Guidelines

 

Health and safety certificate

WEA Guidelines F.5.1
April 2002

Guidelines on individual initiatives of enterprises with a view to obtaining a health and safety certificate, including a collection of examples

These WEA Guidelines describes the requirements concerning the individual initiatives of enterprises to structure and systematise their health and safety activities in order to obtain a health and safety certificate.

The purpose of the Guidelines is to provide an overview of the requirements to be met by an enterprise in order to obtain a certificate, particularly the formal requirements for individual initiatives. The Guidelines are meant as a help to accredited inspection and certification bodies in their assessment of whether an enterprise meets the requirements which have to be met in order to obtain a health and safety certificate.

The Guidelines contains a number of examples of how the new requirements, which do not ensue from the Danish Working Environment Act, can be met. The examples are based on specific enterprises and they do not provide an exhaustive list of the initiatives which an enterprise may launch, e.g. under its health and safety policy. The level of ambition of the individual enterprises determines the scope and contents of their initiatives. However, fewer requirements apply to enterprises which are not under an obligation to establish a Safety Committee. The listed examples describe ambitious as well as less ambitious enterprises. A common feature of all the examples is that they meet the minimum requirements to obtain a certificate.

With regard to the requirements ensuing from the Danish Working Environment Act, the Guidelines are intended to provide enterprises with an overview of the yardstick requirements under the Danish Working Environment Act, including references to more guidance. The WEA website contains detailed guidelines and references to relevant guidance material concerning all the legal requirements, i.e. both formal requirements for the individual initiatives of enterprises and general health and safety requirements.

1. Health and safety certificate

Enterprises can obtain a health and safety certificate in two different ways: Through accredited inspection or through accredited certification. Moreover, the certificate may be obtained for the entire enterprise or for one or more production units.

Regardless of the method used to obtain a certificate, the following requirements must be met:
  • Material health and safety at the enterprise must be in accordance with the provisions of the Working  Environment Act.
  • The individual initiatives of the enterprise must be on a high level.
  • The enterprise must have decided how to implement initiatives promoting an inclusive labour market.
  • The enterprise must have decided how to implement initiatives promoting health.
  • The enterprise must be able to document that the requirements have been met. With regard to some of  the requirements, the results achieved must be documented through recertification/reinspection.
The above requirements must be integrated in a management system for certification.

The requirements for material health and safety, i.e. the specific health and safety conditions at the enterprise, and many of the requirement concerning the individual initiatives of enterprises, must be met pursuant to the Danish Working Environment Act. So regardless of whether an enterprise wants a certificate or not, the requirements must be met under any circumstances.

Some of the requirements concerning the individual initiatives of enterprises are covered by the provisions of the Danish Working Environment Act and some are not. They have been selected on the basis of the Danish Working Environment Authority's experience with regard to individual initiatives ensuring good health and safety conditions.

High-level individual initiatives prevent employees from exposure to occupational injuries in the short and in the longer term.

2. Involvement of employees

A large number of requirements under the Danish Working Environment Act imply that the employees must be involved in decisions affecting the working environment. Cases in point are the rules on the obligations and tasks of the Internal Safety Organisation and the workplace assessment rules. These two requirements are essential elements of the scheme. The requirement for involvement of employees is repeated in a few other requirements under the scheme. This is due to the fact that management commitment and employee involvement are necessary to ensure the successful implementation of e.g. health promoting initiatives at the enterprise.

Except for the rules ensuing from the Danish Working Environment Act, enterprises are free to choose how to involve their employees. For example, the Internal Safety Organisation and the Joint Consultation Committee may be put in charge of the preparations to obtain a certificate. Alternatively, the enterprise may consult with the Internal Safety Organisation and the Joint Consultation Committee. Or it may leave it to individual employees, e.g. the day-to-day safety supervisor, to draft the various guidelines. Enterprises without formal bodies may take a more informal approach.

