Elected Health and Safety Representatives (HSR)

Role Statement

The Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act, 1986, states that a group of employees may elect a person to represent them on health and safety issues. The group of employees is called the work group and the person they elect to represent them is called a health and safety representative.

Health and safety representatives are elected for a term of 3 years. They must be consulted by area management on any issues that affect the health, safety and welfare of the workers they represent.

Health and safety representatives have a vital role to play in assisting employees to have health and safety issues raised. Through their own experience in the workplace, representatives have a practical understanding of the health and safety problems that employees experience and can contribute suggestions about ways to resolve them. In addition, elected health and safety representatives play a crucial role on the Cost Centre Occupational Health and Safety Committees.

Health and safety representatives have legal rights and functions to assist them to carry out their role effectively, and are also protected from discrimination by the employer. However, a health and safety representative can only take action on health and safety issues affecting employees in the representative's own work group.

A health and safety representative is entitled to:

1. Inspect the workplace either;
   • immediately if there is an accident, dangerous occurrence or direct risk to health, safety and welfare of any person; or
   • at any time after giving reasonable notice to management;
     
     
2. Accompany an inspector during an inspection of the workplace;
   
   
3. Investigate complaints relating to health, safety and welfare made by an employee in the work group;
   
   
4. Be present at an interview between management and an employee concerning occupational health, safety and welfare if the employee so requests;
   
   
5. Be present at any interview concerning occupational health, safety and welfare between an inspector and an employee.
   
   
6. Make representations to management on any matter related to occupational health, safety and welfare;
   
   
7. Following consultation with the employer and subsequent failure to act, issue notices requiring unsafe situations to be corrected by a certain date;
• Request an inspector to attend the workplace;
  
  
8. Direct work to cease if an immediate threat to health, safety and welfare is present;
   
   
9. Have access to any information available on risks that arise or may arise at the workplace;
   
   
10. Take at least five days per year off work, without loss of income, for the purpose of taking part in approved training courses;
    
    
11. To be reimbursed by the employer for any reasonable expenses reasonably incurred by the person with respect to
    • travelling
    • obtaining meals
    • parking fees
    
    if these expenses are over and above or additional to expenses that the person would have incurred in any event had he or she been at work at the relevant time.

Health and safety representatives do not have any legal liability for their actions, or lack of action, on any matter in their role as health and safety representative. However, if a representative is found guilty of using their powers or information obtained, for an improper purpose, the representative may be fined.

A deputy health and safety representative may, in the absence of the health and safety representative, perform the functions of a health and safety representative.

List of HSR's in each workgroup

OHS Workgroup	H&S Representative	Extension
Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology 1.--School of Law [Law & Commerce Building]	Sandra Brooks (Deputy)	1 5542
2.--[Humanities Building , MFT, Drama Centre]	Wendy Hill Kathy Wyatt (Deputy)	1 5516 1 2586
3. --School of Education, Disability Studies [Sturt Buildings]	Sally Cole	1 2441
4.--[Social Sciences South Building]	Juliet Antooley	1 3208
Faculty of Science and Engineering 1.--School of Informatics and Engineering [Engineering Buildings]	Aaron Walsh	1 5299
2.--School of Chemistry, Physics & Earth Sciences & Faculty Office [Physical Sciences Building]	David Vincent Mike Mellow (Deputy)	1 2116 1 2127
3.--School of Biological Sciences [Biological Sciences Building]	Dominic Reppucci	1 5463 / 1 2132
4.-- Lincoln Marine Science Centre	Bob de Laine	86832561
Faculty of Social Sciences 1 -- [Social Sciences North Building]	Louise O'Loughlin John Murphy (Deputy)	1 2107 1 2558
2. -- [Law & Commerce Building]	Alsion Cropley	1 3894
3.-- [Social Sciences South Building]	Chris Hankel	1 2771
Faculty of Health Sciences 1.--School of Nursing & Faculty Office [Sturt Buildings]	Didy Button	1 3312
2.--School of Medicine Workshops and Laboratories [FMC Building]	Kerry Gascoigne	46 4858
3.--School of Medicine Administration and External Units [Mark Oliphant Building, Repatriation General Hospital, FMC Flats]	Ms Carol Gibb	1 4628
4.--Flinders University Rural Clinical School Renmark/Mt Gambier	Vacant
The Libraries 1.-- Main Library	Johanna Hall	1 2238
2.-- Sturt Library	Tanya Arbon	1 3281
3.-- Medical Library [FMC Building]	Deborah Wallis Jessica Tyndall (Deputy)	46 4936 46 5460
Central Administration 1.--VC's Office, EDA's Office, Academic & Student Services, Financial Services, Human Resources & Buildings and Property Divisions in Registry Building + Art Museum [Registry & Western Administration Buildings & Art Museum]	Jason Farren Julia Miller (Deputy)	1 5904 1 2518
2.--Services Section B&P [work groups across the whole campus]	Don Caldwell	1 2100
3.-- Grounds and Maintenance B&P [work groups based in the Maintenance Services Building and across the whole campus]	Dario Ugrin Michael Baas(Deputy)	1 2177 0414190035
4.--Information Services Division and Staff Development and Training Unit [Physical Sciences Building, Flinders Press, IS&T Building ]	Vacant
5.--Flinders Housing	Bettina Downing	1 6000

Udated: 14 August 2008