4.2.2. Safety and health committees and safety delegates
Safety and health committees are established to promote safety
through cooperation between the employer and workers.4 In some
countries they are required by law, while in others they are voluntary. They
normally consist of representatives of both parties, and the employers’
representatives include those managers and staff who have direct operational
responsibility for safety at work. Safety delegates may play an important role
as regards first aid. They may be first-aiders themselves or they may help
workers to obtain appropriate first aid and seek medical advice as necessary. It
is not always easy to convince people of the importance of obtaining appropriate
first aid.
Although safety and health committees are not directly involved
in providing first aid, they can make important contributions as regards, for
example, the identification of hazards and of first-aid requirements. They may
give advice on the organization of first aid and assist in the selection of
first-aiders.
It should be noted that in almost all countries, safety and
health committees are not mandatory for small enterprises of a size below a
certain limit. Therefore more emphasis should be placed on the role of safety
delegates (who may exist in enterprises which are not big enough to have a
safety and health committee) and on the voluntary role that can be played by
workers who have followed a first-aid course on their
own.
