw.org.