President - Linda Lyons

Vice President - Chris Choney

Secretary/Treasurer - Mark Carel 

International Representative - Rick Erpelding

OSHA NEP AUDIT

As you are aware, OSHA is in the plant to perform the NEP audit for this refinery.  The NEP is a program, implemented after the Texas City disaster, to inspect all US refineries to take a close look at the safety programs in place and to make sure refineries are following all applicable laws and industry standards.  The inspectors will be in the refinery for a period of several months.  They will gather information by walk-through inspections, by examining company documents and by interviewing employees.

The role of OSHA is to protect the employees on the worksite and to protect their confidentiality when addressing issues and complaints on the worksite.   OSHA does not fine, site or fire employees.  OSHA’s enforcement is against the companies who run the workplace.

Interviews are informal, and most interviews are done one-on-one.  Most of these interviews will be simply for OSHA to learn how the refinery is organized and run.  OSHA does not videotape or record employee interviews.  Notes will be taken.

OSHA will not allow supervisors to attend these interviews.

The employee has the right to a confidential interview.  The employee also has the right to have his or her union representative in these interviews.  Interviews can be held off-site at the employee’s request.

If the employee brings another employee into the interview with them (other than a union representative) whether that other employee is represented, a supervisor, co-worker or cousin, that employee is legally waiving his right to confidentiality.

At the end of an interview, employees may be asked to sign a statement summarizing what was said.  This is done for a couple of reasons.  One is to make sure everything said was noted correctly.  The other is to keep the employee’s confidentiality protected.

Represented employees should cooperate with OSHA, participate in interviews or other activities when asked, and give the inspectors a true picture of how we do our business here.  I would also recommend that each represented employee request that a union steward be present, a JHSC steward, an area steward or someone off of the bargaining committee.

We will be inviting an OSHA representative to a membership meeting in the near future, probably July 12^th, to speak to the membership and to bring some information on what this inspection is all about.

Jason Smith, COP Chairman

USW Local 13-857

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