Health and Safety Committee

Executive Board Chair	Tracy Duncan	404-614-3220
Executive Board Contact	Melissa Pike	678-910-0970
Safety Co-Chair Outside	Susan Moss	404-688-1256

Local 3204's Health and Safety Committee is responsible for making sure that each employer is complying with it's legal obligation to provide a workplace environment free of recognized hazards likely to cause serious physical harm or death. It is the sole committee written into any of our Working Agreements and works with the Company in ensuring the safety of all our members in the office or the field.

Safety Links
CWA National Safety and Health	OSHA
AFL-CIO Safety and Health	Georgia Poison Center: Snake & Insect bites
Mesothelioma

Reporting Accidents and Personal Injuries

Over the last quarter, the Health and Safety Committee has become aware of a very disturbing trend that is affecting both technical and clerical employees. There has been a significant number of personal injuries that were not immediately reported to management. This resulted in discipline for Misconduct in failing to report the accident in a timely manner. It is BellSouth's policy that all injuries be reported immediately. We believe that the failure to report these injuries resulted from a fear of discipline for the accident. While this is a valid concern, there are a couple of misconceptions that we would like to clear up.

All employees should know the difference in First Aid and Personal Injury. First Aid consists of treatment and follow-up visits for the treatment of minor cuts, scratches, burns, splinters, etc., even if rendered by a doctor. This would include X-rays, tetanus shots, butterfly and ace bandages. The accident becomes a personal injury if you take a prescription, (even samples), if there is a loss of consciousness, if you miss days away from work, or if work has been restricted. In all personal injury incidents, there should be an accident investigation, which would afford you the opportunity to explain what happened. There should always be a member of the CWA Safety Committee at this meeting.

We stress the importance of reporting the injury immediately and seeking First Aid. Make sure your injury isn't severe and then you can make a decision about your treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call the local and ask to speak to a member of the safety committee, who will be glad to advise you.

--Susan Moss: Vice-President, BellSouth Outside Network

Current Safety Issues
Who is impacted?	Issue	What you can do
Anyone who opens a CEV	A design flaw in the supporting mechanism of the hinges on CEVs are causing some to break or give way causing the hatch to close suddenly. This is compounded by the height of the exterior lip and the position of the ladder.	Adhere to all safety practices for CEV environments. This means, among other things, wear your hardhat because they have already saved a few techs from busting their heads open when all 300 lbs of the hatch came crashing down. If you find one of these defective CEVs, please contact Building Services at (888) 330-2737.
Anyone who drives a truck	Folks are being disciplined for talking on cell phones while driving.	Pull over or let it go to voicemail. Period.
Anyone who drives a truck	Folks are being disciplined for damage to vehicles (blown engines) for running out of fluids in the summer heat.	Make sure you're checking all fluids (i.e., oil, water, radiator, etc) everytime you gas up as they deplete faster in the summer.
Anyone who touches crossboxes and lightspan boxes	Three copperheads were found inside the boxes. Nobody was hurt but the Local has been advised that there are techs outside who don't know how to recognize venomous snakes and spiders.	Take a look at this link to get more info on snake and insect bites. The pictures below show one of the snakes and poisonous spiders.
Copperhead	Brown Recluse	Black Widow

Everyone	Poison Oak, Ivy and Sumac are everywhere. Some people can have a deadly reaction.	Click here to learn more and see pictures of plants you need to avoid.
Everyone who drives a truck	Other drivers. Sadly, other folks on the road see that Company logo and get dollar signs in their eyes and would love nothing more than to smack into your truck and act like they're dying so they can get a boatload of money. Folks are being suspended and worse for accidents that aren't their fault.	Remember everytime you get into that truck that you are a moving target. Use every bit of your driving training to keep out of harm's way. Use your peripheral vision and don't be too proud to get eye exams more often. Stay alert. Do your walk-arounds and ALWAYS put out your cones. Watch out for kids who aren't in school right now.