Important week for Health and Safety

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European Health & Safety week kicks off today (October 22) – aiming to raise awareness of the risks posed by dangerous substances in the workplace and to promote a culture of risk prevention to either eliminate or effectively manage those risks.

And, as normal, the CWU will be playing a full role in TUC National Inspection Day activities – which traditionally fall on the Wednesday of the week of heightened H&S awareness (October 24) – this year with the full endorsement of Royal Mail Group.

The CWU’s heath, safety & environment department is encouraging CWU safety reps – not just within Royal Mail but at all recognised workplaces across the country – to carry out safety inspections on that day, engaging safety managers, operational managers and, of course, CWU members in the process.

CWU national health, safety & environment officer Dave Joyce explains: “This year the CWU is once again encouraging CWU safety reps to specifically consider H&SW inspections at higher risk workplaces, areas, functions or specific jobs, seeking to establish whether the workplace is health and safe for all.

“Safety reps workplace H&S inspections don’t just have to focus on the tangible hazards such as slip and trip risks, fire risks and workstations. They can also focus on intangible hazards and solutions that don’t have a physical presence – including shift work, job rotation, specific tasks, the overall working environment and flexible working.

“So during European H&S Week, and on National Inspection Day in particular, CWU headquarters is encouraging branches and their safety reps to ask members about their experiences at work and how these might be improved.”

Pointing out that Royal Mail has already pledged its full support for the inspections, Dave stresses that reps in other CWU-represented workplaces should bear in mind that they are legally entitled to carry out inspections – and that the law defines a ‘workplace’ as ‘any place where a worker works or is likely to work or frequent during the course of their duties.’

Dave concludes: “It’s important to remember that workplaces with active safety reps are statistically twice as safe as those without – and that’s why regular workplace H&S inspections – especially on the TUC’s designated National Inspection Day – are so important.”

For more information on European H&S Week see Letter to Branches No. 503/2018
For full details of TUC/ CWU National H&S Inspection Day see Letter to Branches No. 550/2018