H&S factsheets

An extensive range of fact sheets specifically for UCU health and safety reps as well as examples of good practice, checklists and other useful tools.

Page contents:

• Rights for safety reps
  Reps rights & basic information
  Employers' duties
  Downloads and practical information
  Information resources
• Specific issues
  Accidents, injury, illness
  In the workplace
  Being online
  Substances
  Equipment
  Facilities

Rights for safety reps

Reps rights & basic information

•  Facilities & assistance for UCU safety reps (.doc) [127kb]
  Introductory note setting out legal minima and UCU summary role for safety reps
•  10-point plan: Statutory time off for safety reps functions (.pdf) [63kb]
   10-point plan: Statutory time off for safety reps functions (.doc) [127kb]
•  Safety reps' functions, facilities and time off (.doc) [165kb]
  A summary of safety reps right to operate effectively, get information, and enforce safety requirements
•  How many health and safety reps should there be? (.doc) [161kb]
  Summarises how to respond to an employer refusal to have sufficient safety reps
•  Should we represent non-members? (.doc) [159kb]
  Explains why UCU safety reps speak on behalf of all staff and why no parallel set of non-union safety reps is necessary
•  Competent_persons_for_health__safety (.doc) [141kb] Sets out the competency requirements for health and safety representatives in the workplace.
•  Workplace_inspection_factsheet (.doc) [143kb]Conducting a workplace inspection: checklists

Employers' duties

•  Paid time-off for UCU safety reps (.doc) [112kb]
  Summary of the legal duty of employers to provide paid time off for safety reps
•  Consultation with UCU safety reps (.doc) [42kb]
  The legal minima and good practice for consultation
•  The appointment of trade union safety representatives (.doc) [163kb]
  The legal minima employers must meet when safety reps seek to be appointed
•  Employer’s duties towards safety reps in the SRSC Regulations, other than the duty to permit time-off - H&S factsheet (.doc) [48kb]
•  Safety committees (.doc) [167kb]
  What safety committees should be, who is on them and what they must discuss
•  Safety policies (.doc) [165kb]
  What employers are required to have in a workplace safety policy
•  Checking your employer has made a RIDDOR report (.pdf) [71kb]
•  Safety reps' training - UCU 10 point safety plan (.doc) [46kb]
•  Competent person (.doc) [137kb]
  Employers are legally required to ensure that people who have health, safety and welfare responsibilities in the workplace are competent.
•  HSE Inspectors workplace visits_safety reps contact (.doc) [154kb] This factsheet summarises the guidance issued to HSE Inspectors about their responsibility to contact trade union safety representatives when they visit a workplace.

Downloads and practical information

•  Workplace Inspection - Using and Developing Checklists (.doc) [145kb] 
  Workplace inspections - Using and developing checklists
•  Accreditation and confirmation letters for UCU safety reps (.doc) [246kb]
  Downloadable letters for accreditation and confirmation as safety reps
•  Workplace inspections: a systematic approach (.doc) [174kb]
  Planning and following up an inspection
•  Workplace inspection report form (.doc) [109kb]
  A useful pro forma to download
•  Well organised or what? - health check your institution (.doc) [175kb]
  A useful way of checking what progress you are, or are not, making!
•  Sample union inspection notice for safety reps (.doc) [25kb]
  Downloadable form for a UNIVERSITY
•  Doing your first workplace inspection (.doc) [187kb]
  A 10 point guide

Information resources

•  Risk assessment: how does it work? (.doc) [68kb]
  A fairly detailed summary of what a risk assessment is, employers' obligations, what they should cover and who does them
•  Sources of information for health and safety reps (.doc) [54kb]
•  Introduction to workplace inspections (.doc) [164kb]
  The legal framework
•  HSE Inspectors and UCU safety reps (.doc) [71kb]
  This factsheet summarises the guidance issued to HSE Inspectors about their responsibility to contact trade union safety representatives when they visit a workplace.
•  Extending safety reps' rights - UINs (.doc) [298kb]
  An explanation of a Union Inspection Notice - an idea UCU supports
   UIN form (.doc) [247kb]

