Employee representation and occupational health and safety in Britain: 1974–1994

Abstract

This paper presents a review of research carried out during the last ten years concerning the implementation, operation and effectiveness of measures on employee representation in health and safety at work in Britain. It outlines the development of employee representation in health and safety following the implementation of the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, both in terms of the numerical presence of safety representatives and joint safety committees and in terms of qualitative factors of representation and the influences on it. The paper describes some of the key factors that the research has identified concerning influences on employee representation, and especially focuses on the role of trade unions in promoting and supporting employee representation in health and safety. This analysis of the role of trade unions is seen as particularly significant at present, partly because of the overall decline in trade union power during the past 15 years and partly because of the unique position in Europe of the British legislative requirements on employee representation. The likelihood of changes in these requirements in the light of the provisions of the European Union Framework Directive 391/89 makes questions about the strengths and weaknesses of the past and present British approach and its continued relevance particularly timely.