3. Requirements concerning individual initiatives under the Danish Working Environment Act

3.1. Workplace assessment

All enterprises with employees must prepare a written workplace assessment (WA) comprising the four requirements below:
  • Identification and mapping
  • Description and assessment
  • Priorities, action plan and solutions
  • Guidelines for following up on the action plan.
All four requirements should be reviewed only when relevant.

In order to obtain a certificate, the enterprise must take a position on all the significant issues included in Annex 1 of the executive orders on inspection and certification. The issues are also mentioned in section 4.1.

It is up to the Internal Safety Organisation to assess what should be further examined at the individual enterprise. For this purpose, the Internal Safety Organisation may use the WEA working environment guides relevant to the enterprise in question.

Detailed guidelines on how to prepare a workplace assessment (WA) are available from the Danish Working Environment Authority or on its website.

3.2. Internal Safety Organisation

Enterprises with five or more employees must set up an Internal Safety Organisation. Enterprises with 20 or more employees must set up a Safety Committee. Large enterprises with several Safety Committees must set up a General Safety Committee.

The Internal Safety Organisation must be involved in all relevant tasks concerning health and safety conditions. The members of the Internal Safety Organisation must have completed the health and safety training programme or be signed up for the programme in accordance with the provisions of the occupational health and safety legislation.

General guidelines on setting up an Internal Safety Organisation, its function and tasks are included in WEA Guideline no. 6.1.0.4.

3.3. Compulsory training

The enterprise must ensure that its employees have completed the relevant compulsory training programmes to perform various work functions.

The following training programmes are compulsory in various contexts:
  • Crane operator's certificate, WEA Guidelines no. B.2.1.1
  • Forklift truck certificate, WEA Guidelines no. 2.01.2
  • Welding, metal cutting, etc., WEA Guidelines no. 2.09.2
  • Training of persons to work on scaffolding higher than 3 metres, WEA Guidelines no. 2.14.2
  • Epoxy resins and isocyanates, WEA Guidelines no. 3.01.3
  • Clearing, repair and maintenance of building materials containing asbestos, WEA Guidelines no. 3.01.6
  • Carcinogenic substances and materials, WEA Guidelines no. 3.02.6.
The above Guides include further details on work involving compulsory training.

In accordance with the provisions of the Danish Working Environment Act, the enterprise must train and instruct new appointees and employees transferred to other jobs. The duties are explained in detail in section 5.3.

3.4. Instructions for use

Under the Danish Working Environment Act, suppliers' instructions for use concerning CE marked machines and suppliers' and workplace instructions for use concerning substances and materials must exist and be available at the enterprise or production unit.

WEA Guidelines no. 3.02.2 on instructions for use concerning substances and materials describes how to draw up workplace instructions for use.

3.5. Compulsory inspection

Inspection of technical equipment at enterprises covered by the provisions on compulsory inspection must be performed in accordance with the occupational health and safety legislation.

The following technical equipment is covered by the provisions on compulsory professional inspection.
  1. Hoisting equipment
  2. Lifting equipment
  3. Transport equipment
  4. Capstans
  5. Presses
  6. Inspection Class 2 containers (air receivers and LPG tanks)
  7. Centrifuges.
Guidelines on the requirements for compulsory inspection are available on the WEA website.

3.6. Occupational Health Service

If the enterprise is under an obligation to be affiliated with an occupational health service (OHS), it must have entered into an acceptance agreement with an occupational health service. Pursuant to the occupational health and safety legislation, guidelines for cooperation between the enterprise and the occupational health service may also be set out. WEA Guidelines F.3.2 on enterprises and the occupational health service includes detailed guidelines on the OHS obligation.

4. Meeting requirements for individual initiatives under the Danish Act on Health and Safety Certificates

Examples of how the requirements for individual initiatives can be met are provided below. In general, requirements have been set out concerning methods, but not concerning contents. Therefore, the level of ambition of enterprises concerning contents is very much up to the individual enterprises and their employees.

The examples reflect various types of enterprises in terms of size and section of industry.

4.1. Health and safety policy

The enterprise must describe its health and safety work in writing. The description must include a broad-term management declaration of principle on the importance of health and safety and it must state clear, basic goals. The basic health and safety duties and tasks of the top management, the management staff, the employees and the Internal Safety Organisation must be described.

