A good working environment is crucial
The health and safety representatives play a central role in ensuring a healthy physical and mental working environment. But several places are empty. Is this something for you?
"When we thrive and have a proper framework, we get more done."
For board member Marianne Bjørn Winther of Finansforbundet in Nordea, a good working environment is essential. Since the spring, she has had the overall responsibility for Finansforbundet in Nordea's work environment work.
At Nordea, there are 26 employee-elected occupational health and safety representatives and eight occupational health and safety managers, and the distribution is location-based – i.e. across the business areas.
15 vacant places as health and safety representative
"Elections were held at the beginning of the year, where representatives for the current three-year period were elected. But unfortunately, there are 15 unfilled health and safety representative positions – especially outside the head offices. It is absolutely crucial that there is a local health and safety representative, so if there is a vacancy in your area, I hope you will consider it – or encourage a colleague who wants to work with health and safety and people," is the direct invitation from Marianne.
To ensure that there are health and safety representatives at all locations, elections will be launched in the fourth quarter of the year in the branch network in the areas that do not currently have a representative.
The list of health and safety representatives can be seen here (link can only be assessed if connected to Nordea's network) – an asterisk (*) means that the position is vacant.
Good dialogue across the board
Marianne is a member of Nordea's Working Environment Committee (AMU) is the contact person for the health and safety representatives at the bank.
"I think we have a good dialogue across the health and safety representatives and management about the working environment. Nordea would also really like to have the vacant places filled," she says.
The Working Environment Act requires that all companies with at least ten employees have health and safety representatives who must ensure 'a safe and healthy physical and mental working environment'. One of the tasks is to have a workplace assessment (WPA) carried out at least every three years and follow up through annual action plans.
In this article we ask what Bettina Hansen and Niccolo Mesquita Skovgård have gained from being health and safety representatives and how they make a difference for their colleagues
Key tasks of health and safety representatives
- Represent colleagues in a collaboration on safety and health, including participation in accidents and near misses
- Carry out and follow up on risk assessment
- Participate in health and safety meetings
- Engage in dialogue with local management and colleagues about working environment issues and handle inquiries within one's area
- Identify and prevent risks and contribute with suggestions for prevention
- Collaboration with other health and safety representatives and management on improvements and challenges in the working environment
- Have an eye for the mental and physical working environment
If you want to hear more about the role of health and safety representative, please contact board member Marianne Bjørn Winther from Finansforbundet in Nordea or occupational health and safety manager Shannon Bøgkjær from People
Health and safety versus union representatives
At Nordea, there are a number of local working environment groups with health and safety managers (AMR). Compared to union representatives (TR), AMR discusses the physical working environment. When it comes to the psychological working environment, TR will typically handle person-specific cases, while AMR has an eye on conditions that affect larger groups of employees. While TR only helps members of Finansforbundet in Nordea, AMR helps all employees - including those without membership.