Healthy,
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Safety Representatives and Safety Consultation

Employers must consult their employees on matters relating to safety, health and welfare at work and provide them with relevant information, including the risk assessments and the control measures in place. Consultation on health and safety matters between employers and employees helps to ensure co-operation in the prevention of accidents and ill health.

Consultation arrangements may include a safety committee, which exists for the purpose of consultation regarding the safety, health and welfare of employees at work. Schedule 4 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out the manner in which safety committees must operate (including, but not limited to, the frequency of meetings, numbers of participants, and the representatives on the safety committee).

As part of the consultation process, employees have the right to select safety representative(s). The employer must recognise the rights and entitlements of a safety representative outlined in Section 25 of the 2005 Act. Safety representatives and safety committee members must be given time off without loss of remuneration in order to attend training for their role. Annex 2 of the HSA Safety Representatives and Safety Consultation Guidelines outlines the elements that should be included in training for safety representatives and members of safety committees.

Further Information