Roving reps scheme "limited but welcome"

Union schemes dominate the first round of projects to be financed by the new Worker Safety Adviser (WSA) Challenge Fund. Nine of the 12 projects selected from 70 applications have direct union participation.

The Department for Work and Pensions has provided funding of £3 million for the Challenge Fund over a three-year period. The funding will provide for 28 WSAs, who will offer expert health and safety information to workplaces employing a total of 35,000 workers in industries such as construction, food, hospitality and the voluntary sector.

Announcing the new projects earlier this month, the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) said that workers who have a voice, influence and responsibility on health and safety matters are safer and healthier than those who do not.

The TUC’s head of safety, Hugh Robertson, welcomed the recognition of the positive union role, which he said “will be a big help in changing the culture within these workplaces”.

However, he warned that this was only a start: “This initiative is very limited and we still need changes to the safety reps’ regulations to ensure that we have roving safety reps and better rights to extend the benefits of the union safety effect nationwide.”