Please welcome Brian Smith as the new IBEW/ATC Field Safety Liaison for Vegetation Management effective July 5, 2017. He was selected for the position from a group of quality applicants by representatives of ATC Vegetation Management contractors, ATC and the IBEW locals. He has been working in forestry since attending the Urban Forestry Technician Program at Mid-State Technical College in 2003. Brian has a passion for safety and is looking forward to helping Line Clearance workers work more safely throughout ATC’s footprint.
This safety liaison is the first full time safety liaison for line clearance contractors that we are aware of in the country. Locals 876, 953 and 2150 collaborated with ATC and employers Asplundh, Nelson, Northern Clearing and Zeilies to create the position. It was modeled after the successful IBEW/ATC safety liaison for construction, currently Fred Naud.
Address Safety Issues - As Brian visits crews throughout the footprint, he will make reasonable, nonconfrontational, efforts to correct any unsafe conditions, behaviors or actions immediately; shutting the job down if necessary.
Confidentiality - His observations and information he obtains from other workers will be reported in a way that will not implicate individuals or groups of individuals. Reported information will not be used for punitive or disciplinary purposes except that management retains the right to consider disciplinary action in situations that would have otherwise been required to be reported to supervision such as injuries, accidents, property damage or any other significant incidents. Also see critical rules below.
“Critical Rules” - As an exception to the confidentiality referenced above, liaison observation of violations of the items listed below will be reported directly to ATC, the VM Contractor and the Union to discuss next steps. This group will decide whether or not the liaison would share the identity of the individual or crew involved.
1. Entering a drop/danger zone while work activities are in progress without approval
2. Failure to appropriately tie in when working aloft (manual and bucket work)
3. Violating minimum approach clearance distance requirements
4. Disabling or bypassing safety features on equipment
5. Texting when driving/driving without a seat belt
6. Not having two points of attachment when operating a chainsaw aloft
7. Allowing any body parts past the feed chute curtain on a chipper/using a foot to push brush into a chipper
8. One handing a chainsaw
9. No chaps when operating a chainsaw on the ground
Leadership Support – Upper level leadership of ATC, the VM employers and the locals is committed to incorporating the liaison program to enhance safety throughout ATC Vegetation Management. The liaison will get leadership support in addressing safety issues in the field. Several years of experience in ATC construction shows that leadership support assures that all levels of the organizations support the program. As a result, safety issues addressed by the liaison get addressed whether reported by crews or through liaison field observations.
