Protection for refusal to carry out duties due to unsafe new practice

[justiceman]

A new practice has been brought into our workplace (local authority emergency service) which has raised serious, life threatening, safety concerns amongst staff.

Upon raising these concerns with management we are told that other areas of the organisation have always done it this way and it complies with a guidance document written in 1997.

Although we now fall in line with the rest of the organisiation, it is a backwards step for us.

What rights / protection would staff have for saying "upon carrying out our own dynamic risk assessment, we feel that this new practice compromises personal safety and therefore are refusing to carry out specific tasks until the issue has been resolved"

I am not willing to write any more about the matter publicly but will happily PM with detailed information.

I am close to booking off sick with stress amidst fears for my own personal safety.

Any advice would be greatly received

[wales01man]

Re: Protection for refusal to carry out duties due to unsafe new practice

Not legal but my own advice,
Try to address your concerns with your union and management there must ne a risk assessment in writing nowadays I would not expect anyone to put themselves at risk in their work .