 Home Health and Safety Be a Safety Rep Why Usdaw needs safety reps
Why Usdaw needs safety reps
A strong network of active safety reps is essential to protect members at work. This message from the General Secretary explains why.
"Independent research has proved that workplaces with active trade union safety reps have the best health and safety record. As a safety rep, you are the eyes and ears of the union in your workplace. You can use your legal powers to check that your employer's health and safety policies are working, to raise members' awareness about risks, and to negotiate improvements.
Your employer must provide faciltiies and assistance to safety reps to help them do the job, including paid time to carry out their legal functions and to attend trade union training. Your employer must also consult with safety reps on any work-related issues that might affect the health and safety of the members.
Usdaw appreciates the vital role that safety reps play and provides support and training.
The union's Education Department runs introductory courses for new safety reps and further training is available through Usdaw and the TUC to develop your skills and knowledge. Support is avaiable from other reps in your area, from the Area Organiser at the local union office and from the specialist Health and Safety Section in the Legal Department at Central Office.
Safety reps and the organising agenda
The primary reason that we need safety reps is to protect the health, safety and welfare of members. But there are other benefits to the union itself.
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Demonstrating the value of Usdaw membership : Health and safety issues crop up quite frequently in workplaces and usually affect a group of workers rather than just the one member. If there is an active safety rep who can get the problem sorted out, we can show both members and potential members the practical benefits of Usdaw membership. Safety reps help to recruit members and to retain them.
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A good public profile for the Union : Media coverage of trade unions is often negative – concentrating on industrial action or other controversial issues. But on health and safety the message is almost always a positive one. Usdaw has a high profile at the national level in negotiations with employers and in representations to Government. The reason we are listened to is because the national officials can rely on the network of safety reps to tell them what the real issues are in the workplace.
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Helping to build organisation: The union has a legal right to appoint safety reps. Their specific legal functions that allow them to talk to members, investigate hazards, and get them sorted out. They must also be given time off for union training. We can use these legal powers to build the union ’s workplace organisation and keep in touch with members.
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Helping members who are injured: If things do go wrong and a member is injured, they may have a claim against the employers’ insurance. The union ’s solicitors need to prove that the employer should have known the injury might occur and had failed to take the necessary action to prevent it. Evidence from an H&S rep to show that the problem had been raised with management before the injury occurred or that the employer was negligent at the time the incident occurred is very helpful.
If you are interested in becoming a safety rep and in helping your fellow members, How to become a safety rep tells you more about what is involved and you can use our online form to let us know that you are interested."
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