Health and safety representatives

If you are a health and safety representative, you will find useful information here to help you do your work, and materials that you can use in your workplace.

Health and safety representatives have functions given by law.

Contacting HSE's Concerns and Advice team

If you are a Trade Union Safety Representative, you can contact the Health and Safety Executive about something that has either caused, or has the potential to cause significant harm; by completing the Concerns and Advice form for safety representatives[112].

To use this facility you must:

If you are not a Trade Union appointed safety representative, but need to contact us, go to Workplace health and safety concerns[114].

Once you have completed the form, you should save it and send it by email to turepconcerns@hse.gov.uk.

If you do not have access to email, you can print it off and post it to:

Health and Safety Executive,
Concerns and Advisory Team,
Redgrave Court,
Merton Road,
Bootle,
L20 7HS

Guidance

HSE supports the vital contribution health and safety representatives and trade unions make to maintaining and improving health and safety in the workplace. HSE has provided the TUC with the "Brown Book" (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, Approved Code of Practice and guidance) for training purposes.

HSE places great importance on worker involvement and consultation, which has proved to be key factor to improving health and safety in the workplace.

We have recently published a suite of new and revised guidance[115] on worker involvement and consultation. A web-version of the good practice guidance "Involving your workforce in health and safety" with additional material is available on our Worker Involvement website[116].

Whatever type of health safety representative you are, you need information and materials to help you do your work. You can find helpful information in our good practice guidance on:

You can use these forms to record the results of your inspection.

A Word version (.doc) [121] of both these forms (F2534 and F2533) is also available.

Useful information

The TUC's website provides information on how to help develop practical proposals for improving health and safety organisation in the workplace [PDF 132KB] (PDF) [122] and how to prepare and carry out a workplace health and safety inspection [PDF 243KB] (PDF) [123]. You may also wish to find out more about the trade union effect[124].

Education employers and employees demonstrate that they recognise the contribution that partnerships make towards improving health and safety standards at work.

To find out more information about trade unions visit:

