Consult your employees on health and safety

Consultation involves you not only giving information to your employees but also listening to them and taking account of what they say before making any health and safety decisions.

You can either consult with your employees about health and safety directly, or through a health and safety representative. If you recognise a trade union, it may appoint a health and safety representative. Your workers can also elect a health and safety representative. 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provide guidance on consulting your employees on health and safety (PDF, 271KB).

What must I consult about? 

You must consult with employees or their representatives about the following: 

• any new measures that could affect their health and safety at work, eg equipment, technology or processes
• arrangements for getting competent people to help them comply with health and safety laws  - see appoint a competent person for health and safety 
• workplace risks and measures to reduce them – see health and safety risk assessment
• health and safety training

What information should I make available to my employees? 

You must give your employees, or their representatives, the information necessary to allow them to participate fully and effectively in the consultation. Information should include:

• any workplace risks
• the measures to control these risks
• what they should do if they are exposed to a risk, including emergency procedures