Our Health and Safety commitment
At Community we believe that every person has a right to live and work in a safe environment free from dangers and hazards. The health and safety of our members and their families in workplaces and communities across the country is at the forefront of our union's work.
Our Health and Safety Representatives work tirelessly to improve our members' working conditions on a day to day basis. This essential and rewarding work is supported by an ongoing programme of learning through events, conferences and training.
Community offers a wide range of training and advice for members as well as extensive support and training for our Health and Safety Representatives so they can continually improve their work and your working conditions.
But in some places, poor working conditions are still causing chronic illnesses, disease and even death for thousands of workers every year. Through campaigning for better legislation to protect workers, Community constantly strives to put a stop to these life shattering experiences.
There are many workplace health and safety issues that face Community members every day. These range from repetitive injuries to more serious long term injury or even death.
No worker should be forced to work in an unsafe environment, and the law is fairly clear on this issue.
Employers should enable employees “to stop work and immediately proceed to a place of safety in the event of being exposed to serious, imminent and unavoidable danger”.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Regulation 8 (2) (b).
Workers are protected when exercising these rights.
Employees should not suffer detriment or be dismissed or made redundant for leaving or refusing to return to a place of work in circumstances of serious and imminent danger or taking steps to protect others in those circumstances.
Employment Rights Act 1996, s.44(1)(d) and (e) and s.100 (1) (d) and (e).
However, employees need to be able to identify risks in the workplace. Everyone can identify obvious dangers such as electrical current or ladder work, but identifying the work practices that lead to long term repetitive stress injuries requires specialised knowledge.
In this section you will find information on the long term effect of exposure to noise and the need to implement Near Miss Reporting structures.
Check back soon for further updates and new information.