For enterprises which are not under an obligation to establish a Safety Committee, the health and safety policy may be limited to a written declaration of principle concerning health and safety and a description of the goals of the health and safety activities.

The policy must:
  • Include the overall management declaration of principle. The objective must be stated in broad terms,  and the principles of the health and safety activities must be clearly defined.
  • Include clear, basic goals. The policy must state clear, basic goals describing how to realise the  declarations of principle which must be adequate for the health and safety policy as a whole.
  • State duties and tasks concerning the health and safety activities. The policy must include a description of  the distribution of basic duties and tasks between the top management, the management staff, the  employees and the Internal Safety Organisation.
Enterprises without a Safety Committee are not required to describe the duties and tasks concerning the health and safety work.

Below a number of examples of health and safety policies meeting the requirements for obtaining a certificate through inspection are stated.

Example A:
Andersen's Machinery Works with 75 employees has drawn up a health and safety policy stating that the enterprise will continuously strive to give safety, health and welfare high priority, and that health and safety conditions form an integral part of the other procedures of the enterprise (declaration of principle). It is the goal of the enterprise to reduce the number of accidents by half over a period of five years and to remove all other risks to health and safety at work.

To achieve this the Internal Safety Organisation of the enterprise will monitor the risk of accidents at the enterprise on a routine basis (i.e. through monthly safety inspections and reporting of accidents and risks of accidents.) In connection with internal transport jobs, the enterprise will implement a project to improve the enterprise procedures in order to reduce the risk of accidents related to internal transport.

Furthermore, the enterprise has decided that an assessment of the risk of wearing-down, adverse chemical impacts, etc., must be prepared in connection with all new orders, purchases of new machines and other factors affecting health and safety. The assessments must be completed no later than 14 days after the order coming in.

It appears from the policy that Mr Andersen himself is responsible for monitoring once a year the progress of the activities launched under the policy. In cooperation with the Internal Safety Organisation the product manager must ensure that the procedures project is implemented within a year. The Internal Safety Organisation must ensure the performance of monthly safety inspections.

Example B:
A nursing home in Littletown with 17 employees seeks a certificate and consequently has drawn up a health and safety policy for the institution fulfilling the general objectives of the local authority to reduce employee turnover. The nursing home has therefore decided to improve health and safety at the institution.

With a view to assessing the cause of the employee turnover, the staff are given the opportunity to anonymously report the causes of sick absence, if any. At the same time the nursing home plans to carry out resignation interviews. The nursing home will also examine the lifts involved in the care work in order to assess if the loads need to be reduced.

Example C:
“Your Convenience Shop” with 14 employees seeks a certificate. The enterprise has no serious problems, but intends to make sure that health and safety conditions at the shop are always given high priority.

In order to fulfil its intentions, the enterprise will discuss ways to improve health and safety every six months in connection with the health and safety review.

4.2. Chairman of the Internal Safety Organisation

In order for an enterprise to obtain a health and safety certificate, a member of its top management must be appointed chairman of the General Safety Committee/Safety Committee and a member of the next level of management must be appointed chairman of the respective subcommittees. The Internal Safety Organisation of very large enterprises and local authorities may consist of up to four levels. If an enterprise chooses to obtain a certificate for only one or more production units, all levels of its Internal Safety Organisation are required to have a chairman from the top management at the top level and a chairman from the next level of management at the underlying levels.

The purpose of this requirement is to ensure processing of health and safety issues at management level and to ensure that Safety Committees have the necessary financial competence. It also signals that the management prioritises health and safety activities. Thus, health and safety is given the same priority as, say, the work of the Joint Consultation Committees.

The following provides examples of Internal Safety Organisations meeting the requirements to obtain a health and safety certificate.

Example A:
Andersen's Machinery Works has 75 employees and six safety groups – one for each field of activity. A Safety Committee with five members has been set up to coordinate the health and safety activities of the enterprise. Mr Andersen is chairman of the Safety Committee.

