July 18, 2005—A recent report from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirms evidence of a positive link between the appointment of safety representatives and levels of health and safety awareness and performance in the workplace.
The findings of the report, “The role and effectiveness of safety representatives in influencing workplace health and safety,” show how safety representatives encourage worker participation in risk management and how consultation on health and safety helps to improve the working environment.
The report focuses on case studies from two major and potentially hazardous industries, chemicals and construction. It highlights the importance of the context in which consultation takes place. It also identifies a need for more research. In particular, it calls for more detailed analysis of what forms of worker participation work best and how they might be improved.
For more information on the Worker Involvement Programme, visit HSE’s Web site.
