Procedure for systematic management of the working environment

Participation and co-operation in work environment management

According to the Work Environment Act (1977:1160), employers and employees shall co-operate to bring about a good working environment. This means that the employer has a responsibility to involve employees in work environment management, but equally that employees have a responsibility to participate in the work environment efforts of their unit.

Managers are to involve employees as part of the day-to-day work and also in other venues such as performance appraisals, APT, LSG, CSG, safety inspections and risk assessments.

Further reading about collaboration at Mid Sweden University (in Swedish).

Allocation of work environment duties

According to AFS 2001:1 Systematic Work Environment Management, the employer shall allocate work environment duties so that one or several managers, team leaders or other employees are given the task of ensuring that workplace risks are prevented, and a satisfactory working environment is achieved. The allocation of tasks is to be documented in writing and be available to all employees. 

At MIUN, the vice-chancellor is considered to be the employer with the overarching responsibility for the working environment. The vice-chancellor allocates the work environment duties to the head of administration and the deans, who may then delegate work environment duties to others in the organisation so that the responsibility for these duties is as close to work activities as possible. This allocation primarily follows the line structure of Mid Sweden University. Allocation of work environment duties from the head of department/manager to other managers, for example the deputy head of department, should be based on the needs and circumstances of the organisation.

Employees who take on these duties must have sufficient authority, resources, knowledge and competence. If any of these are lacking, the responsibility for work environment duties should revert to the person allocating the duties.

assignment of responsibilities document (in Swedish).

Knowledge and competence

According to AFS 2001:1 Systematic Work Environment Management, the employer must ensure that people who are allocated work environment duties must have sufficient knowledge to be able to carry out preventive, systematic work environment tasks. This entails sufficient knowledge about the following:

• Laws, regulations, internal procedures and guidelines about the work environment.
• Working conditions that could lead to ill health and accidents (organisational, social, psychological and physical).
• How unhealthy working conditions that risk leading to ill health or accidents can be prevented and addressed.
• Working conditions and measures that promote good health and a good working environment.
• How an unhealthy workload can be prevented and dealt with.
• How victimisation can be prevented and dealt with.

Employees to whom these duties are allocated must also have sufficient knowledge of their unit’s activities to be able to understand the working conditions and health risks.

Employees to whom work environment duties are allocated are invited to work environment training to better enable them to manage these responsibilities. Mid Sweden University offers both a web-based work environment course via Occupational health services and an in-person course that is run every year for managers and safety representatives who need training. Furthermore, courses on rehabilitation, difficult conversations and conflict management are provided via Occupational health services. In addition to work environment training, all managers at Mid Sweden University must also take a course in equal opportunities.

Employees to whom work environment duties are allocated are responsible for assessing whether they have the right knowledge and competence for the task, or whether they need training.

In the parts of our organisation where machines and chemicals are handled, clear procedures, instructions and training must be in place for users, both employees and students. 

Online training from the Swedish Work Environment Authority

Review of the working environment

According to AFS 2001:1 Systematic Work Environment Management, employers are obliged to review the working environment regularly as well as the risks for ill health and accidents that exist in the organisation.

Physical safety inspections are performed every year by the responsible manager of the unit concerned, along with representatives from the Infrastructure department, the local safety representative and any senior safety representative. The frequency of the safety inspections (i.e. more than once per year) is determined by the risks that exist in each unit.

Risks in the organisational and social working environment that could lead to ill health or accidents are captured via Mid Sweden University’s employee survey, in performance appraisals and in the departments’/units’ APT.

An analysis of the working environment is also necessary when reports are received regarding incidents, work-related injuries, sick-leave or victimisation, or at any other signs of ill health.

Mid Sweden University uses the IA work environment system to support safety inspections, and for risk evaluations and action plans related to other examinations of the working environment. Everything is documented in this system.

Further information about the IA system

Risk assessment

Risk assessments of all identified risks are to be carried out when:

• incidents and work-related injuries are reported
• there is any kind of review of the working environment
• changes are made in the organisation

Incidents and work-related injuries

When an incident or work-related injury occurs in the form of ill health or an accident, a risk assessment is carried out to determine whether the event is a low, medium or high risk.

Review of the workplace environment

Risk assessments must be performed whenever there are any reviews of the working environment, for example employee surveys or safety inspections. The results are risk assessed to ensure that measures are taken to address the work environment risks that have been identified.

Changes in the organisation

Risk assessments must be performed whenever any changes are made in the organisation, and should be based on the planned change and any risks of ill health or accidents that the change may entail. The risk assessment is to be performed before the change is implemented but should pertain to the time after the change.

