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UNION SAFETY EFFECT

Safety reps mean action at work

Union safety reps make workplace safety campaigns effective, research for the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has found. The study looked at the involvement of safety reps in HSE’s better backs campaign, examining the impact of the training and support provided by Unite’s Amicus section.

After receiving the training, almost six out of every 10 safety reps (59 per cent) raised back safety issues with greater frequency with workmates, and 29 per cent increased the number of times they raised the issue with senior management – who were then likely to act on the recommendations. Almost a quarter of the reps (24 per cent) questioned recommended to their safety committee or senior management that new handling aids should be acquired, a proposal acted on within three months in every case. More than nine out of 10 (93 per cent) safety rep requests for new or updated training programme on manual handling techniques were acted on.

Commenting on the findings, HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger said: “This is an effective way to raise health and safety management in the workplace. Training and exposing safety representatives to new ideas on how to manage various health and safety issues is a valuable way of enabling the workforce to take action and educate those around them.”

Rob Miguel, Unite health and safety officer, said: “Unite believes safety reps are an essential component to ensuring safe and healthy working conditions,” adding: “Our vision to encourage reps to be proactive has proved… to be a very effective way to raise health and safety awareness, leading to a more meaningful partnership between all the workforce.” He told Hazards: “The results prove beyond all doubt, that safety reps are an essential ingredient in achieving healthier and safer workplaces.”

Commenting on the HSE decision in June not to introduce new safety reps’ rights, he added: “It seems however their rights are to be left on the shelf. If we are to bring health and safety management into the 21st century, the value of this free service needs to be well and truly recognised and rewarded with the appropriate status and rights.”

Unite news release • HSE Better Backs 2006: Worker involvement evaluation. Research with Unite Amicus safety representatives RR581, HSE, 2007 Full report [pdf]
Hazards news, 1 September 2007