Safety & Respect at Work
United Workers Union is committed to your Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) and improving safety conditions across our industries.
Every worker has the right to:
- A safe workplace – free of physical and psychosocial risks
- Say no to unsafe work
- Take breaks
- To be consulted on safety matters
- Be informed about WHS, this must be accessible and available to you (eg. Training, info about risks)
- Have your Health Safety Representative (HSR) represent you (this should be an UWU trained HSR, not your manager or HR!)
Under the relevant WHS Act, your employer must by law:
- Provide a safe work environment, free of known risks and hazards
- Provide safe ways of working
- Provide any information, training, instruction, or supervision needed for safety
- Monitor the health of workers and conditions at the workplace
Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
When workers elect their own HSR for their designated working group or area, your workplace is safer. It’s that simple. HSR’s have extra powers to immediately exercise all rights set out in the WHS Act in your state or territory. UWU provides training to HSRs to ensure they have up-to-date expertise to report issues, and keep and create a safer workplace. Interested in HSR training?
An HSR has the power to:
- Inspect workplaces
- Direct workers to stop work when it is unsafe, on paid time
- Issue a PIN notice (Provisional Improvement Notice) over a breach of WHS under the Act
- Consult with workers about WHS on paid time in their designated working group/area
- Represent workers in their designated working group/area