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Research

There have been a number of studies into worker involvement. Both quantitative and qualitative research points in the same direction: involving workers in health and safety leads to healthier and safer workplaces and produces a range of benefits for workers and managers.

HSE has funded a number of research projects within the Olympic Delivery Authority's Learning Legacy programme. One report explores how leadership and worker involvement contributed to the low rates of accidents across the Park.

RoSPA report - Worker involvement in health and safety: what works?

This report presents the findings from open and honest discussion with a diverse range of businesses as well as detailed case studies. It offers the HSE valuable material to promote the benefits of worker involvement, which – as can be inferred from these stories – go much wider than health and safety.

Worker involvement in health and safety: what works? (PDF) [110]

Research reports

HSE Safe and sound at work – do your bit initiative

HSE, in association with a third party training provider, Premier Partnership, delivered two subsidised training courses as part of the "Safe and Sound at work – do your bit" initiative.

The original objectives for the training, which ran from April 2010 to March 2011, were to:

  • deliver Worker Involvement training to 2400 Representatives of Employee Safety (RoES) working in small to medium sized, non-unionised GB workplaces in the construction, manufacturing, motor vehicle repair and transport sectors across GB ; and,
  • deliver facilitated joint safety representative and first line manager workshops in 80 organisations across a variety of sectors in both unionised and non-unionised GB workplaces.

We are pleased to say the objectives were exceeded with over 2400 RoES taking part from over 800 non-unionised workplaces in the target sectors identified.

The joint training of safety representatives and their first line managers workshops trained both these groups together to help secure a more collaborative approach to health and safety. The initial target of delivery to a minimum of 80 organisations was exceeded. 206 workshops were delivered to 120 organisations. Single day workshops were the most popular, especially when framed around a specific risk or topic.

A full independent evaluation[122] of the impact of the courses is available.

Visit the HSE 'do your bit'[123] website for more information on the initiative. (links to the National Archives)

The Workers' Safety Adviser Challenge Fund

The Workers' Safety Adviser (WSA) Challenge Fund was launched on 26 March 2004 and closed in March 2007. The aim of the fund was to inspire organisations to collaborate on projects that encourage and promote employees and their employers to work together to drive improvements in managing health and safety. The scheme focuses on small businesses and organizations that lack such arrangements.

WSA Pilot Report

The Noise and Vibration Worker Involvement Project

HSC Paper MISC/08/05 - Report on the Noise and Vibration Worker Involvement Project (PDF) [130] (From The National Archive[131]).

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. Worker involvement in health and safety: what works?https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/assets/docs/rospa-wish.pdf
  111. RR580 - Using Soft People Skills to Improve Worker Involvement in Health and Safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr580.htm
  112. RR581 - HSE Better Backs 2006: Worker Involvement Evaluation Research with Unite Amicus Safety Representativeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr581.htm
  113. RR516 - An investigation of approaches to worker engagementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr516.htm
  114. HSL/2005/41 - Workforce Participation in Occupational Health & Safety Management in non-unionised Workplaceshttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230103120103/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2005/hsl0541.pdf
  115. HSL/2005/52 - Workforce Participation in Occupational Health & Safety Management at FMC Technologies Ltd, Dunfermlinehttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230103120103/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2005/hsl0552.pdf
  116. RR363 - The role and effectiveness of safety representatives in influencing workplace health and safety https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr363.htm
  117. RR296 - Obstacles preventing employee involvement in health and safety https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr296.htm
  118. WPS/00/03 - Employee involvement in health and safety: Some examples of good practicehttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230103120103/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2001/employ-i.pdf
  119. HSL/2005/09 - Workforce participation in the management of occupational health and safetyhttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230103120103/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2005/hsl0509.pdf
  120. CRR 2001/321 - The impact of trade union education and training in health and safety on the workplace activity of health and safety representativeshttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230103120103/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/crr_pdf/2001/crr01321.pdf
  121. HuSU/2014/17 - An exploration of the current effectiveness of worker engagement practices in the quarry industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr1031.htm
  122. independent evaluationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr964.htm
  123. 'do your bit'https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20200912193450/https://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/doyourbit/index.htm
  124. The Worker Safety Advisers (WSA) pilot (RR144)https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr144.htm
  125. Workers' Safety Adviser (WSA) Challenge Fund evaluation reporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/involvement/assets/docs/wsa.pdf
  126. HSC Paper HSC/06/88https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20191028204224/http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/hscarchive/2006/071106/c88.pdf
  127. The National Archivehttps://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
  128. HSC November 2006 minuteshttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20191028204224/http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/hscarchive/2006/051206/cm10.pdf
  129. The National Archivehttps://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
  130. HSC Paper MISC/08/05 - Report on the Noise and Vibration Worker Involvement Projecthttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20191028195610/http://www.hse.gov.uk//aboutus/meetings/hscarchive/2008/120208/misc05.pdf
  131. The National Archivehttps://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
  132. Consulting employees on health and safety: A brief guide to the law INDG232(rev1)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg232.pdf
  133. Involving your workforce in health and safety: Good practice for workplaces HSG263https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg263.htm

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2023-08-07