The role of health and safety reps

As PCS sets out, safety reps have specific legal rights, which are relevant to tackling bullying. These include:

• the right to investigate potential hazards;

• the right to inspect the workplace and talk to members in confidence;

• the right to take up health and safety complaints of members;

• the right to be consulted about health and safety matters;

• the right to health and safety information from the employer; and

• the right to inspect health and safety documents held by the employer.

It says these rights can be used to investigate sources of stress such as bullying and to ensure there is a strategy to deal with them. Local union reps and safety reps should liaise and consult about the best way to deal with bullying in the workplace.

PCS points to the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Stress Management Tools (see page 49) which include sections on relationships at work and incorporate bullying indicators. There is also a diagnostic survey tool on the anti-bullying charity Andrea Adams website.