RCN Safety Representatives

RCN safety representatives play a vital role in representing the health and safety interests of all members in the workplace. In partnership with employers, RCN safety representatives use their role to promote a safe and healthy working environment and improve conditions to members.

Safety representatives:

• Influence the employer to work towards a healthy and safe environment, and negotiate and represent the health and safety interests of RCN members at work.
• Carry out safety inspections and contribute to risk assessments in the workplace.
• Represent RCN members on matters related to workplace accidents and incidents.
• Work jointly with employers, to ensure compliance to relevant health and safety legislation.

Find out more in the: Safety representative role descriptor (PDF 30.7KB) [How to access PDF files]

Safety representatives work jointly with employers to ensure compliance of health and safety legislation. This may include working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in England, Scotland and Wales and in Northern Ireland the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), or other safety and environmental enforcement agencies.

RCN safety representatives have played a vital role in workplace initiatives, such as 'Be Sharp, Be Safe', a campaign to reduce the incidence of sharps injury through education, and 'Wipe it Out', a campaign on infection control.

The RCN provides learning and development opportunities for all safety representatives. This starts with completing the learning and development programme for newly accredited representatives through to advanced masterclasses and bespoke workshops for experienced representatives.

Where the RCN has a recognition agreement, accredited representatives have a legal entitlement to reasonable paid time off for trade union duties, including learning and development. If your employer does not recognise trade unions and you believe there is sufficient support, then contact your RCN regional or national office, or RCN Direct on 0845 772 6100 who can advise you further.