The TUC’s 2020/21 survey of more than 2,100 workplace safety representatives, published today (Monday), reveals that many employers are failing to follow Covid-secure rules and keep workers safe.
Safety representatives are trained worker experts, with protected legal rights under the Health and Safety at Work Act. They are often on the frontline of safety enforcement in workplaces across the public and private sector. Employers must consult safety representatives on their risk assessments and Covid-secure action plans.
But the TUC’s biennial survey has found that, in many cases, employers are failing to follow Covid-secure rules – and this is putting workers at risk of infection and avoidable illness.
Survey findings on Covid-19 and health and safety at work
Comments from health and safety reps
University of Greenwich report
Alongside the reps survey, the TUC is also publishing today (Monday) a report commissioned from the University of Greenwich, which shows an absence of health and safety compliance in UK workplaces.
The research found 1 in 4 managers working in the food and drinks industry – a sector that’s had several covid outbreaks – were unaware of a Covid risk assessment in their workplace.
The report also shows those in workplaces with union health and safety reps were significantly more likely to have sufficient PPE (73% versus 53% of those with no health and safety representative).
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:
"Britain’s safety representatives are sounding the alarm. Too many workplaces are not Covid-secure. This is a big worry for people expecting to return to their workplace soon. And it should be a big priority for ministers too. We must have robust health and safety in place to reduce the risk of infections rising again when workplaces reopen.
“Everyone has the right to be safe at work. The government must take safety representatives’ warnings seriously. Ministers must tell the Health and Safety Executive to crack down on bad bosses who risk workers’ safety. And they must provide funding to get more inspectors into workplaces to make sure employers follow the rules.
“Unionised workplaces are safer workplaces, and union safety representatives save lives. We send our thanks to the safety reps across the country for all they are doing to keep working people safe in the pandemic.”
Professor Sian Moore, the University of Greenwich report’s lead author, said:
“Our research found a worrying lack of health and safety structures in British workplaces.
“But we also identified the very real contribution to workplace safety made by union reps during the pandemic.
“Workplaces with union health and safety representatives were significantly more likely to report sufficient PPE.
“Employers are more likely to share risk assessments in workplaces with union recognition and health and safety representatives.
“This shows the important role union representatives play in keeping workers safe. But we also saw a climate of risk and fear in workplaces where unions are excluded or side-lined from risk assessments.”
- Safety reps report: The Union Health and Safety Reps Survey 2020/21 questioned 2,138 trade union health and safety representatives about concerns in their workplaces. The full results and report are here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-03/Safety%20reps%20survey%202021.pdf
- Greenwich report: The full University of Greenwich report Research into Covid-19 workplace safety outcomes can be found at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/TUCHSreport.pdf.
- TUC Covid-19 guidance: TUC guidance for representatives on Covid-19 and the workplace is available at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/CoronavirusRepresentativesGuide
- Information on role of safety reps: For more information on the role of Health and Safety Representatives visit: https://www.tuc.org.uk/resource/being-health-and-safety-representative
- About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together more than 5.5 million working people who make up our 49 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.
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