|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
Communication with Staff (Staff Communication)
See Accident Investigation; Communication of Health and Safety; Information & Training; Safety Representatives; using the links. Consulting employees Consultation with employees must be carried out on matters to do with health and safety at work, including:
Consultation is required by the following legislation: 1. The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations (SRSCR) 1977 If an employer recognises a trade union and that trade union has appointed, or is about to appoint, safety representatives under the SRSCR 1977, then the employer must consult those safety representatives on matters affecting the group or groups of employees they represent. Members of these groups of employees may include people who are not members of that trade union. 2. The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations (HSCER) 1996 Any employees not in groups covered by trade union safety representatives must be consulted by their employers under the HSCER 1996. The employer can choose to consult them directly or through elected representatives. If the employer consults employees directly, s/he can choose whichever method suits everyone best. If the employer decides to consult employees through an elected representative, then employees have to elect one or more people to represent them. If the employer’s arrangements already satisfy the law then there is no need for change. The employer must make sure that elected representatives receive the training they need to carry out their roles, give them the necessary time off with pay and pay any reasonable costs to do with that training. The difference between the roles of trade union safety representatives and elected representatives of employee safety (the latter being elected by groups of employees not covered by trade union safety representatives) is as follows: Under the SRSCR 1977 the roles of trade union safety representatives are:
The employer must set up a safety committee if two or more trade union safety representatives ask for one. The separate HSCER 1996 give elected representatives of employee safety the following roles:
Employers may choose to give elected representatives extra roles as well. The diagram at the bottom of the page shows the relationship between the two sets of regulations and how they affect employers and their employees. Why involve workers? There is a large body of evidence that points to the advantages of involving workers in health and safety risk management. By introducing worker involvement you will be making a significant contribution to:
For line managers, involving staff in health and safety management is likely to have a number of advantages, including:
Who to consult In workplaces where the employer recognises a trade union: The employer must consult with trade union appointed safety representatives on health and safety matters affecting the employees they represent. In workplaces where a union is not recognised: Employees must be consulted on health and safety, either directly or through their elected representatives. Topics for consultation Employers must consult on a range of health and safety matters, including:
Sharing information: communications Effective communications are essential to the success of worker involvement in health and safety. By communicating effectively to the workforce and encouraging two-way dialogue, you will raise the profile of health and safety and increase worker commitment and participation whilst supporting a broader culture of cooperation and openness. A mixture of informal and formal methods will be needed to underpin employee participation in health and safety. Informal communications Every organisation has its own culture that will influence the ways in which managers, safety professionals and workers share information. Informal communications – such as walkabouts by managers – are an important way of reinforcing worker involvement messages. Encouraging face-to-face meetings can encourage staff to raise ideas and concerns that might otherwise go unreported. Such opportunities should be regular and visible. Formal communications There is a range of more organised methods of communication that can be used to share information on health and safety and encourage staff to get involved. Team meetings: Making health and safety a standard agenda item at team meetings is a proven way of raising its profile in the organisation. Managers should encourage feedback from staff and ensure that concerns and suggestions are registered and responded to. Notice boards: Use for displaying health and safety information and news. Including photos of health and safety representatives and staff with Health and Safety responsibilities is highly effective in raising the profile of worker involvement. Newsletters: Use newsletters to inform staff about health and safety and ways to get involved. You might use a specific health and safety newsletter, or include health and safety news in other newsletters. Try mixing media - e-mail updates and hard-copy newsletters increase the chances of staff receiving the message. Intranet: Giving health and safety a high profile on your staff intranet and keeping it up to date is a convenient way for staff to access information. Remember, you will need to use other more direct communications to draw attention to information on the intranet and to ensure that staff who do not regularly use computers are not excluded. Worker involvement Worker involvement is the term we use to describe the ways in which workers are encouraged to take part in making decisions about managing health and safety at work. When it is most developed and effective, it goes beyond simply giving information or consulting on management proposals. Instead it creates a genuine partnership between managers and workers (either direct or through their representatives) for managing health and safety risks. Information, instruction and training Appendices A and B in booklet L95 – A Guide to the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (See References) contain excellent summaries of the requirements for information, instruction and training for employees in existing legislation. Checklist – communication/consultation on health & safety
Further Information/References The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations (SRSCR) 1977 The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations (HSCER) 1996 Booklet L95 – A guide to the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Leaflet IND(G)232L – Consulting employees on heath and safety (HSE). |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|