Example B:
The local authority of Littletown has decided to obtain a health and safety certificate for one of its nursing homes. Its Internal Safety Organisation consists of three levels: A General Safety Committee for the entire local authority and 35 Safety Committees of which one covers the care sector.

The nursing home has 17 employees and two safety groups. The nursing home is affiliated with the Safety Committee covering the entire care sector. The chairman of the Safety Committee is the administrative manager of the care sector for the local authority. The Safety Committee reports to the local authority’s General Safety Committee which is chaired by the mayor. For the other local authority Safety Committees, which do not cover production units with a health and safety certificate, the chairman is not under an obligation to be a member of the next level of management, but must have the necessary competence.

Example C:
“Your Convenience Shop” has 14 employees and thus is not under an obligation to establish a Safety Committee. Nor is the Safety Committee subject to the requirement for appointment of a chairman who is a member of the top management.

4.3. Guidelines for training and instruction

The enterprise or the production unit must establish guidelines for training and instruction of employees:
  1. on recruitment;
  2. in the event of a transfer or a change of job;
  3. in the event of the introduction of new work equipment or a change in equipment;
  4. in the event of the introduction of new technology.

Pursuant to the Danish Working Environment Act, guidelines must be established for training and instruction. For enterprises which are under an obligation to establish a Safety Committee, the guidelines must be in writing in order to obtain a health and safety certificate.

Other enterprises are covered by the general rules concerning training and instruction.

The following provides examples of training and instruction meeting the requirements to obtain a health and safety certificate.

Example A:
Andersen's Machinery Works has established written guidelines for training and instruction.

The enterprise has devised a welcome letter for new employees describing its health and safety policy, workplace assessment activities, etc. An employee is appointed to be the new employee's contact and to tell him/her about the machinery and the guidelines for internal transport agreed at the enterprise.

Otherwise, the enterprise provides on-site training by colleagues on new tasks, and it is the responsibility of the individual supervisors to inform employees about any dangers in relation to the machinery.

In addition to instructions on the general use of machines, the enterprise has decided to provide training in relation to all new purchases to ensure the proper use of machines in terms of energy and safety. This applies to work equipment as well as the introduction of new technology.

Example B:
In order to ensure proper instruction of new appointees and employees in new job functions, the staff and management of the Littletown nursing home have agreed to draw up written instruction check lists for each field of activity. The check lists ensure the provision of instructions. Employees have been appointed to be responsible for implementing the instruction in each field of activity.

The resource person model is used when introducing new technology, which means that a resource person must always be trained in its use. Resource persons are in charge of training their colleagues.

Thus all four requirements are complied with.

Example C:
“Your Convenience Shop” has 14 employees. When employing new trainees and other staff, it is the shop's policy that in the longer term everyone must be capable of performing all work functions. The shop manager welcomes new employees and takes them on a guided tour of the shop. An experienced employee is then appointed guide to the new employee. The former is in charge of instructing the new employee in terms of the specific job as well as health and safety at work.

When introducing new technology, the Internal Safety Organisation discusses the need for instruction.

Thus all four requirements are complied with.

4.4. Guidelines for incorporating health and safety considerations in planning

The enterprise must identify those functions where it is of particular importance to plan and implement health and safety activities. Whenever relevant in order to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, written procedures must be established for incorporation of health and safety considerations in planning. The procedures must include descriptions of the involvement of the Internal Safety Organisation and the early consideration of health and safety conditions in connection with purchases, design or changes in working processes.

The following provides examples of guidelines on the incorporation of health and safety considerations in planning in order to comply with the health and safety certificate requirements.

Example A:
Andersen's Machinery Works has established written procedures for the involvement of the Internal Safety Organisation in connection with planning work at the enterprise.

A planning group composed of the relevant safety representative, supervisor and consultants is set up in connection with new purchases, planning of reconstruction/new construction and production reorganisation. Mr Andersen is chairman of the planning group. In connection with reconstruction/new construction and major purchases of, e.g., new production machines, the occupational health service is involved to provide independent consultancy on health and safety conditions.

