A huge congratulations to the CWU Health & Safety Representatives who successfully completed the CWU Introduction to Health and Safety Course from 1–5 June at the City of Glasgow College, delivered by the Trade Union Education Centre.
Throughout the week, delegates developed their knowledge and skills across a wide range of key health and safety topics, including:
- The trade union approach to health and safety
- The role, responsibilities and functions of Health & Safety Representatives
- Workplace health, safety and welfare standards
- Introduction to health and safety law
- Problem-solving and communication skills
- Risk assessments
- The accident reporting and investigation process
- Hazard mapping
- Health and safety as an organising tool
This is an excellent and worthwhile course for anyone who recognises the importance of maintaining high standards of health, safety and welfare in the workplace. Well-trained Health & Safety Representatives play a vital role in protecting workers, identifying risks, and ensuring that employers meet their legal and moral responsibilities.
Course tutor Sonya Cassidy praised the delegates for their commitment throughout the week:
“The delegates showed a fantastic commitment to learning throughout the week and fully embraced the course content. Health and Safety Representatives are essential in helping to create safer workplaces, and it was encouraging to see such enthusiasm for protecting and supporting colleagues. The course covered a wide range of important topics and everyone participated fully in discussions and activities. I have no doubt that the knowledge and skills gained on this course will make a real difference in their workplaces and help strengthen health and safety standards for CWU members.”
Local Health & Safety Representative John Gorman also spoke positively about his experience on the course:
“The course was very good and the tutors were very informative on all aspects of health and safety. They made the course enjoyable for everyone while ensuring we gained a lot of valuable knowledge and understanding. I would recommend it to anyone interested in becoming a Health and Safety Representative.”
Local Representative Nick Myers highlighted the benefits of classroom-based learning and the experience of the tutors:
“Sonya and Eveline were both excellent tutors with great industry knowledge. They got the CWU group working really well as a team and encouraged us to share our experiences throughout the course. It worked particularly well because we were all together in the same classroom rather than learning in an online environment. The discussions, group work and interaction really helped bring the course to life.”
Local Representative Robert Nicol praised both tutors and the structure of the course:
“As the others are saying, both tutors were excellent, both in their knowledge and in their experience of delivering courses. They kept the course moving forward at a good pace, gave us time to chat about our work experiences, and weren’t afraid to say, ‘Let’s move on’ when needed. I personally learned loads throughout the week. 10/10.”
Congratulations once again to all those who completed the course and have strengthened their ability to make workplaces safer, healthier and fairer for everyone.
If you are interested in becoming a Health & Safety Representative or would like to find out more about future learning opportunities, please contact:
Peter Knox
Regional ULR Lead Scotland
CWU Glasgow & District Amal
📧 peter.knox@cwuglasgow.com
Investing in our representatives means investing in safer workplaces for all. 🦺💪
