According to the document, shop stewards play an important role in workplace health and safety structures by representing workers and communicating health and safety issues between management and employees. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers with 20 or more employees to appoint shop steward representatives to monitor health and safety conditions. Shop stewards are nominated by their peers and identify hazards, inspect the workplace, participate in audits and investigations, make recommendations, and address employee health and safety complaints. They also accompany inspectors and receive information from regulatory agencies. Health and safety committees, which shop stewards are part of, meet regularly to discuss incidents and injuries, make recommendations, and participate in investigations.
1. The Role of Shop Stewards in the OHS Structure
SHE Rep has intimate
knowledge of the work
activities, and is permanently
employed
One of the key principals of the
OHS Act is that work-related
hazards, risks and dangers
should be addressed through
good communication between
management and employees.
According to Section 17 of the
Occupational Health and Safety
Act (Act 85 of 1993), employers
who employ 20 or more workers
on premises must appoint
representatives to monitor
health and safety conditions.
Appointed representatives
represent workers regarding
safety and health matters to
management.
Representative's forms part of
an important link between
management and the rest of the
organisations employees.
SHE Reps need to be nominated
by their peers and ideally the
workforce-team should choose
their leader (SHE Rep)
3. SHE Representative - Functions
• Identify hazards and potential incidents
• Inspect the workplace and report unsafe conditions
• Participate in internal health and safety audits
• Visit the site of an incident & participate in investigations
• Make health & safety recommendations to the employer
• Review the effectiveness of health (and safety) measures in the workplace
• Investigate employees’ health and safety concerns & complaints
4. SHE Representative - Functions
• Review the findings of incident investigations
• Accompany a Dept. of Labour Inspector during an inspection
• Report to the Dept. of Labour if the employer fails to respond to recommendations
• Attend investigations & formal inquiries conducted by the Dept. of Labour
• Receive information from an inspector from the Dept. of Labour
5. H & S Committees - Functions
• Meet as often as needed - At least once every three months
• Discuss incidents at work in which a person was injured, became ill or died
• Make recommendations to the employer regarding H&S at work
• Participate in incident investigations & Review the findings of investigations
• Keep records of recommendations made to employer & reports made to DoL.
• Employer responsible to ensure records of H&S committee are kept for at least three years