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Specific issues

Accidents, injury, illness

•  UCU Briefing on the Fit Note (.doc) [120kb]
   UCU Briefing on the Fit Note (.pdf) [190kb]

•  Home visits factsheet (.doc) [175kb] 
   Home visits factsheet (.pdf) [99kb]
•  Slips and falls (.pdf) [121kb]
   Slips and falls (.doc) [154kb]
•  Alcohol dependency - UCU 10 point safety plan (.doc) [46kb]
• Ban bullying and harassment
  An online toolkit containing guidance, poster and model agreements, letters and surveys
  
  see also: Being online
• Stress toolkit
  An online toolkit containing guidance, agreements and model forms and questionnaires
•  Can you be disciplined or sacked for being ill? (.doc) [162kb]
  Guidance on a problem that is likely to increase
•  if there is an incident or injury at work (updated 2012) (.doc) [175kb]
  Essential do's and don'ts if there is an accident or injury at work
•  Finding out about violence at work (.pdf) [141kb]
   Finding out about violence at work (.doc) [155kb]
  
  see also:  Violence against women: guidance for UCU branch officers assisting members suffering from domestic violence, Nov 09 (.pdf) [82kb]
•  How long can a lecturer work without being given a break? (.doc) [166kb]
  Working Time Regulations and lecturers

In the workplace

•  Marking On Line Factsheet (.doc) [145kb]Online Marking Factsheet

•  Student numbers and workstation layout in craft workshops, Oct 10 (.doc) [171kb]
•  Hot desking, open plan offices and space utilisation in FE (.doc) [151kb]
  An in depth briefing on the issues with sample letters for safety reps
•  Smokefree workplaces: a summary (.doc) [160kb]
   Smokefree workplaces: a guide (.doc) [220kb]
  These two factsheets complement each other
•  Fire precautions checklist - an example (.doc) [167kb]
  A downloadable checklist
•  Office space for academic staff (.doc) [168kb]
  Includes advice on open plan offices
•  Temperature in indoor workplaces (.pdf) [172kb]
  Includes extracts from the relevant regulations
•  Example of a temperature and ventilation checklist (.doc) [177kb]
  A downloadable checklist
•  Out of 'site', out of mind? (.pdf) [83kb] IOSH guidance on teleworking
  Guidance from IOSH that UCU agrees with
•  hsmemb_space (.doc) [165kb]Office space. A guide to standards in space in the working environment.
•  Overcrowding in classrooms factsheet (.doc) [142kb]Overcrowding in classrooms factsheet.

Being online

•  Practical steps to ensure internet safety (.pdf) [132kb]
   Practical steps to ensure internet safety (.doc) [160kb]
•  Cyber-bullying: the invisible hand of bullying (.pdf) [151kb]
   Cyber-bullying: the invisible hand of bullying (.doc) [159kb]

Substances

•  Chemical substances checklist (.doc) [79kb]
  A checklist for occasional users of chemical substance
•  Asbestos diseases and their regulation (.doc) [106kb]
•  Control of Asbetos Regulations 2006 (.doc) [169kb]
•  The management of asbestos in the workplace - a checklist (.doc) [49kb]

Equipment

•  10-point plan: using laptop computers (.doc) [146kb]
•  The portable office (.pdf) [279kb] London Chamber of Commerce booklet
•  Interactive Whiteboard Factsheet (.docx) [114kb]A guide to safe use of interactive whiteboards.

Facilities

•  Risks associated with hot water systems (.doc) [48kb]
•  Staff toilets in FE colleges (.doc) [108kb]
  An essential guide to toilet facilities and the law, especially in FE

Driving at work

•  Driving insurance (.doc) [41kb]Driving at work: managing road risk factsheet.

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