Designed and produced by UNISON Communications Unit. Published by UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ.
CU/November 2001/12091/stock no 1982/30,000/Printer’s ref: 5708
Women’s
health &
safety
A guide for UNISON safety
representatives
Organising for
Health & Safety
For help when you need it
call UNISONdirect
Freephone 0800 5 97 97 50
For information visit
www.unison.org.uk
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Contents
3 Introduction
4 The Scale of the problem
5 Case study 1
7 The Law on Women’s Health and Safety
9 Case Study 2
16 Case Study 3
18 Case study 4
21 The Safety Representative’s Role
22 UNISON Survey
24 Further Advice and Information
2
Introduction
Almost nothing is known about the effects of work on women’s
health and safety. Yet nearly half of the UK workforce (72% of

It is generally perceived that the health and safety problems and
needs of women workers are identical to those of men. This is
clearly not true. Yet the HSE applies the same standard for both
women and men, both in terms of work methods and work
equipment. This has led to a number of health and safety problems
for women at work.
Case Study 1
Women working in a school kitchen were able to negotiate for
protective shoes, as there had been a large number of slips, trips
and falls injuries. However, the women found that the shoes were
a bad fit, were too broad, and the soles were very inflexible.
On reporting this to management, they were told that shoes had
been supplied, and therefore the employer’s responsibilities had
now been fulfilled. Any slips, trips or falls incidences that
occurred would now be deemed the women’s fault!
The UNISON safety representative argued that under the Personal
Protective Equipment Regulations protective clothing such as
shoes should be suitable for the risk and for the wearer, should be
maintained, provided free of charge and used only as a last resort.
As a result, the employer withdrew the original shoes and
provided more suitable ones after consultation with kitchen staff.
Women have also been left out of research into occupational ill
health. Researchers have tended to concentrate on problems
associated with heavy industries, usually dominated by men.
This caused by a perception that women’s work is safe, and that
only men do dirty, heavy, dangerous or stressful work. The
common view is that the work women do is light, easy and risk free.
But if we ask women members who work on computers all day
doing intensive data entry work; or those working as home carers,
The Scale of the Problem

likely than men to be affected by an occupational illness because of
the areas they work in. And the types of accidents women suffer
reflect the different tasks that they do. For example, women are
more likely to have an accident because they are tired.
Common complaints from women members include:
■ Stress caused by overwork and too many demands.
■ Headaches and eye strain after working on VDU’s.
■ Aches and pains in the neck, shoulders, arms or wrists.
■ Back pain.
■ Skin rashes, headaches, sore eyes or throat and breathing
problems.
■ Infections.
■ Accidents involving slips, trips and falls.
But none of these risks are inevitable. A properly managed
workplace should be healthy and safe for all staff – including
women.
The Law on Women’s Health and Safety
The general duty placed on employers to ensure the health, safety
and welfare of employees clearly includes women workers. Under
the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
employers should carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment
of the risk to employees’ health and safety.
Where employees include women of childbearing age and the work
could involve risks specific to new and expectant mothers, the
employer must take specific account of this group. Employers who
do not carry out such an assessment could be in breach of the Sex
Discrimination Act.
lifting several clients each day without lifting aids, training
or information on the risks; or cleaning staff with dermatitis or
asthma caused by the cleaning fluids they use, they will all tell us

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There are a whole range of health and safety issues which can affect
women members at work. Many of these will relate to work-related
accidents and injuries, but some concerns relate to the conditions
women are expected to work in.
Case Study 2
The ladies’ toilet at a large hospital was supplied with an open
waste paper basket for discarding soiled sanitary towels. Men
usually empty these baskets.
As well as the indignity of such a situation, these baskets can
hardly be deemed suitable under the regulations.
Another hospital in the same region did not supply any sanitary
machines in the ladies’ toilets used by staff.
In this hospital, the UNISON Branch negotiated for the
installation of a sanitary towel machine.
Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations
suitable means of disposal for sanitary dressings should be
provided in toilets used by women.
Here are some of the more common issues that may
be of concern:
Stress
Stress can result wherever the demands of the job do not match the
resources made available to the individual to do it, or where people
have no control over what they do, or how and when they do it.
When levels of stress are constant they can become unmanageable
and bring the risk of ill health.
For women, other factors may be involved. A number of studies
have found that stress can affect working women more than men.
But recognition of the differences between women and men’s health

