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Worker Safety Partnership With Ford Motor Company, UAW and OSHA

6 December 2000

Worker Safety Partnership With Ford Motor Company, UAW and OSHA

    DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 5 In an unprecedented move, Ford
Motor Company , the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) and the U.S.
Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have
formed a partnership to improve worker health and safety conditions in its
manufacturing facilities.
    The partnership is the first of its kind between an automotive company,
employee union and the federal government.  It lays the groundwork for a new
level of cooperation and communication between Ford, OSHA and the UAW in
developing and administering plant health and safety standards.
    "Ford, the UAW and OSHA share the goal of providing a safe and healthy
working environment in our global manufacturing facilities," said James
Padilla, group vice president - Global Manufacturing at Ford.  "By working as
a team, we harness the best resources and knowledge available to achieve this
goal.
    "We are proud to take the lead in forging an industry partnership that
focuses on collaboration rather than acrimony, and builds a strong health and
safety dialogue at Ford."
    As a result of the partnership, Ford, the UAW and OSHA have jointly
developed plant inspection protocols that address material handling and
hazards specific to the automotive industry.  The protocols incorporate
comprehensive health and safety standards adopted by Ford and the UAW as long
ago as 1973 and cover a variety of areas including chemical safety, skilled
trade hazards, energy control and power lock outs, confined spaces,
ergonomics, noise control and hearing conservation, heat stress and use of
protective gear, plant vehicles and machinery.
    Ford has agreed to share its health and safety monitoring system, SHARP,
with OSHA representatives.  It has also agreed to help train OSHA inspectors
about the automotive industry and the unique health and safety issues it
faces.
    Significantly, the partnership promises to forge a new, non-adversarial
relationship between Ford, the UAW and OSHA that is founded on cooperation,
accountability, understanding and employee involvement in all plant health and
safety issues.
    "The goal of this partnership is to reduce injury and illness rates
through improved safety and health programs," said OSHA Administrator Charles
N. Jeffress.  "This unique coalition sets a new precedent for public-private
cooperation and addresses our mutual goal of protecting the hard-working men
and women of Ford Motor."
    The agreement reduces the likelihood of using wall-to-wall OSHA plant
inspections as a means for assessing health and safety compliance.  Instead,
Ford and the UAW will track plant health and safety incidents, submit an
annual safety report to OSHA and hold an annual plant review with OSHA
representatives.
    OSHA will also conduct an informal walk-through of the facility during
this review and may return to a facility if it wants further data and reviews
of particular health and safety issues.  Company and union representatives
will meet with OSHA to conduct the annual review.
    "This is an important step forward in our efforts to make sure all our
employees have a safe workplace," said Ron Gettelfinger, vice president and
director, UAW National Ford Department.  "This agreement will lead to better
communication and a better process."
    All Ford plants covered by the agreement are located in federal OSHA
enforcement states.  Ford also intends to pursue similar agreements with state
OSHA organizations.  State plans must be at least as effective as the federal
OSHA program.
    The provisions of this agreement do not modify any legal or contractual
rights or remedies.  OSHA inspections to investigate employee complaints,
serious accidents, and national or state safety mandates also are not
precluded by this agreement.
    The new partnership is in effect for three years.