RR581 - HSE Better Backs 2006 Worker involvement evaluation: Research with Unite Amicus safety representatives
This report covers the findings of a project which gathered evidence about the effectiveness of Unite Amicus union safety representatives in delivering HSE campaigns in the workplace. The project took the form of three distinct phases running from January 2006 to February 2007 using both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. The findings provide strong evidence that promoting HSE initiatives via Unite Amicus training courses is an effective way of enabling and encouraging representatives to take action in the workplace. The research also highlighted the range of variables that impact the extent to which a rep took action and the extent to which their actions impacted on the wider workplace. In addition the research found that although back safety is already an important issue that is well controlled for a number of workplaces, the training still benefited these workplaces by exposing representatives to new ideas on how to manage the risks around back safety, and for some it has raised the issue of back safety up the H&S agenda.
This research was commissioned by COI on behalf of HSE. This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.
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