Purpose

The Wellbeing and Health and Safety Committee will promote cooperation between management and employees in developing and implementing measures to ensure appropriate health and safety practices throughout the LGSCO. This Committee is intended to be a forum in which to discuss and report on:

• measures needed to improve safety and health standards
• training needs
• health and safety performance monitoring
• accident/incident investigations, including fire incidents
• accident prevention measures, and
• the well-being of staff.

The Wellbeing and Health and Safety Committee should be concerned mainly with matters relating to policy, procedures, and standards. Day-to-day issues, such as building defects should be dealt with directly by Building Workplace Services provider or the Operational Support service desk. The Committee will meet every six months.

Committee Representatives

The structure the Wellbeing and Health and Safety Committee should be such that the views of employees and workers from all offices and operational areas can be represented.

• Chief Executive – Chair
• Operational Support Manager
• Operational Support Coordinator
• Human Resources – HR Business Partner and HR Officer
• Three trade union safety representatives appointed by Unison (one from each office).
• Commission Health, Safety and Wellbeing Champion

Consultation with Employees

Consultation

The LGSCO recognises the need for regular consultation on health, safety and wellbeing matters between management and employees. Effective lines of communication are needed to enable health, safety, and wellbeing information to be

passed to employees. It needs to be a two-way process to allow employees to raise any health, safety, and wellbeing issues of concern. The lines of communication will be maintained so that all employees are kept informed of all health and safety issues relevant to their work activities, including the results of risk assessments and incident investigations. This can be done via Wellbeing and Health and Safety Committee meetings or through team meetings . The objective of these meetings should be to discuss matters relating to our health, safety, and wellbeing performance, including accident/incident investigations and accident prevention. The measures needed to improve health, safety, and wellbeing standards and meet identified training needs will also be considered.

Employee Representatives

H&S representatives appointed by Unison who represent all workers

Consultation will take place with employee representatives in accordance with ‘Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations 1977’ and the ‘Health & Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 and/or about:

• the introduction of any measure in the workplace which may substantially affect the health and safety of LGSCO employees;
• training in health and safety;
• arrangements for appointing competent persons to assist with health and safety;
• information to be provided to meet statutory requirements;
• the consequences of the introduction of new technology at work; and
• health, safety, and wellbeing concerns identified by management, employees and as a result of health and safety audits.

The role of the H&S representatives is to represent the interests of workers with regard to all aspects of health, safety and wellbeing; and in so doing, to bring to the attention of the LGSCO (through the Wellbeing and Health and Safety Committee where appropriate) workers’ concerns, and the results of inspections. Representatives will carry out inspections and investigations and consult with the LGSCO and workers to promote health, safety, and wellbeing.