Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

3.12 
Cooperation with the workforce
It is important to gain the cooperation of all employees 
if a successful health and safety culture is to become 
established. This cooperation is best achieved by con-
sultation. The easiest and potentially the most effective 
method of consultation is the health and safety commit-
tee. It will realize its full potential if its recommendations 
are seen to be implemented and both management and 
employee concerns are freely discussed. It will not be so 
successful if it is seen as a talking shop.
The committee should have stated objectives, which 
mirror the objectives in the organization’s health and 
safety policy statement, and its own terms of reference. 
Terms of reference could include the following:
➤
the study of accident and notifi able disease statis-
tics to enable reports to be made of recommended 
remedial actions
➤
the examination of health and safety audit and statu-
tory inspection reports
➤
the consideration of reports from the external 
enforcement agency
➤
the review of new legislation, approved codes 
of practice and guidance and its effect on the 
organization
➤
the monitoring and review of all health and safety 
training and instruction activities in the organization
➤
the monitoring and review of health and safety publi-
city and communication throughout the organization.
There are no fi xed rules on the composition of the 
health and safety committee except that it should be 
representative of the whole organization. It should have 
representation from the workforce and the management 
including at least one senior manager.
There are two pieces of legislation that cover health 
and safety consultation with employees and both are 
summarized in Chapter 17.