Support methods for risk assessments

Support methods are available in Mid Sweden University’s IA system, where everything is documented. Any measures needed that cannot be implemented immediately must be documented in an action plan.

Further information about the IA system

Implement measures and create an action plan

Work environment action plans are to be created after risk assessments for changes in the organisation, safety inspections and other reviews of the working environment, if a necessary measure cannot be implemented immediately. An action plan must also be created after an incident or accident to prevent similar cases happening in the future. Immediate measures may be necessary to mitigate serious risks. Mid Sweden University uses the IA system for support methods and documentation.
Further information about the IA system

Reporting and investigation of incidents and work-related injuries

Employees

If an employee suffers a work-related injury in the form of ill health or an accident at work, or if an incident occurs, this must be reported in Mid Sweden University's IA system. The employer is subsequently responsible for investigating the causes to prevent the risk of ill health and accidents. They must also assess risks and create an action plan for measures that cannot be implemented immediately. The employer is also obligated to file a work-related injury report with the Swedish Work Environment Authority for serious incidents or work-related injuries, and a report is to be filed with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency for work-related injuries.

Students and doctoral students

Students are to report incidents, accidents, transit accidents and certain infectious diseases in Mid Sweden University’s IA system. The causes will then be investigated by the person responsible at Mid Sweden University, along with the student safety representative. A risk assessment is carried out and an action plan created for measures that cannot be implemented immediately.
For more information, see Occupational Injuries and Incidents
Further information about the IA system

Occupational health services and student health services

Occupational health services

According to AFS 2001:1 Systematic Work Environment Management (Section 12), occupational health services are to be used when the university’s own systematic work environment competences, or capabilities in work adaptation and rehabilitation, are inadequate.

Mid Sweden University has a preferred occupational health services provider. Occupational health services provide expert work environment resources and may, for example, be needed for reviews of the working environment, to help with rehabilitation of people who have been ill, and for training of managers and employees.

More information about occupational health services at Mid Sweden University 

The Student Health Centre

Student health services work preventively with student health issues. This is done by providing students a healthcare centre and different activities, and also informing and supporting teachers who meet and deal with students every day.

Further information about the Student Health Centre 

Annual follow-up of systematic management of the working environment

An annual follow-up of the systematic management of the working environment is carried out every September. Employees to whom work environment duties have been allocated are responsible for the annual follow up in their department/unit. Responsibility for the annual follow-up at the faculty/administration level lies with the dean/head of administration. Responsibility for the annual follow-up at the university level lies with the vice-chancellor. The annual follow-up of departments and units is managed within each LSG, and the faculties, administration and university-wide level are managed by the CSG, which act as the safety committees. Follow-up is to be documented in the specially created template in the IA work environment system.

• The annual follow-up shall audit and ensure the following elements of the systematic management of the working environment:
• Employee and safety representative participation in work environment efforts
• Policy for work environment management
• Procedures for work environment management
• Allocation of work environment duties
• Knowledge of and competence for work environment management, employee knowledge about risks in their work
• Examinations of work environment conditions
• Risk assessments
• Measures and action plans
• Checking of measures implemented
• Reporting and investigation of incidents and accidents
• Access to external work environment expertise if required
• Documentation is current and people know where it is kept
• Checking that serious incidents and accidents have been reported to the Swedish Work Environment Authority
• That current laws and regulations are referred to in our work environment documents

Who does what?

Employer

The employer has the primary responsibility. Employees to whom work environment duties have been allocated need to know about the Work Environment Act and the applicable work environment rules, so that the work environment efforts can be set up appropriately. The employer is also responsible for ensuring that written documentation of risk assessments, action plans and follow-up is in place.

Employees and students

All employees and students are to demonstrate personal responsibility for health and the working environment in their daily activities. This entails adhering to safety regulations, instructions and procedures, participating in planned work environment activities, and paying attention to and instantly reporting any risks, incidents and work-related injuries. It also involves bringing up any experiences of ill health with their immediate head of department/manager, or alternatively with the Safety representative or Student safety representative.

Safety representatives and Student safety representatives

Safety representative

The safety representative represents employees in work environment matters, works to ensure a good working environment and monitors protective measures against ill health and accidents, and checks that the employer fulfils the requirements of the systematic management of the working environment.

More information about the role of the health and safety representatives (in Swedish).

Student safety representative

The student safety representative represents students in work environment matters and works to ensure that Mid Sweden University fulfils the requirements of the Work Environment Act. Students are to be given the opportunity to participate in the work environment efforts of their workplace. The student safety representative has the right to the information, training and time off required for this role (Swedish Work Environment Act 1977:1160, Chap 6, Sections 17–18).