Health, Safety and Environment - International Labour Organization

Manual 3:HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTFOR WORKER HS&E REPRESENTATIVESLegal backingfor HS&Erepresentativesand workersArticle 8 1 (b) of ILO Convention No. 184 on Safety and Health inAgriculture 2001 gives workers several important rights to: be informed and consulted on safety and health matters participate in safety and health measures select safety and health representatives and safety committee members remove themselves from danger where there is a serious and imminentrisk, and not be penalised for these actionsThere is legal provision in a few countries for worker HS&E safetyrepresentatives and for safety committees. The rights can vary dependingupon the way the law has been drafted, for example in some countries: trade unions have won the right to nominate, elect and appoint workerHS&E representatives and committee members trade unions have the right to appoint roving safety representatives whocan visit smaller workplaces with union members, but do not have theirown worker HS&E representative the legal powers of worker HS&E representatives and committeemembers have been extended to cover the impact of the workplace onthe (surrounding) environmentHowever, many countries do not have legal rights for worker HS&Erepresentatives and committees in agriculture. The reasons for this arevaried, for example: there may be no laws on worker HS&E representatives or agriculturemay be excluded from HS&E legislation the number of workers on a farm is too low for the employer to be legallyrequired to have worker HS&E representatives and committeesIn these circumstances, many IUF affiliated unions include HS&E as anintegral part of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA’s) that theynegotiate with employers. CBA’s can include substantial HS&E rights fortrade unions and workers.Specialisedworker HS&Erepresentatives?Your trade union will normally have a policy about whether there should bespecific worker HS&E representatives. If you do, or if union representativesdeal with health, safety and the environment in addition to their otherfunctions, the job will be much the same.What does thejob involve?The answer to this will depend upon: your workplace the hazards in your workplace what your members think about health, safety and the environment your union organisation the attitude of your management to health and safety72 Health, Safety and EnvironmentA Series of Trade Union EducationManuals for Agricultural Workers