Safety Council Expo in Chicago
Full-Day IBEW Caucus a Success

The practices and products that make people safer both at work and in their communities were on display in September at the National Safety Council’s Congress and Expo in Chicago, which drew more than 100 delegates from all branches of the IBEW. Over 14,000 people attended the congress that featured 220 educational and professional development sessions and more than 750 exhibits of safety and health products and services.

An integral part of the Congress and Expo week, for the IBEW and other labor unions, is the meeting of the National Safety Council Labor Division.

The Labor Division, an association within the NSC, is designed to meet the specific needs of a union-based membership and others concerned with safety, health and environmental issues affecting the labor force. Through active participation in 16 committees, Labor Division members benefit from networking opportunities and are directly involved in developing policy statements, programs and research—enhancing the NSC’s overall effectiveness in promoting workplace safety.

The first full-day IBEW Caucus was designed as a forum to provide education, training, support and resources to local union safety and health committees and safety representatives.

Goals of the caucus included providing representatives with the tools to: 1) assist local unions in accident investigation and reporting of serious accidents and fatalities, and 2) coordinate with the IBEW Safety Department to promote safety and health within industries where union members are employed.

The IBEW caucus also afforded the opportunity to:

• Communicate information on national safety and health issues,
   
• Outline legislation before Congress relating to safety and health, and
   
• Identify national trends regarding workplace safety and health in terms of accidents, known hazards and new hazards.

"The success of the IBEW caucus can be measured in part by attendees’ commitment to support planning for future caucus meetings in conjunction with Labor Division meetings," said IBEW Safety and Health Director James Tomaseski.

The National Safety Council, founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental membership organization dedicated to promoting safety and reducing injuries.