Are you a safety representative

Employers must consult employees on health and safety issues. Consultation must be either direct or through a safety representative that is either elected by the workforce or appointed by a trade union. Health and safety representatives have functions given by law.

• If you are a trade union-appointed health and safety representative, your functions are set out in the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977
• If you are a representative of employee safety, your functions are set out in the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996

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

For more information on worker involvement including video case studies see our 'do your bit' pages (links to the National Archives).

Contact HSE

Trade Union Safety Representatives can contact the Health and Safety Executive (links to the National Archives) about something that has either caused, or has the potential to cause significant harm.