Public and Commercial Services Union

As your first port of call for more information, support or advice, contact your local or group/national branch PCS health and safety rep as she or he will be closer to the local issues and have a working knowledge of the practices and policies that affect you.

For other information, contact PCS legal, equality, education and policy support department:

• Email: healthandsafety@pcs.org.uk 
• Telephone: 020 7801 2683

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Stepping up the campaign to defend your health and safety - petition and bulletins

PCS has always supported health and safety, and our reps and members know that healthy and safe workplaces and work practices, result in better health, productivity and makes economic sense.

The government though has chosen to attack one of our basic rights - to go to work without our safety being put at risk, and our lives put at danger.

That is why PCS is campaigning to defend health and safety, as well as the essential services and jobs our members do at the health and safety executive.

Join us in protecting our right to be healthy and safe at work and fighting for your rights at work by signing the petition. It only takes a few seconds to do!

Information on what is being planned at the moment by the TUC can be found on the TUC website, Hazards campaign website and on our own health and safety campaigns page.

Here are some useful bulletins outlining the crisis and the evidence against the attacks on our health and safety:

• Defending regulation (PDF)
• the need for enforcement (PDF)

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Violence at Work - Shocking Latest Figures

The latest figures have been published as part of the British Crime Survey. 

They show a 10% increase in the number of physical assaults in the workplace but a15% decrease in the number of threats of violence

The headline findings from the report show a total of 6,078 injuries caused by violence in the workplace and number of estimated threats, at 313,000 and the number of physical assaults at 341, 000.  The number of people having experienced repeat incidents at work remained at 43 per cent.

Respondents in protective service occupations, such as security guards, police and prison officers, were most at risk.  However care assistants, home care workers, teachers, nurses and drivers also had high rates.

PCS has a policy against violence at work which defines violence at work in line with the Health and Safety Executive's definition, namely, ‘Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.’

Carl Banks, PCS national equality, health and safety officer says, "Employers must ensure there is robust organised and effective risk management within the workplace which should include employees’ perceptions of their vulnerability to violence – as this can be a major source of pressure on staff, if they feel unsafe at work.  This must cover verbal abuse as much as it does physical violence."

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TUC Survey on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The TUC is conducting an on-line survey among workers that use Personal Protective Equipment to find out whether employers are supplying it and who is paying for it.

Remember PPE is not just safety boots and hard hats, it can include overalls, aprons, hats, sunscreen, etc.

The TUC will use the information both to increase awareness of the problem and also to try to get the Health and Safety Executive and Local Authorities to take action against employers who are breaking the law.

The survey monkey survey is very simple to fill in and should not take more than a couple of minutes.  Please publicise it as widely as possible to members and representatives. 

It is also on the main health and safety page of the TUC website.

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Campaign Briefing on Health and Safety

Mark Emerson, the health and safety rep on the PCS northern regional committee, has produced a campaign-focussed briefing for health and safety reps.  For more information see our campaigns webpage.

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Changes to Incident Reporting and HSE's Infoline

From 12 September 2011, new incident reporting arrangements have been introduced.  PCS had objected to changes being made to the recording and reporting regulations.

Only fatal and major injuries and incidents will be able to be reported by phone to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with all other work-related injuries and incidents reportable under RIDDOR to be reported via one of a suite of seven online forms available on HSE's website.

The HSE has produced a questions and answers brief on the changes which is available on their website.

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How Union H&S Reps Make a Difference

An updated version of 'The Union Effect - How unions make a difference to health and safety', the TUC report showing the difference that unions make to the health and safety culture within the workplace, is now available.

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Gender, Health and Safety

Over the coming months we will be developing our new webpage on gender health, safety and well-being.  It will highlight specific gender-related information, advice, gudiance and resources for safety reps and members, link to other campaigning and organising work across the union and more widely.

If you have any suggestions or ideas about what you think would be useful to have on the webpage, feel free to get in touch with us:

Telephone:  020 7801 2683
Email: healthandsafety@pcs.org.uk

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Campaigns

Don't forget to keep an eye on our campaigns webpages and to get involved locally and nationally.

• PCS national campaign - Alternative to the Cuts
• Hazards 'We did not vote to die' campaign
• Families Against Corporate Killers