Health and Safety

We are all entitled to work in environments where risks to your health and safety are properly controlled. Under health and safety law, the primary responsibility for this is down to your employers.

As a worker, you have a duty to take care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions. Health and safety legislation, therefore, requires employers and workers to co-operate.

UNISON AW branch aims to protect your health, safety and well-being during your employment with the company. This includes substance exposure, stress, manual handling, workplace temperatures, etc.

If you have specific queries on health and safety in your workplace, ask your trade union representative.

Common Issues

DSE

Display Screen Equipment (DSE) workers can experience a wide range of different physical and psychological health problems including, temporary myopia, eyestrain, blurred vision, headaches, musculoskeletal problems including RSI and reproductive hazards.

These problems are often caused by a combination of badly designed jobs, equipment and working environments. Most of the conditions can be prevented by rigorous attention to the way in which jobs are organised, and by provision of appropriate equipment and workplaces. This includes ensuring people are not required to do too much work in too short a time.

If your DSE work is causing problems, contact your UNISON H&S representative for help and advice.

DSE UNISON guide http://www.unison.org.uk/file/4095.pdf

Work place temperature

In the current cold weather, the issue of workplace temperature is frequently raised. The only statutory provision is that the workplace be maintained above a minimum temperature of 16ºC, so far as is reasonably practicable. This only applies to working environments indoors. There is no statutory maximum temperature.

This guidance document gives more detail and suggestions on what is a “reasonable” temperature.

http://www.unison.org.uk/file/a184.pdf

Stress – How stressed are you?

When you’re busy at work delivering targets and facing deadlines, it’s easy to feel the pressure. But when pressure increases and turns to stress it can cause problems with your work, your health and in relationships at work and at home.

Work related stress is more common than you might think and can lead to depression, anxiety and other serious health problems.

One in six people think their job is very or extremely stressful and stress makes up to half a million people ill every year. Being stressed at work is not the same as being weak, and it’s not your fault. Any job can cause stress and can affect anybody regardless of your status or grade.

And it’s not just about overwork, as boredom, monotony, bullying or threats of violence are also stressful.

Unison can help

We know stress isn’t good for you and we don’t believe it’s necessary to get the job done. Unacceptable levels of stress should not be a normal part of working life.

People work better if they are not stressed.

Your employer has a legal duty to ensure your health, safety and welfare at work – and this includes preventing stress. They must assess the risk of stress and bring in measures to prevent or reduce that risk.

The reality is that work-related stress is a problem for many UNISON members and is a difficult issue for them to raise with employers. In fact this would be a stressful thing to do!

You don’t have to face stress alone.

Our safety representatives have the legal right to raise health and safety issues on your behalf, so if you have a problem with stress, get UNISON involved. We will talk to your employer and look at practical ways to help you reduce your stress at work. Talk to your safety rep, or ring 01480 325754.

Not yet a member of UNISON?

If you are not already a member of UNISON or wish to find out more about the services UNISON provides, please ask for an application form or download from this website

Guidance for members/reps: http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/18596.pdf

Guidance on bullying http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/18989.pdf