Health and safety is about preventing injury and disease at work on an ongoing basis. Unite has a dedicated health and safety team and Unite officers work closely with members to help secure a safe working environment.

Employers have statutory duties to protect people from risks caused by work. Health and safety law requires employers to assess health risks and to decide what actions need to be taken. There are also specific regulations covering such issues as: lifting and handling, VDUs, work equipment, asbestos and its risks in the workplace, and personal protective equipment.

What's more, elected Unite safety reps have a wide range of legal rights and can make a real difference to protecting health, safety and welfare in the workplace.

If you have an accident at work, no matter how minor, you must report it to your supervisor, a union representative or the company safety officer. Ensure that your injury is entered in the accident book. If you are off work because of an accident, make sure you see a doctor and say that you have been injured at work. Request a certificate to send to your employer as you may qualify for benefit.

Enforcing health & safety law

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE): The HSE is generally responsible for enforcing health and safety law in the UK. It provides guidance on complying with safety laws and offers advice on occupational health. Accidents at work in England and Wales must be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. Such accidents should be reported to the HSE on the dedicated RIDDOR website .

The HSE website features online and downloadable documents and statistics, publications, catalogues, and press releases as well as downloadable free leaflets covering a huge range of issues and industries. It also has a number of special sections covering issues such as noise, vibration, asthma, agriculture and transport, and is growing all the time. Find out more from the HSE .