Safety reps’ rights No.1: Appointment of reps

In the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations, which came into force in October 1978, this month Workplace Report is launching a short series highlighting the important rights introduced by the legislation...

Under regulation 3, independent trade unions recognised by employers have the right to appoint safety reps. A union can decide its own arrangements (usually an election) for selecting reps; when a rep is appointed, the union must tell the employer the rep’s name and which groups of workers s/he is representing.

Safety reps should be employees and usually have two years experience in similar employment, although the regulations allow some flexibility on this for newly established workplaces, work of short duration and work with a high turnover.

The number of safety reps in a workplace is for the union to decide, but this may require an agreement with the employer.