Occasionally, Andersen's Machinery Works receives large intakes of orders. During such peak periods, staff are transferred among departments and required to work in shifts. In such cases an additional planning committee composed of Internal Safety Organisation members and chaired by Mr Andersen is set up. The planning committee coordinates the restructuring of procedures and ensures that the shift work in general, and for individual employees, does not cause stress.

Example B:
At the Littletown nursing home, the two safety groups and the manager have established a set of procedures to involve the Internal Safety Organisation in connection with planning work at the institution.

A planning group composed of the manager and the two safety groups is set up in connection with new purchases, planning of reconstruction/new construction and production reorganisation.

Procedures are restructured fairly often as the home nursing service regularly gets new clients requiring care in their home. According to a written procedure for new clients requiring care in their own home, the supervisor and the safety representative must review the home in terms of health and safety conditions before work there is commenced.

Example C:
The owner and the safety representative of “Your Convenience Shop” have agreed to always hold a meeting in the event of purchases, planning of reconstruction/new construction and restructuring of procedures to clarify the possible effect of the initiatives on health and safety conditions.

4.5. Investigation and prevention of accidents

Reportable occupational accidents must be reported and investigated in pursuance of the requirements of the occupational health and safety legislation. The enterprise must also ensure that any imminent risks of accidents are investigated.

Guidelines must be set out for:
  • Investigation of occupational accidents and imminent risks of accidents
  • Initiation of preventive measures against repetition of occupational accidents and imminent risks of  accidents
  • Involvement of the Internal Safety Organisation or employees at enterprises without an Internal Safety  Organisation.

At enterprises with an Internal Safety Organisation, the guidelines must be in writing.

The following provides examples of investigation and prevention of occupational accidents meeting the requirements to obtain a health and safety certificate.

Example A:
The health and safety policy of Andersen's Machinery Works sets out goals to reduce the number of occupational accidents. Therefore, Mr Andersen has identified investigation and prevention of occupational accidents as the main health and safety initiatives at the enterprise and written procedures have been drawn up. The safety representative and the supervisor have set up a task force with four colleagues and reviewed the document compilation of “Nul Arbejdsulykker” (Zero Occupational Accidents) (www.arbejdsulykker.dk).

Based on these documents, the task force has chosen a method under the heading “Staff Involvement”. This method was chosen because they want to change the conception of occupational accidents of their colleagues, which is characterised by the attitude that “accidents happen”.

In the event of occupational accidents and imminent risks of accidents, the incident is thoroughly analysed by the supervisor and the safety representative. The number, nature and cause of occupational accidents and imminent risks of accidents are registered. Every six months they take stock of the number of accidents for statistical purposes.

Furthermore, the enterprise has been divided into accident zones dividing the staff into groups according to their work teams. Quarterly revised accident lists are posted on the staff bulletin board showing the total number of occupational accidents and imminent risks of accidents with specifications.

In order to further increase staff motivation, a competition for “Zero Occupational Accidents” has been launched where the groups score points based on good prevention advice and the results of their work. Once a year, the group with the highest score is rewarded with a lunch invitation for a job well done.

Example B: 
At the Littletown nursing home, they have decided to use the WEA PC-based accident analysis tool to analyse occupational accidents. In the event of an occupational accident, the manager of the nursing home and the safety representative jointly review the questions listed by the analysis tool. The causal relationship prior to the accident is clarified and measures to prevent repetition are initiated.

In addition, an item concerning imminent risks of accidents/undesirable incidents has been included on the agenda of the weekly staff meeting. Here the staff describe situations which might have gone wrong. The safety representative and the nursing home manager take note of the information and initiate measures to prevent such situations. As a result of this, in the event that an elderly client is reported to have taken a turn for the worse, two care workers are always present to break any falls.

Example C:
At “Your Convenience Shop” it has been agreed that the shop manager and the safety representative jointly investigate accidents. For their investigation they use the questions on the back of the WEA form to report accidents. The causal relationship is clarified and measures are initiated.