1110
seems likely. In other words, stress should be treated like any other
hazard.”
Safety representatives will need to ensure that any stress prevention
policy takes account of women members and the factors that can
cause or make worse work-related stress.
RSI and WRULDS
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) covers a wide range of injuries to
muscles, tendons and nerves. Usually hands, wrists, elbows or
shoulders are affected. Knees and feet can also suffer especially
where jobs involve a lot of kneeling or operating foot pedals. RSI is
the more common term for a set of disorders called Work Related
Upper Limb Disorders (WRULDS).
There are many different names for these painful injuries. They
include tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis,
epicondylitis or “tennis elbow”, bursitis, and cellulitis or “beat
conditions”.
These conditions can be intensely painful. They can make even the
simplest manual tasks impossible. And the real tragedy is that they
can be prevented. No one should have to suffer an upper limb
disorder because of their work.
Nearly all types of work carry some risk of RSI. It has been linked
to the use of vibrating machines such as floor buffers used by
cleaners, and to office work such as using computers, and
keyboards, etc.
Women in general and older women in particular are at greater risk
than men of developing RSI because they often do the types of jobs
which involve repetitive tasks for long shifts or with no breaks.
Bad employers, poor work conditions and low wages force women
workers to miss their breaks, work long hours in poorly designed

It also says, “Employers should bear stress in mind when assessing
possible health hazards in their workplaces keeping an eye out for
developing problems and being prepared to act if harm to health
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Women are also less likely to be able to rest once they get home.
Instead of recovering they must often do the housework or look
after the children. And many of the movements at work are
repeated while doing housework.
Frequent rest breaks, slowing the pace of work and redesigning
equipment or tools all help to avoid strain injuries.
Employers have a duty to prevent RSI by conducting risk
assessments to identify the potential for RSI. This means that
employers must work out the risk factors associated with each job,
and if there is any possibility of RSI then that risk should be
avoided where possible, and minimised where not.
Safety reps will need to ensure that employers take
steps to prevent the risk of RSI to women workers by:
■ Changing work practices.
■ Providing suitable breaks, and ensuring that they are taken.
■ Adapting or replacing work equipment that is used by
women.
■ Providing proper information and training on the risk of
RSI.
A system for reporting and recording the symptoms of RSI should
also be in place, and safety representatives should ensure that
women are aware of when and how to use it.
Violence
Violence is a particular hazard for many members. But women are
more likely to work in areas where the risk of violence is high, such

example, an increasing number of women workers are expected to
work alone and this can increase the potential for work-related
violence.
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Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
regulations, employers must assess the risks of hazardous substances
used at work. These regulations cover not only chemicals but also
all substances, which can have an effect on health.
Latex gloves used by nurses, home and residential care workers and
cleaners (the majority of whom are women) are made from natural
rubber and are a major cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Protein
in the latex is the cause of the allergy. Someone can use these gloves
for years and then suddenly develop an allergy. This means that
they could then get a reaction whenever they touch rubber. In
extreme cases the reaction can cause unconsciousness. Cheaper
gloves are usually more dangerous, but powdered latex gloves are
by far the most dangerous. They contain cornstarch, which binds to
the protein making it more easily absorbed. Also the dust, if
breathed in, can cause asthma. UNISON believes that these gloves
should never be used.
Employers must:
■ Assess the risk caused by all hazardous substances.
■ Decide what precautions are needed to protect workers and
the public.
■ Prevent exposure (for example by using a less harmful
chemical, or ensuring that where gloves are used they are
a last resort, fit for the purpose, and are not an additional
hazard). If prevention is not possible, they must adequately
control the exposure.

the chemicals they contain, how to use them and the precautions
needed.
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The UNISON rep held a meeting with the cleaners to get their views
and then carried out her own inspection. She reported all the risks
she found to management in writing, asked them for their COSHH
assessments of the products and for a meeting to discuss the problems.
It turned out that no formal risk assessments of the products had
been carried out. It was agreed that management would as a first
step obtain all the manufacturers ‘safety data sheets’ for each product
as a starting point for carrying out proper risk assessments. Data
sheets include information about what is in the product, the hazards,
the control measures needed, storage requirements etc.
Among the improvements that UNISON agreed with management
were that only three main cleaning chemicals would be used, that
these would be colour coded and that all cleaners would be given
training in their use covering the risks from the products and the
precautions to be taken
Back Pain
At least 100,000 women suffer each year from back pain caused by
work. Back pain does not necessarily involve just a few days off
work. Any damage to the back or spine can make an everyday
activity either impossible or extremely painful, and can lead to
being incapacitated for weeks or even for life. Many women work
in occupations where manual handling injuries, leading to back
pain are a real concern. But manual handling injuries don’t just
happen to people moving heavy loads. Anyone can suffer a back
injury if they lift a load wrongly, or the weight shifts, or the lifting
is repeated regularly.

