Health And Safety Representative

Each organisation is required by law, under section 17 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, to have one or more health and safety representatives. The representative is elected by colleagues to represent them, in consultation with the employer, on matters relating to health and safety issues in the workplace.

Upon being found competent, learners will be able to describe the framework of workplace health and safety legislation pertaining to health and safety representatives; explain the specified requirements to conduct safety, health and environmental representation activities at a working place; address safety, health and environment related issues within their scope of authority and comply with the activities within safety, health and environmental structures.

Course Content:

• Describe the framework of workplace health and safety legislation pertaining to health and safety representatives
  • In this module, we look at the definitions and terminology contained within current legislation in terms of specific workplace requirements. We describe the objectives of such legislation in terms of their impact on employees and employers, explaining the statutory requirements applicable to SHE reps as it affects their duties and functions, as well as in terms of the health and safety committee. We examine the requirements of the employer in terms of their effect on the functions, and the SHE rep’s duties and responsibilities.
• Explain the specified requirements to conduct safety, health and environmental representation activities at a working place
  • We take learners through the specific functions and rights of the health and safety representative in terms of the relevant legislation and the importance and purpose of conducting SHE-rep activities in terms of the consequences to safety, health, environment and production.
• Address safety, health and environment related issues within the scope of authority
  • This module deals with SHE-related issues at the appropriate level, according to specified requirements, and establishes facts related to SHE issues from information obtained using accepted data gathering methods. It provides resolution of safety, health and environment related issues according to legislation, organisational policy and procedures, explaining the importance of resolving SHE-related issues in terms of the consequences to health, safety, environment and production.
• Comply with the activities within safety, health and environmental structures
  • We explain the extent of participation within SHE structures according to legislative requirements; describe the consultative requirements of the health and safety representative in terms of their impact on interested and affected parties; explain the importance of participating in the activities within SHE structures in terms of the consequences to health, safety, environment and production, measuring participation in the activities of the safety, health and environmental structures according to health, safety and environmental requirements.