Posted By Ken Urquhart Paul, Welcome to the advisory and negotiating role. Anything that any employee, you and colleagues like you who work at the sharp end can genuinely ccontribute to making a safer and healthier workplace for yourself, colleagues, including Supervisers and Management can only be good. And think of Safety in very broad terms, Think that essentially the contribution that you and colleagues are looking to make will not only make you safer, but alo the business, and it should also make your daily work - life and task more enjoyable, relaxed, physically comfortable and contributive to the companies well being and performence. If as you say "The Management" (Your phrase) have decided that it would be a good idea to have shift Safety Reps then that is encouraging. However, did they determine this initiative themselves, or were they perhaps encouraged by the Safety Department that you refer to, to make such appointments. If the company is truly committed to this employee involvement role, then I would have expected that they would have planned and prepared a brief or Role function in advance. Like any good investment in motovating people to become proactive stakeholders; Providing you and appointed colleagues with an Induction about the appointment, a role/function guide to help you perform the role, and a Resource and Structure chart to assist you with communication, feedback and making suggestions/proposals other than juast at Meetings would be a good starting point. If the company haven't come up with this then why dont you draft something out (With your jointly appointed Shift safety rep colleagues) and submit it. Keep things simple and practical. A monthly Safety audit as you refer to would also be good, but, and I don't intend to be patronising, What, if any Training and Guidance have you had? - 1). In key Health & Safety matters and Legislation, and 2) In Auditing and inspection techniques and principles. If nothing then here already are two topics for you and colleague appointees to suggest for the development of your role and your future meaningful and supportive contributions. Also I don't know whether or not your company is Unionised or not, but no matter, look at www.tuc.org.uk You will find much helpful guidance in the TUC and Linked union pages to role and function of Safety Representatives etc. Also you will find details of Safety Legislation and other Safety Rep Guidance that will be useful. You should also liaise with your companies HR Dept or section as there are considerations about your appointment and role and functions under employment legislation that you should know and understand. For other guidance continue to access this the IOSH web site, just reading the FORUM will give you plenty of background material, and if you don't already do so, access the HSE website. www.hse.gov.uk There are many other Safety and Safety and Health related sites on the web and it is a great source of information so use the Search Engines and have a look. I hope that this basic comment is of some inital help to you, your jointly appointed colleagues, your companies in house Safety Department and as you referred to them, "The Management" of your company. Regards Ken Urquhart

Posted By Nigel Woods As Ken said the union safety rep system works very well (used to be one my self!) beware however, appointed union safety reps have some protection under the regs where management appointed would not e.g.if management appointed safety reps give advice and something goes wrong. Its all in the detail and training etc. All praise to thoses companies who are actively thinking safety!

Posted By Paul As I work on a non union site, thanks for the warning. Paul

Posted By Joy Tutty This may be of help to you, the answer's you are looking for may be in the Safety Representative & Saftey Commitee Regulations 1977.