Do you want to be a Health and Safety Representative? - Public Service Association

Do you want to be a Health and Safety Representative?

Do you want to be a Health and Safety Representative – July 2018 (PDF version)

In order to safeguard the WHS interests of TAG staff, the PSA will soon be lodging a request for the election of Health and Safety Representatives with TAG management.

What is a Health and Safety Representative?

An HSR is a worker elected by their colleagues to represent the work health and safety (WHS) interests of that workgroup as per s68 of the Work Health & Safety Act 2011. They work with the employer in instigating, developing and carrying out measures to ensure health & safety at the workplace. This can involve:

  • developing WHS policies and procedures
  • reviewing measures taken to address risks
  • monitoring WHS performance data such as incident and injury reports.

If they have completed the HSR training course, an HSR has the following powers:

  • Cease Unsafe Work: direct workers to cease unsafe work if there is a serious risk of immediate danger.
  • Provisional Improvement Notices (PIN) : issue management with a PIN when there is a safety problem and consultation with the employer has not remedied the problem.

The PSA encourages the elections of HSRs in workplaces as they are a powerful and effective tool in protecting the WHS interests of workers.

How are HSRs elected?

Once workers have requested an HSR election, management has 14 days to commence negotiations with workers around specifics of the HSR structure such as workgroup boundaries and the number of HSRs for each workgroup. HSRs must be democratically elected by workers in an open and transparent election process.

Are you interested in becoming an HSR?

To find out more about becoming an HSR please contact the following TAG delegates by COB, Tuesday, 31 July 2018.

Richard Falkowski

Rick Browne:

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