International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) General President Frank J. Christensen joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed how the Union’s focus on safety programs significantly lowered its worker fatality rate.
The IUEC represents about 31,000 elevator constructors throughout the U.S. and Canada.
When Christensen became General President a decade ago, the Union had about 27,000 workers and suffered an average of six fatalities a year – a number he described as alarming. He and other leaders in the IUEC made safety a critical priority, including getting a safety article written into the Union’s latest contract that establishes a partnership between the Union and contractors to encourage safety standards.
As a result of this renewed focus on safety, the Union has suffered only two fatalities over the last two years, he said.
Christensen explained the dangers of residential elevators to children and the need for safety standards and inspections.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.