Health & Safety

Safety on the job is of critical importance to Local 400 members, their families and our contractors. In fact, job safety has been a top priority of the United Association and Local 400 for a very long time. We believe that every worker has a fundamental right to return home from the job in the same shape as when he or she arrived at the workplace.

We also know that a safe workplace is a productive workplace. Contractors who have a strong track record of working safely, with fewer injuries and most especially, fewer fatalities, will have a competitive edge in the marketplace. Contractors with a strong safety program understand that cutting corners on safety might produce short-term savings, but lead to more accidents, increasing costs in the long run and damaging their credibility as responsible contractors. The United Association’s Standard for Safety is part of our ongoing commitment to protecting the health and safety of our members and represents a joint labor-management program to promote safe jobsites.

We vigorously promote the widespread, formal implementation of this standard in order to create a workplace culture that always puts safety at the forefront. The Standard for Safety covers every aspect of safety on the job, from when to use a cell phone to the importance of OSHA 30, a 30-hour training course certified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The standard also reinforces the zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use on the job.

Local 400 in conjunction with the Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association have protected Wisconsin families and workers from exposure to potentially dangerous piping and other building materials. Our advocacy efforts on behalf of health, safety and environmental standards have enabled Wisconsin to avoid some of the risks and pitfalls that other states have experienced with new plumbing and steamfittng/pipefitting materials and technology.

Local 400 remains committed to the plumbing code standards that allow for the continued advancement of our industry, while at the same time protecting public and worker health and ensuring safe and effective performance. Local 400 in cooperation with other labor organizations, environmental entities, public health and consumer groups, public agencies and others, continue to advocate for health and safety studies of potentially hazardous new plumbing/piping systems, equipment and materials.