Safety meeting held June 3, 2009 at 6:15 pm

 

Attended by: Tom Boivin, Steve Crutchfield, Dave Roy, Gary Jost, Jordon Guy, and Jim White

Those present discussed IBEW National Safety Caucus 

                Guest speaker Carl Potter

a)      Holding ourselves accountable for safety

b)      Making the choice everyday to be safe

c)       To be the best in our industry

d)      PPE and procedures

Breakout Groups

a)      Accident reports

b)      Getting safety language into our contracts

c)       H1N1 – how will our local and contractors handle this virus

 

Next Meeting -

Wednesday August 5^th @ 6:15 PM – Prior to the Union Meeting @ the American Legion

Will discuss future time/dates at this meeting

 

 

 

Brother Crovetti began his career as an apprentice union electrician in 1969. After graduating to Journeyman in 1973 he immediately began teaching in the apprenticeship program. He continued to teach for the next 32 years. Throughout the years, he not only taught apprentices but also did many update and code classes for the journeymen. It was during the early years of teaching that Gene saw the need for more information on safety awareness to be included in the course material. As a working electrician on the job site, he saw that safety awareness was often lacking. He began to seek out sources for safety information and safety on the job and passed this knowledge on in all his classes.

 

As a result of his keen interest in safety for his students as well as all the men in the field, he established the Safety Committee for IBEW Local 150 in 1989. He has continued to be an active member in the NSC and the Labor Division since that time attending many of the spring and fall meetings. On a consistent basis he reported on these meetings to the membership at large as well as writing articles regarding safety in the Lake County, IL Labor Newspaper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brother Crovetti served as an elected officer of the local for 18 years; serving as Executive Board Member for 3 years, President for 6 years and Vice-President for 9 years. During this time, he took part in negotiations for the union and was instrumental in negotiating safety language into the contracts. He also actively served on the Northeastern Illinois Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO as well as IBEW Local 150’s Committee for Responsible Government.

 

Throughout his 36 year career in the electrical field, Gene has always placed safety as the first prerequisite for any construction job. He always emphasized this in all his classes, as well as everyday on the job site. He continued to work “with the tools” throughout his career giving him a very realistic perspective from which to teach safety. As a result of his efforts regarding safety awareness, a large majority of Local 150 has been influenced by his message and now work with safety in mind.   Just one example of this involves a 70E course he taught a recent graduating class of apprentices.   His message to the 51 apprentices was simple …DO NOT accept the risk of working electrical equipment energized! The day after the 70E class, one of the apprentices was asked to use a hole saw on the job and drill into an energized 277/480 volt electrical panel board – he refused! He told his JW that he had been instructed about the risks of working energized just last night in Gene’s class!

 

Brother Crovetti retired in December 2005, but he continues to think safety. He is a member “emeritus” of Local 150’s Safety Committee and continues to serve on the CRG, and as an officer in the ALF-CIO. Looking to the future, he has become certified to teach CPR, First Aid and ADC. The influence of people like Gene Crovetti makes our world a safer place in which to work and live.