Health and Safety
The 1977 Work Environment Act ( Arbetsmiljolagen) provides for the appointment of workplace safety reps in all undertakings employing five or more workers. Their appointment is left to the initiative of the trade union.
In firms with fewer than 5 workers, safety reps may be appointed if there is felt to be a need.
The appointment of safety reps is left to the initiative of the trade union where one is recognised at the workplace (according to the 1977 Act: if there is currently or habitually a collective agreement between the trade union and the employer). Otherwise, the safety reps are elected by the staff.
Small companies with no safety committee are entitled to appoint territorial delegates. The only requirement is that the trade union must have at least one member in the company in question. In most small and medium-sized enterprises, the safety reps are the only external actors in relation to health and safety. As employee representatives, the territorial delegates have the same rights as safety reps in principle.
Safety committees must be established in all undertakings with 50 or more workers. Safety committees may be set up in undertakings with fewer than 50 where those workers so request.
Article 17 of the collective agreement on the work environment states that the size and composition of the safety committee are determined on the basis of an analysis of the circumstances of the work environment and of the company’s staff profile, in the form of an agreement between the employer and the union branch. As a rule, the committee has an odd number of members and the employer will appoint one member less than the workers. The employee representatives on the safety committee are appointed in the same way as safety reps.
