New website support for worker involvement in health and safety management
01/03/06
Employees who which to become more involved in health and safety management can now access a dedicated website featuring new resources, including website tools to advise and help them with this.
The package has case studies illustrating the approach and successes of a range of businesses and organisations such as:
SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems, whose 4,500 staff are actively involved in health and safety in a variety of ways, such as near-miss reporting and safety investigation forms, underpinned by training and awareness raising;
Geocel, a leading sealant and adhesive supplier with 85 staff based in Plymouth, the company?s successful health and safety management is based on involving workers, a policy that has seen its business performance transformed and a 4-year record of production without a lost-time injury;
The National Probation Service has made significant achievements in health and safety since 2002, when it introduced a worker involvement scheme to improve partnership working. Workers are involved through a National Health and Safety Forum, with the active participation of trade union safety representatives, and working groups set up to deliver the Directorate?s health and safety strategy.
Comment:
"The active involvement of workers is fundamental to good health and safety management, however, we know that many employers find it a difficult area to address. These resources provide a range of examples and suggestions that we hope will help employers and managers to encourage joint problem solving in their workplaces.
The diversity of organisations that are benefiting from worker involvement and the variety of systems they have put in place show that there is no ?one size fits all? solution but that all organisations ? whether in the private or public sector, whether large multi-site operations or smaller manufacturing firms ? can involve workers in successful health and safety management."- Policy Adviser in HSE?s Worker Involvement Programme.
?We have long recognised the need for better engagement with workers in managing health and safety risks in the rubber industry. Many companies, particularly smaller ones, are unsure of the best ways to go about engaging with their workers in an area like health and safety. We are pleased that HSE has produced these helpful materials and will be promoting them to our members.? - Environmental, Health and Safety Manager at Pirelli UK Tyres Ltd and member of HSC?s Rubber Industry Advisory Committee.
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