HSE inspector backs improvement notices

Safety reps in Britain should have the power to serve enforcement notices as reps in Australia do, according to a new report published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The report, Worker participation in health and safety by HSE inspector Sarah Page, describes the system of Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs) in Victoria state, Australia. Employers there are required to make improvements when a PIN is served by an accredited safety rep, or may face prosecution.

The TUC wants safety reps in Britain to have the power to serve PINs. General secretary John Monks said: "Australia has a similar health and safety system to Britain, so if it works there, it will work here. British safety reps look at their Australian counterparts and say 'we want some of that'."

A recent survey by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the equivalent of the TUC, showed that only 10% of safety reps had served a PIN - but 95% of those surveyed said the PINs led to improved health and safety when issued.

The report is featured in Hazards magazine, www.hazards.org. For a subscription call 0114 267 8936. The report can be downloaded from the HSE website www.hse.gov.uk