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One of the main functions of a safety representative is to carry out inspections. This is a simple process but can be very important. If you are a new safety representative, you may want to be accompanied by a more experienced representative on your first inspection. Inspections do more than just help identify potential hazards, they also show your members that you are taking your responsibilities as a safety representative seriously. The Safety Representatives Regulations give you the right to formally inspect every 3 months (or more frequently if agreed with management). Arrangements for three-monthly and other more frequent inspections will normally be agreed with employers. As well as making an inspection every three months, you also have the right to inspect after any notifiable accident, dangerous occurrence or notifiable disease, where there is a substantial change in working conditions or if new information becomes available. Formal inspections are no substitute for daily observation, but they provide a useful opportunity to carry out a full-scale examination of all or part of the workplace. Remember that an inspection is not just looking around your workplace health and safety management , it includes the inspection of documents required by health and safety legislation such as risk assessments and certificates concerning the testing of equipment. It is also another opportunity to talk to your members. Some safety representatives like to do the health and safety inspection on their own or with other safety representatives and then meet management to report their findings. Others prefer to be accompanied by a manager or the employers’ safety advisor. Both have their advantages. However management do have to right to be present if they insist, but make sure you always have to opportunity to speak to workers on their own without health and safety management present.
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