The weekly staff meeting agenda includes a regular item concerning health and safety conditions, including imminent risks of accidents. The purpose of the item is to bring any imminent risks of accidents to light. In the event of any reported imminent risks of accidents, the situation is clarified and measures are initiated.

4.6. Health and safety reviews

The enterprise must perform internal health and safety reviews at the enterprise at least twice a year checking the compliance by the staff and any external artisans with the statutory requirements and agreed guidelines. In the event of violations of the statutory requirements or guidelines, repetitions must be prevented.

The enterprise must have written guidelines for the health and safety reviews. The guidelines must state who are to participate and how often the reviews are to be performed.

At enterprises which are legally required to have an Internal Safety Organisation, that organisation must participate in the review.

The following provides examples of health and safety reviews meeting the requirements to obtain a health and safety certificate.

Example A:
Andersen's Machinery Works has established written guidelines for health and safety reviews. According to the guidelines, the Internal Safety Organisation must review the enterprise once a month to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements. Compliance by the internal staff and any external artisans with all safety guidelines must also be checked.

Mr Andersen chairs the Safety Committee and is in charge of convening review meetings and following up on the reviews.

Example B:
At the Littletown nursing home, the nursing home manager and the safety representative perform a health and safety review every six months as set out in the written guidelines. As the various work situations at the nursing home vary throughout the day and night, the reviews are scheduled to start at different times. Before the review, the workplace assessment is reviewed for the purpose of following up on various problems and solutions.

Example C:
At “Your Convenience Shop”, the shop manager and the safety representative perform a review of health and safety conditions at the shop every six months as set out in the written guidelines. The review is performed at scheduled times every quarter according to a fixed schedule. This ensures that the shop manager and the safety representative review the various work situations and are able to follow up on any problems related to production or health and safety.

4.7. Guidelines for information on health and safety conditions

Whenever relevant, the enterprise must establish guidelines for information on health and safety requirements in relation to external undertakings working on its premises.

Such guidelines will apply if
  • external undertakings work on its premises at least once a month
  • the health and safety conditions of the enterprise pose a danger to employees from the external  undertakings.

The following provides examples of health and safety requirements in relation to external undertakings meeting the requirements to obtain a health and safety certificate.

Example A:
External artisans, fitters, etc., regularly visit Andersen's Machinery Works. The purpose of the visits includes repair work of short or longer duration and installation of machines. A simple folder has been prepared and is handed out to all external employees working on Andersen's premises. The supervisor of the department where the work is to be performed is in charge of informing the external employees about the contents of the folder and all relevant situations where various working processes may interface, including situations which may involve health and safety problems. Typically, this includes information on internal transport routes and the requirement to use ear protectors as set out in the written guidelines.

A procedure has also been established to ensure that in connection with reconstruction, installation of new machines, etc., requiring employees from external undertakings to work at Andersen's for a prolonged period of time, a kick-off meeting is held between Andersen's and the external undertaking to lay down the ground rules for the process.

Example B:
The Littletown nursing home only very rarely needs to hire artisans for minor repairs. However, a few residents may show violent behaviour when exposed to certain conditions. The nursing home manager therefore informs any artisans or other external workers on how to behave to avoid undesirable situations.

The nursing home is serviced on a daily basis by a transport company for the disabled. The company receives information on the condition of the residents and other factors requiring special attention.

Example C:
“Your Convenience Shop” receives daily deliveries of goods from regular suppliers who have been informed of access routes and appropriate ways to deliver goods to the shop.

On the other hand, “Your Convenience Shop” very rarely needs to hire artisans and since no health and safety conditions require information on special elements of danger, no guidelines have been prepared in relation to external artisans.

5. Other requirements

5.1. Material health and safety conditions

A requirement to obtain a health and safety certificate is that there are no health and safety problems in significant areas that would result in an improvement notice from the Danish Working Environment Authority. The WEA website contains guidelines and references to relevant material concerning all the requirements which have to be met. Enterprises may use this material to assess whether they comply with the provisions of the Danish Working Environment Act in specific areas.

