The Purpose Of A Health And Safety Representative
There are many reasons for having health and safety representatives. The need for health and safety representatives depends on a number of different factors. Some of these factors are more important than others are. A health and safety representative have many duties. Some of these are simple while others are complicated. It is important for a health and safety representative to master all of the assigned duties.
For the welfare of the employees:
One of the main reasons for hiring a health and safety representative is to ensure the health of the employees. Employees face many difficulties in the workplace. Some of these pose a threat to their health and safety. Their well-being is at stake. To avoid a serious catastrophe, a health and safety representative should be appointed. Usually, a health and safety representative is appointed from the employees themselves. This is usually the result of an election held by the employees themselves. The elections are held twice a year in most companies. Some companies choose to hold annual elections for health and safety representatives. In rare cases, the health and safety representative is a person from outside the company. It is very unusual for the management to appoint a health and safety representative of their own.
Acting as a liaison officer:
A health and safety representative often acts as a liaison officer between the employees and the management. One of the main roles of a health and safety representative is to communicate the concerns of the employees to the management of a company. This allows them to work as a bridge between different levels of the company. They bridge the gap between different hierarchies in companies and enable smooth communication. The role of a health and safety representative is a diverse one. It consists of many different things. Their role has evolved over the past few years. Their role used to be very specific and limited and scope. Their role and the resulting responsibilities have changed a lot since first being introduced.
A health and safety representative acts as a voice for the employees. This enables the employees to get in touch with the management of the company. They may also be able to share their concerns to managers through health and safety representatives. A health and safety representative often head different committees of employees. This allows him to learn about employee needs and concerns. This enables him to better fight the case of the employees. In some cases, the health and safety representative are often the first respondent in the case of an accident. This is why it is important to be equipped and trained as a health and safety representative. Health and safety are often regulated at the federal level of the government.