Consulting Workers on Health and Safety

Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (as amended) and Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (as amended)

This book provides guidance on how to consult and involve your employees, and their representatives, on health and safety matters at work, under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (as amended) and the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (as amended).

Note This latest edition provides an update to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations that, subject to parliamentary approval, come into force from 6 April 2012.

As of this date, the trigger point for reporting ‘lost-time’ accidents to people at work increased from over three days’ to over seven days’ incapacitation (not counting the day on which the accident happened).

However, under EU law, employers and others with responsibilities under RIDDOR must still keep a record of all over-three-day injuries – if the employer keeps an accident book, then this record will be enough.

These regulations have been amended so that the existing rights of safety representatives to perform their functions, eg carrying out inspections following an over- three-day accident, remain.