Section eight : conclusions and recommendations

(Hugh Robertson, TUC Senior Health and Safety Officer)

This survey will help inform the TUC and unions about the kind of issues that affect health and safety representatives in the workplace. The information we obtain helps us develop policies on health and safety, prioritise issues, and push for action from the HSC and the Government.

Conclusions

It is clear that the existing regulations on consultation are not working. Overall only 30% of safety representatives are consulted automatically by their employer on a frequent basis. In addition there has been little improvement in the involvement of safety representatives in risk assessments, with only 29% satisfied with their involvement. Although there has been a slight improvement in the number of employers conducting adequate risk assessments, the figure is still just over half.

As worker involvement and risk assessment are the two cornerstones of any successful health and safety management system clearly more needs to be done.

The TUC is very disappointed that there has been no change in the make up of safety representatives and much more must be done to recruit more women, black and ethnic minority workers and young people as safety representatives if they are going to be representative of the workforce. The TUC will be launching a campaign next year aimed at increasing the number of safety representatives and helping existing ones to be even more effective.

This year, for the first time ever we looked at the effect of enforcement activities. The results showed that visits by inspectors, or even the possibility of a visit by an inspector have an effect on the safety culture within a workplace. Legal enforcement notices were also shown to be very effective with around two thirds of employers not only complying, but also reviewing their practices across the workplace.

Unfortunately visits by inspectors are still too rare and even when inspectors do visit, the majority are still not taking the opportunity to speak to the safety representative.

The main conclusions that the TUC draws from this survey are:

  • Employers are failing to tackle the main occupational health challenges. Stress is the key issue within most workplaces, with the main causes being overload and staff cuts. In addition, musculoskeletal disorders are still a major problem in the workplace and seem to be getting worse.

  • By and large the issues identified by safety representatives as being their main concerns are those within the HSC priority programme.

  • There has been no improvement in the number of employers offering an occupational health service, and where they do, it is more concerned with sickness monitoring than prevention.

  • Although there has been a slight improvement in the number of employers conducting adequate risk assessments the figures are still abysmal, given that this is a legal duty. The public sector, which has higher rates on stress, is worst.

  • Employers are not consulting safety representatives on risk assessments.

  • Many safety representatives are having difficulty getting time off for training from their employer.

  • There has been no improvement in the proportion of safety representatives who are women, under 35, are black or from an ethnic minority.

  • Despite a lack of consultation and difficulties in getting time off, the overwhelming majority of safety representatives are inspecting their workplace at least once a year, and half had conducted three or more inspections.

  • Visits by the HSE or Local Authority enforcement officers and even the possibility of a visit, have an effect in changing the safety culture within an organisation.

  • Many inspectors are not initiating contact with safety representatives when they visit a workplace where there is a safety representative.

Recommendations

The TUC recommends that:

  • The HSC, TUC and trade unions continue to address those areas within the priority programme, in particular stress and musculoskeletal disorders.

  • The HSC must look at reviewing the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations to ensure that safety representatives are consulted about risk assessments. They should also enforce the current regulations concerning general consultation with safety representatives.

  • Visits by HSE and Local Authority inspectors should be seen as being one of the most effective methods of improving the health and safety culture within the workplace. But the enforcement authorities must ensure that inspectors liaise fully with safety representatives, and where they do not exist ensure that the employer is consulting with the workforce.

  • The current regulations and guidance on training of safety representatives need to be reviewed and strengthened.

  • The TUC and trade unions should seek to ensure that they encourage members from those groups under-represented at present, to become safety representatives.

 

 


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