Youre a safety rep!
As a CUPE local union health and safety representative, elected or appointed by your local, you have legal rights and protection spelled out in law.
Your rights give you the power to carry out workplace investigations on behalf of your local, make recommendations to your employer, and ask for health and safety information and training.
Becoming a local union health and safety representative may be your first union job, or you may have just been elected to become your locals health and safety representative. In any event, you can call upon the experience and expertise that CUPE has both at the local, regional and national level.
Here are some important facts you should know as a local health and safety representative:
Your right to participate
Your right to investigate
Your right to inspect
Your right to be consulted
Your right to information
Your right to time off
Can CUPE help?
What do you need to get started?
CUPE publications
Training
Other resources
Your right to participate
This pamphlet is to welcome you to a position that will be as important as it is rewarding. It will also help provide you with an understanding of your basic responsibilities so that you can properly represent your local union members.
The main responsibilities in your job are to:
- make sure that work does not damage the health and safety of cupe members
- check that changes introduced by management do not lead to poorer working conditions
- help your union and the health and safety committee ensure that management meets its responsibilities to provide work and a workplace that is healthy and safe for your members
Your right to investigate
As a CUPE member health and safety representative one of your jobs is to keep an eye on the working conditions of your co-workers. If they have complaints or problems you can take these up with management.However, you do not have to wait until problems show up. There may be instances where you may be called upon to investigate issues such as:
- new chemical compounds introduced into the workplace
- lack of health and safety information or training
- workplaces that are too hot or too cold
- improper workstation layout/design
- no mechanical lifting equipment
Your right to inspect
At least once a month, or as often the health and safety legislation requires, you will need to carry out a workplace inspection, including talking to members about any health and safety problems.
You will also have to conduct an investigation if there has been an accident or a fatality. If a government inspector has been called in, you have the right to accompany him or her.
Your right to be consulted
Your employer has to consult with you about health and safety matters, including:
- measures that may affect the health and safety of your members
- health and safety information and training provided to your members
Your right to information
In order for you to do your union health and safety representative job well, and to represent your members interests properly, you will need to access information from your employer. The occupational health and safety laws recognize this, and have provisions to grant such access.
For example, your employer must provide you information on such things as:
- accident and injury information
- WCB information
- results of any workplace monitoring or measurements
- information about chemical, physical or biological substances used or introduced into a workplace
Your right to time off
Your employer must respect that as a union health and safety representative you are legally entitled to time off to conduct your duties. This is explained in the legislation in your jurisdiction. Usually this includes time off to:
- inspect the workplace
- conduct accident investigations
- prepare for and attend joint health and safety committee meetings
Can CUPE help?
One thing you should always remember is that as a cupe local union health and safety representative you are not alone. There are a number of people regionally and nationally who can help and support you:
- your CUPE staff representative
- regional CUPE health and safety staff in vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.
- the national health and safety branch in Ottawa, which assists in coordinating the work of the regional health and safety staff
- CUPE education representatives
What do you need to get started?
CUPE has put together a kit to help you get started that includes:
- workplace inspection checklist
- CUPE complaint forms
- right to refuse cards
CUPE publications
The national health and safety branch in ottawa have put together a variety of fact sheets and guidelines that might be helpful to you. Example topics covered include:
- back injuries
- stopping violence at work
- repetitive strain injuries
- cold weather hazards
- needlestick injuries
Contact the National Office if you are interested in these publications or enquire about the others that are available.
Training
CUPE also conducts workshops and conferences designed to help health and safety reps represent their members effectively.
Other resources
The national Health and Safety Branch also have extensive resources that might be helpful to you as a health and safety rep. For example, our library, internet resources, and databases provide health and safety information that you can access.