Link URLs in this page

  1. Worker involvementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/index.htm
  2. The basicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/basics.htm
  3. Health and safety representativehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/hsrepresentatives.htm
  4. Overview - Preparehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/index.htm
  5. Talk to your employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/talktoyouremployees.htm
  6. Facts and figureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/factsfigures.htm
  7. Overview - What the law sayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/index.htm
  8. Which regulations applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/flowchart.htm
  9. 1977 regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1977.htm
  10. 1996 regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1996.htm
  11. Both regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/bothregs.htm
  12. Employment protectionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/empprotection.htm
  13. Overview - Gain commitmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/commitment/index.htm
  14. How to encourage employees to be health and safety representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/commitment/encemployees.htm
  15. Overview - Union-appointed repshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/index.htm
  16. Representhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/represent.htm
  17. Attend training courseshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/attendtraining.htm
  18. Contact with inspectorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/union/contact.htm
  19. Workforce-elected repshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/workerelectedreps.htm
  20. Overview - Elections for representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/index.htm
  21. How many representatives?https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/howmany.htm
  22. How often will elections take place?https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/howoften.htm
  23. Encourage and involve employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/encourage.htm
  24. Fair and open electionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/elections/fairandopen.htm
  25. Overview - Prepare-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/index.htm
  26. Consult your workforcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/norep.htm
  27. Joint involvementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/jointinv.htm
  28. Don't decide for your workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/decision.htm
  29. Reflect diversityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/diversity.htm
  30. Train your repshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/reptraining.htm
  31. Give it timehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/time.htm
  32. Shared perspectivehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/preparetips/training.htm
  33. Overview - Planhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plan.htm
  34. Factors to considerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/factorstoconsider.htm
  35. Overview - What to consult abouthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/whattoconsult.htm
  36. A competent personhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/competentperson.htm
  37. Risk assessmentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/riskassessments.htm
  38. When to consulthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/whentoconsult.htm
  39. Overview - Traininghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/training.htm
  40. Training Providershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/trainingproviders.htm
  41. Planning checklisthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/planningchecklist.htm
  42. Overview - Plan-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/index.htm
  43. Scope of consultationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/consult.htm
  44. Consult employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/involve.htm
  45. Provide feedbackhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/feedback.htm
  46. Address health issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/healthissues.htm
  47. Involve employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/plantips/invemployees.htm
  48. Overview - Consulthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/consult.htm
  49. Overview - What your duties arehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/yourduties.htm
  50. Allow paid time offhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/paidtimeoff.htm
  51. Provide facilities and assistancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/facilities.htm
  52. Provide informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/provideinformation.htm
  53. Overview - How to involve your employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/involveemployees.htm
  54. Consulting directly with employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/facetoface.htm
  55. Consulting indirectly with employeeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/indirectly.htm
  56. Where English is not the first languagehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/englishlang.htm
  57. Overview - Consulting with representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/representatives.htm
  58. Investigating accidents, hazards and complaintshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/accidents.htm
  59. Inspections of the workplace https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/inspections.htm
  60. Overview - Set up a H&S Committeehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/hscommittees.htm
  61. How to set up your H&S committeehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/howtosetup.htm
  62. How your H&S committee will workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/agreeprinciples.htm
  63. Membership of your H&S committeehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/membership.htm
  64. More about membershiphttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/membership-cont.htm
  65. Frequency of meetingshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/frequency.htm
  66. What your H&S committee will dohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/whatwillhsdo.htm
  67. Decision makinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/committeedecisions.htm
  68. What resources will be neededhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/committeeresources.htm
  69. Overview - Consult-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/index.htm
  70. Recognise the rolehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/recogniserole.htm
  71. Different work patternshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/workpatterns.htm
  72. Preferenceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/preferences.htm
  73. Involve the representativehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/involve.htm
  74. Plan a programme of inspectionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/inspectionplan.htm
  75. Agree the number of representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/repnumber.htm
  76. Inspect togetherhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/inspecttogether.htm
  77. Consult specialistshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/specialists.htm
  78. Break down taskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/breakdown.htm
  79. Involve a variety of peoplehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/committeereps.htm
  80. Think about minor incidentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/minorincidents.htm
  81. Plan meetings in advancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/flexible.htm
  82. Communicatehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/communicate.htm
  83. Keep the datehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/keepdate.htm
  84. Address strategic issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/resolve.htm
  85. Agreementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/agreements.htm
  86. Disagreementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/consulttips/disagreements.htm
  87. Overview - Improvehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/index.htm
  88. Monitoring performancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/monitorperformance.htm
  89. Reviewing progresshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/reviewprogress.htm
  90. Meet the challengeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/meetchallenges.htm
  91. Review checklisthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/reviewchecklist.htm
  92. Overview - Improve-good practice tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/goodpractice.htm
  93. Signs of successhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/success.htm
  94. Seek help https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/improve/seekhelp.htm
  95. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/resources.htm
  96. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/publications.htm
  97. Overview - Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/resources.htm
  98. Devonport Docks https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/devonport.htm
  99. Overcoming challengeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/overcomingchallenges.htm
  100. BT Group plchttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/btgroup.htm
  101. Springfield Fuelshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/springfield.htm
  102. UCATT North-Westhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/ucatt.htm
  103. University of Leedshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/leeds.htm
  104. Bristol City Councilhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/casestudies/bristol-city-council.htm
  105. Researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/research.htm
  106. Lord McKenzie speechhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/mckenzie141008.htm
  107. Overview - Videoshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/assets/video/index.htm
  108. Judith Hackitthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/assets/video/judith-hackitt.htm
  109. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/usefullinks.htm
  110. Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1977.htm
  111. Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1996.htm
  112. Concerns and Advice form for safety representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/assets/docs/turep1.dotx
  113. Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l146.pdf
  114. Workplace health and safety concernshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/index.htm
  115. new and revised guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/publications.htm
  116. Worker Involvement websitehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/index.htm
  117. investigating accidents, hazards and complaintshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/accidents.htm
  118. inspections of the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/inspections.htm
  119. Inspection formhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2534.pdf
  120. Report form https://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2533.pdf
  121. Word versionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2533-f2534.doc
  122. health and safety organisation in the workplace [PDF 132KB]http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/extras/organising.pdf
  123. health and safety inspection [PDF 243KB]http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/extras/insbooklet30auglowres.pdf
  124. trade union effecthttp://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/organisation/worker-involvement/union-effect
  125. Trades Union Congress https://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-guidance
  126. Scottish Trades Union Congress http://www.stuc.org.uk/
  127. 1977 regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1977.htm
  128. 1996 regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/prepare/law/1996.htm
  129. Consulting employees on health and safety: A brief guide to the law INDG232(rev1) https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg232.pdf
  130. Safety representatives report form https://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/incident/f2533.pdf
  131. Involving your workforce in health and safety https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg263.htm
  132. Working together to prevent sickness absence becoming job loss https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/web02.pdf
  133. TUC Safety Repshttps://www.tuc.org.uk/union-reps
  134. Health and safety basics for your business https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/index.htm
  135. Managing for health and safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/index.htm

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2024-02-09