Safety Matters - Rail, Tram and Bus Union of NSW

Essential Information Required by Workplace Reps
The roles of workplace representatives places many demands on the skills and
resources required to effectively communicate, discuss, monitor, negotiate and
resolve a range of issues at the workplace. It is essential to the effective work of
the committee or representative that s/he is well informed, has access to up-todate
information and reference materials. Some of the main types of information
and resources required by the employee representative in the workplace are
discussed in the following section.
SECTION TWO
Safety Matters A Guide for Workplace OHS Representatives
Workplace representatives should be familiar with the OHS Act and Regulations,
Codes of Practice, Company Policies, union rules and policies, committee
constitution and procedures, relevant external agencies and information
networks so that activities on-the-job are consistent with these. Representatives
should also be familiar with the basic conditions in any awards or agreements
which apply at the workplace. This can be achieved by studying the award or
agreement, keeping up-to-date with any changes or variations, and through
discussion with union officials.
You need to be aware of the union and company structures and methods of
processing enquiries or problems, as well as who are the appropriate personnel
in the union and company to deal with particular or specific issues. Workplace
representatives will also need to compile their own basic resources and reference
materials, and to have contact details of where to obtain a range of other
information (such as WorkCover, other sources of OHS information, industry
data such as that kept by the Rail Regulator, social welfare, antidiscrimination,
regulations and legislation etc.). For current purposes, these will simply be
summarised to provide an overview of the types of tasks, issues and resources
need to be considered and organised.
Monitoring OHS Programs and Procedures
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