What is a safety representative and what are the responsibilities?

The safety representative is the employees' representative in matters relating to the working environment and safety. It is a legally required role that exists in almost all Norwegian companies, but many who are elected do not know exactly what they have actually agreed to. This article gives you a clear and practical review of the role, responsibilities and rights that come with it.

What is a safety representative?

A safety representative is an employee who is selected by and from among their colleagues to represent them in occupational health and safety issues. The role is regulated in the Work Environment Act and applies to businesses with five employees or more. In larger enterprises, there may be several protection officers, and then a main protection officer is usually chosen to coordinate the work.

The safety representative is not part of the management and does not have employer responsibility either. The role is to ensure that the workplace is safe and sound for all employees.

What does a safety representative do?

The main task of the safety representative is to ensure that the employer complies with the requirements of the Working Environment Act. In practice, this means that the safety representative must participate in mapping and risk assessment of the work environment, be taken into account when changes are made that affect the employees' working situation, report dangerous conditions and follow up that measures are implemented, participate in safety rounds and meetings of the Working Environment Committee (AMU), and represent the employees to the Labour Inspectorate in supervision.

In other words, the safety representative is a liaison between employees and management in matters concerning health, environment and safety.

What are the responsibilities of a safety representative?

It is important to emphasize that the safety representative does not have the legal responsibility for HSE in the enterprise. That responsibility lies with the employer. The responsibility of the safety representative is to notify, follow up and represent, not to solve all HSE problems alone.

Specifically, responsibility means that the safety representative must speak out about circumstances that may lead to accidents or health problems, ensure that matters raised are dealt with and do not drown in the system, and that employees are informed of their rights and opportunities.

If the safety representative considers that a relationship poses an immediate danger to life or health, the person concerned has the right to stop work. It is a strong right that is rarely used, but which is important to know.

What rights does a safety representative have?

To be able to do their job, the safety representative needs sufficient time and resources. The Occupational Safety and Health Act states that the safety representative must have the necessary time to perform his duties during working hours, have access to information about the work environment, be able to address cases without risking negative consequences for himself, and have the right to the training needed to perform his duties properly.

The last point is particularly important. The safety representative is entitled to training, and the employer has a duty to ensure that this training takes place.

How long does a safety representative sit?

The safety representative is elected for two years at a time. The election shall take place among the employees, and all permanent employees shall, as a general rule, have the right to vote. The term of office may be renewed after the end of the term.

Requirements for training

The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires the safety representative to conduct training necessary to safeguard the duties of office. For most businesses, this means that the safety representative must complete a 40-hour safety representative course. The course provides a thorough introduction to the working environment law, risk assessment, cooperation with management and practical HSE work.

The employer pays for the course and covers any expenses for its implementation. It's not something the conservation officer should take out of his own pocket.

40 hours or simplified course?

Not every conservation officer needs to complete the full 40-hour course. For companies in industries with lower risk, there is a simplified protective safety representative course, which is shorter and more adapted to the working day in such companies.

The simplified course is applicable to businesses within, for example, office work, retail and retail trade, catering establishments and some service industries. The common feature is that the work does not involve heavy physical risks, dangerous machinery or particularly hazardous working conditions.

The full 40-hour course, on the other hand, applies to higher-risk industries, such as construction, industry, health and care, transport and agriculture.

If you are unsure what applies to your business, it is the Labour Inspectorate or the relevant industry organisation that can give a definitive answer. The main rule is that the employer and the safety representative should jointly assess what training is necessary to properly safeguard the service.

Regardless of whether you take the full course or the simplified one, the employer pays for the training.

Here's how Compend can help

Compend offers both the full 40-hour safety representative course and the simplified safety representative course, and both can be completed when appropriate, at your own pace and without the need for the safety representative to leave work. The course certificate is automatically documented in the employee's profile and is ready for use in supervision or internal reviews.

See the 40-hour safety representative course

View Simplified safety representative course

Do you have any questions about the safety representative role or HSE training in your company? Get in touch with us, and we will help you.‍