Alberta Mechanics safety of any concern?

[Fleetwood]

I am a licensed automotive tech in a dealership in Calgary. I have been at the current dealer for 3 years and have been in the trade for around 10 years.
Over the years I have heard a lot of complaints about work conditions, treatment of employees, safety concerns, lack of environmental consideration, ect. Although if you work in the industry you
will know we techs like to complain.

I hope my problems are different. Since working at my current dealer the concern for our well being is nonexistent. Concern for the environment is nonexistent.OHS as made a couple of made a couple of visits and ordered a couple changes like clearing tripping hazards. still several glaring problems exist that are harming us everyday.

for example:
no mechanical means to remove exhaust smoke.
acetylene cart is broken, the oxygen tank has fallen over twice on the valve.
msds/whmis sheets missing.
sink not deep enough to clean chemical spills off of skin.
slippery work surfaces
no CO monitors/alarms
ect. ect. ect.

These problems have been presented to the management and been dismissed. Even after the city, fire department and ohs have been called several times over the years.
What I dont understand is how these agencies have not seen these problems during the inspections. Is the safety standards stayed at 1970 levels because of a grandfather clause?
Should I call and report them? Even an anonymously I will most likely get fired as most everyone knows Im pissed off because a very public freak out last week. And yes, whistle blowing is not grounds to fire someone but this place could not give a ****. They get sued quite often from past employees. They are unfazed.

BEFORE anyone says I should simply find another dealer to rape people on gravy services, there are reasons why Im stuck here for the next couple years. I wont get into those reasons here.

Am I alone here? Why in this modern day are we treated like we are disposable? How can I force change without calling the city? Anyone else regret this career choice?

[toplessvw]

Re: Alberta Mechanics safety of any concern?

it is against the law to fire someone if they bring up workplace health and safety concerns to the Health and Safety officer. Make a report and an officer will come in and inspect the facility. If your boss is stupid enough to mess with you. The officer has the power to make life very hard for the company

[All_Euro]

Re: Alberta Mechanics safety of any concern?

Great to see you have a conscience and it seems like you have legit reasons to be upset/concerned... if you are truly stuck there for another couple years, I'd take a deep breath and start planning things out. Try to be specific and purposeful in what you do or document and make your moves as you're able to transition to a reputable shop.

Small world though so I wouldn't get too crazy - maybe just enough to clean things up a little and improve safety for everyone.

[stefan]

Re: Alberta Mechanics safety of any concern?

All_euro is right with his comments. I believe you should be doing something to imrove your situation, but don't burn bridges. Your boss will have a reputation among others in the industry and will likely be a trusted source for others who may be hiring. Also, although you can't fire someone for briging to light the issues you are having, it is not against the law to fire without cause if you give appropriate severance. A good employer would recognise the issue and work with the employees so sort things out, but clearly, this is not the case here. Keep your cool. Keep some notes. If something goes wrong, you or your coworkers are going to need some form of documentation of these issues. It's a tough spot to be in if you are stuck there for a bit.

[eddycooper]

Re: Alberta Mechanics safety of any concern?

I would recommend two things:

- Read the Alberta OH&S Code (http://work.alberta.ca/occupational-...afety/307.html). The "code" itself is probably what you will be most interested in. This describes what most employers (except farmers) must follow in Alberta. For example, it will have specific guidance for things like your oxygen bottle. I believe they must always be secured with chain or rope. Another thing - did you know that it is illegal to use compressed air to clean your clothes or parts or your work area? - it's in the Code. When you know the actual rules yourself you can argue a lot more convincingly. The Code is a little dull at times, but it is very thorough.

- Be constructive wherever you can - don't just identify problems, fix them if they're easily within your control. Don't be the guy who complains about an eyewash station being dirty when your own work area is not tidy. I don't think this is you, but it is common. Just be mindful of appearances and how outsiders might view your credibility. In practical terms what I am saying is that if you see a little safety hazard that can be easily fixed (let's say a tripping hazard or a dirty floor) then just fix it. If your employer sees that you are proactive and truly have yours and your coworkers safety in mind, they will be much more open to listening about other safety ideas.

Understand your responsibilities as an employee (I think they're in the OH&S code). Many do not realize that it is an employee's responsibility in the eyes of the law to report safety concerns as you have been doing. If the concerns are real, then this is not "complaining".

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Alberta Mechanics safety of any concern?

^^Good advice there!!

[Kane]

Re: Alberta Mechanics safety of any concern?

Another question is all your jacks/lifts certified annually? Thats a huge safety concern as well. I would note all the things you have seen in a note book take pics where applicable. I would take the bull by horns and tell management the shop needs a safety committee i wouldn't go about it in a threatening way but in a way where the shop is only going to benefit from it. Happy/safe employees means better moral mean better productivity. They are stupid not realizing this. If the service manager doesn't listen go to the general manager and if that doesn't work i would go to OH&S. I don't know your reasoning behind being tied down to this shop but if they don't see the "big picture" i wouldn't risk your health and safety there. Torches not chained to the cart is simply ridiculous and careless. You guys should have lock out tags to deem that kind of thing unsafe.

We have two techs that monthly do a safety walk around, we have monthly safety meetings where anybody that has concerns can bring them up. We also have a guy thats a safety coordinator at head office that comes down and checks things out once in awhile as well. It's not perfect but it's not ever dangerous or an uneasy place to work.

Best of luck,