Health and safety

The Role of the Safety Rep

Health and Safety legislation covers every aspect of school life and the Trade Union Health and Safety reps play a vital role within any school.

• "Safety Representatives" are trade union reps elected by the members within the school to represent their interests. They are accountable only to the members of their union, not the management. Reps can represent the interests of members of other unions with their consent (this would be practical in a small school)

• H & S reps are covered by legislation ( Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 ).

• When a H & S rep is appointed, the School Rep should inform UTU Head Office, the appropriate ELB and the Principal - in a large school the members may wish to have more than one rep.

• HSC guidelines suggest that anyone becoming a H & S rep should have two years experience in the profession but this is not a binding rule.

Functions of the Health and Safety Rep:

• Investigate potential hazards and dangerous occurrences and examine the cause of accidents in the workplace.

• Investigate H & S complaints by any of the members represented.

• Liaise with management on matters arising out of the above.

• Liaise with management on any aspect of H & S and welfare.

• Carry out inspections of the workplace.

• Receive and disseminate H & S information.

As duly elected - the H & S rep has a legal right to do all of the above. HOWEVER:

Functions not Responsibilities:

Newly appointed reps may worry that the wide range of rights and responsibilities governed by the post imply some legal responsibility beyond that of other employees - this is not the case. For example;

• and fail to notice a hazard.

• A rep who agrees with the employer's proposal for dealing A rep is not legally responsible if they carry out an inspection with a hazard will not be legally responsible if that strategy doesn't work.

• A rep may, however, be responsible if he/she fails to point out a hazard noticed during a check.

• Employers are required to consult "in good time" with reps before the introduction of any measure which may affect the health and safety of employees.

Safety Inspections

• Reps are entitled to carry out inspections on a quarterly basis. We recommend inspections termly. They should be carried out during the working day when the school is fully functional.

• Inspections cannot be put off by the employer because they have carried out their own inspection or because the Rep of another union has recently done an inspection.

• There should always be an inspection if there has been a major change to the working environment.

• Reps also have the right to investigate potential hazards and to investigate members' complaints about their health and safety or welfare at work.

Facilities for Safety Reps

As a Rep, you will obviously need time to fulfil your duties - it is recommended that time is built into your timetable in the same way as time is allowed for other additional duties. You should also be allowed storage facilities for correspondence, circulars, training materials, reports and other paperwork. You should have access to a telephone, a notice board and a room in which to meet with members.

Checklist for Safety Reps:

• Make sure that your Principal, ELB, members and UTU Headquarters know that you are the safety rep.

• It's also helpful to let the School Secretary know so that mail is directed to the right person.

• Make sure you have access to all facilities to which you are entitled.

• Keep up to date with current legislation and attend courses when possible.

For further information contact UTU Headquarters or:

Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI) 83 Ladas Drive Belfast BT6 9FR

Tel - 02890 243249 Fax - 02890 235383

E-mail - hseni@detini.gov.uk

Web - www.hseni.gov .uk