The most notable change since 2016 in the list of main concerns is the elevation of working alone, which jumped from 10th place to sixth place. One in four safety representatives (25%) cited it this year, compared with one in six (18%) two years ago.

The decline in inspection activity by the HSE and local authorities was once more reflected in the responses. Over a half said that, to their knowledge, their workplace had never been inspected and only 22% said their workplace had been inspected in the past 12 months.

The purpose of the survey is to help the TUC and its affiliated trade unions to better understand the hazards and problems faced by union safety representatives.

At the heart of this survey there are a wide range of preventable workplace hazards still prevalent across sectors and industries. Usdaw support the TUC in campaigning to ensure they are prevented.

Please see the TUC survey at: https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Safety%20Reps%20report%202018.pdf