European Week – Resources for safety representatives

The checklists below are based on existing guidance from HSE, with slight changes to make them more appropriate for use by safety representatives.  They are intended to help you carry out thorough risk assessments in your workplace and discuss your findings with employers.  They are also intended to assist those safety representatives attending  the MSD training courses which the TUC is running during EW 2007. For details of these courses contact your TUC Regional Educational Officer.

The TUC fully supports this year's Euroweek and its focus on musculoskeletal disorders. It is also a valuable opportunity to build on our contribution to HSE's Better Backs campaign.  Once again, we urge safety representatives to get involved by working together with employers and workers to control and prevent musculoskeletal injuries.  Please use these check lists in your workplace – together we can make a difference.

Hugh Robertson, Senior Policy Officer on Health and Safety, TUC

We are delighted that at the TUC's endorsement of Euroweek and Better Backs.  The enthusiasm, experience and expertise of union safety representatives is vital to the success of such campaigns, and we thank them for their immense contribution. 

Jason Batt, Euroweek campaign manager, HSE
John Price, Better Backs Campaign Manager, HSE

• Upper limb disorders in the workplace risk factor checklist [113KB]
  This will help you carry out workplace assessments of repetitive handling tasks.
• VDU workstation checklist [271KB]
  This sets out a range of risk factors to look out for when assessing DSE (Display Screen Equipment) work and reproduces the checklist in HSE's full guidance.
  
• Manual handling checklist [184KB]
  This reproduces the checklist in "Getting to grips with Manual handling" and gives help on assessment, pushing and pulling, handling technique and the law.
• Manual handling assessment charts (MAC)
  A risk assessment tool which will help you assess the most common risk factors in lifting (and lowering), carrying and team handling operations. 
• Body mapping tool [114KB]
  This will help you map the full range of MSD problems your members have and spot whether there are any patterns that indicate a more serious problem that needs attention.
• Slips assessment tool
  The Slips Assessment Tool (SAT) is a freely downloadable computer software package that allows an operator to assess the slip potential of pedestrian walkway surfaces.