The role of safety representatives
Suspended. An advanced train maintainer, who was an elected health and safety representative, was suspended for raising continued health and safety concerns relating to trackside worker protection.
What happened? At an employment tribunal he said he had been “persistently pursuing health and safety concerns about protection on the track” . These issues had been raised previously by his predecessor. The employer cited concerns that the worker’s mental health might have been impacting on his conduct at work as the company had “received two separate reports about the claimant’s conduct over a short period” .
However, the tribunal concluded that the employer’s main purpose in suspending him was a desire to remove the claimant from his role to prevent continued health and safety issues being raised. The employment judge upheld his claim for detrimental treatment.
Tip. Use our saety briefing - consultation guide to get the most from engaging your safety representatives (see The next step ).
For our safety briefing - consultation guide, visit https://www.tips-and-advice.co.uk , Download Zone, year 21, issue 01.
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