TUC Health and Safety Representatives Survey - 2014

Our Ref: HSR/4/6
Head Office Circular: NP/217/14
28th October 2014

The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
ALL REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague

TUC Health and Safety Representatives Survey - 2014

The TUC have published the results of their 11th bi-annual Health and Safety Representatives survey. This document is very useful in setting the RMT’s strategy on Health and Safety over the next year. Indeed, of the top five risks identified in the survey, three of these have or are due to be covered as the theme for the RMT Annual Health and Safety Conference.

The five most frequently cited hazards in 2014 were stress, bullying/harassment, overwork, back strains and slips, trips and falls on a level.

Stress: still the stand-out health and safety concern, identified as a top-five hazard by two-thirds of safety reps in the survey.

Bullying/harassment: this has become a key hazard to watch as it has grown steadily as a top-five concern throughout the period of the TUC’s safety rep surveys. The category was changed from “bullying” to “bullying/harassment” for the 2010 survey, in which 37% cited it as a top-five concern. The figure rose to 41% in 2012 and is now 46%.

Overwork: concern in this area has crept up again, with 36% of representatives listing it as a top-five concern, compared with 33% in 2012 and 29% in 2010.

The survey results also cover areas such as managing health and safety, safety representative’s rights (including training), enforcement and the provision of occupational health services.

The full results of the survey are available on the TUC website at:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Safety_Representatives_Survey_2014.pdf .

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members.

Yours sincerely
 
Mick Cash
General Secretary