Health, Safety and Environment - International Labour Organization

Manual 3:HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTFOR WORKER HS&E REPRESENTATIVESGlobaleconomyThe massive growth in world markets and multinationals has majorimplications for health, safety and the environment. The same employercan often provide standards in one country that may be better or worsethan for workers in other countries. Trade unions need to actinternationally as well as nationally and locally.Checklist – A Trade Union approach to health,safety and the environmentSome of the key principles for union action on health, safety and the environmentinclude: identification of hazards, elimination or reduction of risks to workers, ratherthan expecting workers to adapt to the risks ensuring that the risks from hidden health hazards, environmental hazards andwork organisation are dealt with, as well as the more obvious safety risks consideration of the environmental impact of work activity, and the riskscreated for local communities and taking appropriate action involving, informing and educating members to ensure that a workers’ agendafor identifying hazards and tackling risks is adopted adopting an equal opportunities approach to HS&E working as a united body at all levels in the union. HS&E is no different than anyother trade union issue pressurising the employer meet their obligations to identify hazards, avoid therisks, or combat risks at source pressurising Governments and employers to accept and implement core labourstandards, in particular, ILO Convention No. 184 on Safety and Health inAgriculture using the law to help to improve standards improving agricultural health, safety and environmental standards to promotesustainable agriculture Union organisation for HS&EAbout thissectionThis section will help us to: identify and practise the jobs of a worker HS&E representative involve trade union members in HS&E improve trade union organisation for HS&E68 Health, Safety and EnvironmentA Series of Trade Union EducationManuals for Agricultural Workers