smelt funny and gave them a headache.
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Under the Manual Handling Regulations employers must:
■ Avoid manual handling operations as far as is reasonably
practicable.
■ Assess any hazardous manual handling operations that
cannot be avoided.
■ Remove or reduce the risk of injury using risk assessment
as the basis for action.
■ Give full training to any employee who has to lift or move
any loads (including people).
There is no “safe weight” for lifting. Weight is only one
factor that needs to be considered. Others include:
■ The number of times the lifting and moving is repeated.
■ Type and size of the load.
■ Weight distribution.
■ The individual involved.
Among the factors that relate to individuals are age, weight, sex,
possible pregnancy, and any previous history of back pain.
Safety representatives should ensure that:
■ The risk of back injury to women workers is considered
when manual handling assessments or tasks are carried out.
■ Any inspections of the workplace seeks to identify
uncontrolled sources of back strain, and includes checking
that members are taking their rest breaks.
■ Adequate tools, equipment, training and information is
provided.
■ Reporting and recording arrangements are in place.
■ New and Expectant Mothers

Under the Safety Representatives and Safety Committees
Regulations (SRSCR), UNISON’s safety representatives have a legal
right to consult with management over safety issues, represent
members, inspect workplaces and investigate problems. They also
have the right to receive all relevant information from management,
including any risk assessments that have been carried out on women
workers. By using these rights, safety reps can help to make the
work of women safer and healthier.
Safety representatives can find out whether women are experiencing
problems by talking to UNISON members on their regular
workplace inspections and by carrying out surveys. You will need
to explain that UNISON is trying to gather information on the
health and safety concerns of women and wants evidence of these
concerns to present to the employer. To ensure a response, surveys
should be very simple and to the point.
Safety representatives can also put women’s health
and safety needs higher on the agenda by:
■ Raising the health and safety problems women face at
work with employers.
■ Encouraging women to become safety representatives.
■ Mounting health and safety campaigns aimed at women.
■ Encouraging women to attend training courses.
■ Finding other ways of raising awareness of women’s health
and safety concerns.
Since 1994 there has been special protection for pregnant women
and new mothers at work. Employers must make sure that working
conditions will not put the health of expectant mothers or their
babies at risk. It is unlawful for employers to sack women because
they can’t do the same work as before because of pregnancy,
because they are breast feeding or because they have given birth

patterns, which may include early mornings or evenings. Special
efforts may, therefore, be needed to ensure contact is maintained.
Always report back to women staff on the results of any surveys
and any action taken. UNISON branches also have an important
part to play in ensuring that women know who to contact for
advice or help and where to find them. Branch Secretaries should
ensure that women are notified of and invited to attend branch
meetings and events.
Further information on the role of the safety representative is
available in the UNISON Health and Safety Representatives Guide.
UNISON has also produced a leaflet encouraging members to take
up the role of the safety representative and an A4 poster to help
with recruiting safety representatives.
UNISON Survey
UNISON wants more women to take up the role of the safety
representative. A recent survey of safety reps carried out by
UNISON shows that whilst the vast majority of UNISON members
are women (almost three-quarters of the membership), less than
40% are safety representatives.
Where female safety representatives exist, women members are more
likely to raise issues of concerns with them, particularly where the
concern is of a sensitive or personal nature. Female safety
representatives are also much more likely to raise issues relating to
women’s health and safety with employers. And the work of
women safety representatives may encourage other women members
to become safety representatives.
Safety Representatives Checklist:
Safety representatives should consider their answers to all of the
following questions, and what action can be taken to encourage
more women members to get involved.

Safety representatives will need to ensure that employers address the
health and safety concerns of women members. Safety
representatives will also want to ensure that employers include the
health and safety of women whenever health and safety strategies or
policies are discussed and developed. Focussing on the concerns of
women may encourage more women to take on the role as safety
representative, and may also help to attract new UNISON members.
UNISON has produced a range of guidance and information sheets
which safety representatives can use to tackle many of the health
and safety problems faced by women members at work. These are
available from UNISON’s Health and Safety Unit. We can email
copies of the information sheets. (Please specify which word
processing package you use, for example Microsoft Word 97).
Alternatively, you can get copies of our information sheets from
the UNISON website at
/>You can also write to us at the address below.
The following publications are available free (to UNISON members)
from the Communications Department, UNISON, 1 Mabledon
Place, London WC1H 9AJ. Please quote the stock number when
ordering.
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Caring for Cleaners – A Guide for Safety Representatives
(A5 Pamphlet, stock number 1183)
Ending Back Pain from Lifting – A guide for Safety
Representatives (A4 Booklet, stock number 1656)
Violence at Work – Negotiating Guide for Safety
Representatives (A4 Booklet, stock number 1346).
The TUC has produced health and safety information aimed at women,
and also publishes a comprehensive guide to health and safety called