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Health and safety

montage of safety imagesCampaigning for health and safety

Protecting the health, safety and welfare of members at work is a key Prospect objective. We are committed to improving working conditions for all members. Prospect’s health & safety reps play the lead role in achieving these aims.

These web pages are for members, reps and Prospect staff and are about supporting you with your health and safety concern. These pages provide:


National inspection day 27 October 

Wednesday 27 October, the mid-point of this year's European Health and Safety Week, is National Inspection Day, when union health and safety representatives are encouraged to inspect their workplace. TUC has published an online guide and poster to be used. It has also produced a safety reps' guide to maintenance work. You are urged to ensure during your 27 October inspection that your employer has a maintenance programme in place.

Pre-employment medicals

The use of pre-employment medicals to weed out applicants on health grounds is to become illegal. Changes introduced under the Equality Act 2010 and that take effect from October 2010 mean prospective employers cannot ask health questions of applicants 'until the applicant has been able to successfully pass an interview, or some other assessment, to show that they meet some of the non-health requirements of the job,' says a TUC briefing.

There are some limited exceptions, including questions designed to assess whether an applicant 'would be able to carry out a core function of the job with reasonable adjustments having been made as appropriate' and positive efforts to employ workers with disabilities.

Equality Act 2010: A TUC guide

Branch organisation

Remember, health and safety is not separate from other trade union activity. Many of the issues that unions tackle within the workplace have health and safety implications, for example:

  • work organisation/change
  • poor staffing levels
  • shift systems
  • sickness absence management
  • harassment and bullying.

This is why it is so important that we all pull together in a coordinated approach between H&S reps, branches and HQ.

Branches, make sure you know your H&S reps. H&S reps, please liaise with your branch!

And everyone: please make sure our membership records are kept up-to-date. If you are an H&S rep, this must be recorded on Prospect's membership database to ensure you to receive circulars, newsletters, other updates and invitations. And if you stand down, please contact our membership department by email or phone 01932 577007.