The Danish Working Environment Authority has also issued working environment guides for all sectors of industry. The guides identify areas where individual sectors may typically experience significant problems. Many enterprises may benefit from studying several guides as several sectors are often represented at the same enterprise. For example, the office sector is represented at many enterprises although the enterprises as such belong to a completely different sector.

The Internal Safety Organisation of the enterprise should review all the below items and the relevant working environment guides to identify relevant items to be mapped in the workplace assessment and to identify if the enterprise has one or more significant health and safety problems that must be solved prior to applying for a certificate.

The WA action plan need not be completed at the time of application for a health and safety certificate if the health and safety problems are not classified as significant.

Significant fields:

1. Noise

  • Noise causing hearing impairment
  • Other annoying noise, including noise caused by bad acoustics.

2. Vibration

  • Hand/arm vibration
  • Whole-body vibration.

3. Radiation

  • Non-ionising radiation.

4. Thermal exposure

  • Radiant heat and exposure to very hot rooms
  • Exposure to cold and draughts
  • Exposure to varying temperatures.

5. Musculoskeletal exposure

  • Heavy work and/or work requiring physical strength
  • Other physically strenuous work
  • Work involving stressful work postures and movements
  • Monotonous, strenuous work
  • Monotonous, repetitive work
  • Physical reproductive hazards

6. Psychosocial exposure

  • The most significant psychosocial exposure in the sector. See section 5.2 on mapping of the psychological  working environment.

7. Chemical and biological exposure

  • Chemical carcinogenic hazards
  • Chemical nerve-damage
  • Chemical reproductive hazards
  • Chemical respiratory hazards
  • Chemical skin damage
  • Risk of infection.

8. Indoor climate exposure

  • Heat, cold and draughts
  • Bad air quality
  • Damp
  • Bad lighting
  • Noise and bad acoustics.

9. Risks of accidents

  • Risk of falling
  • Risk of contact with injurious machine parts and processes
  • Risk of fire and explosion
  • Risk incidental to using internal and external means of transport
  • Risk incidental to contact with electricity and similar sources of energy
  • Risk of acute effects due to factors mentioned in items 1-7.

10. Work by young people

  • Lack of instructions, training or supervision
  • Non-compliance with age requirement
  • Non-compliance with requirements in relation to employment with technical equipment, plant or working  processes
  • Non-compliance with requirements in relation to employment with substances and materials
  • Non-compliance with working hours regulations, including regulations governing evening and night  work as well as rest periods and rest days
  • Non-compliance with regulations on work in isolation
  • Risk of effects due to items 1-9.

5.2. Mapping of the psychological working environment

In order to obtain a certificate, the enterprise must map the psychological working environment for the purpose of assessing whether any significant problems concerning the psychological working environment have to be solved first. The mapping will serve to document any significant psychological working environment problems at the enterprise. It will also serve as documentation vis-à-vis the inspection or certification body assessing health and safety at the enterprise, because it would be too time and cost-consuming for the enterprise, if the psychological working environment had to be assessed by the inspection and certification body.

The enterprise must address the psychological working environment problems typical of the sector of industry to which the enterprise belongs. The Danish Working Environment Authority has issued working environment guides for each sector identifying typical psychological working environment problems of the sector in question. Several working environment guides may be relevant to a particular enterprise, e.g. the working environment guide for the office and administration sector. If the enterprise is not covered by any of the working environment guides identifying the psychological working environment as a significant problem, the enterprise need not perform individual mapping.

The enterprise is free to choose the mapping method it prefers. The WEA website contains guidelines on recommended mapping tools.

5.3. Requirements for health promotion at enterprises

In order to obtain a health and safety certificate, the enterprise in consultation with its staff or their representatives must have decided how to implement health promoting initiatives at the enterprise. The requirements concerning methods to be met by enterprises depend on whether the enterprises are required to establish a Safety Committee.

At enterprises with a Safety Committee, goals, action plans and follow-up procedures must be established. At enterprises without a Safety Committee, a written decision on the initiatives to be launched is sufficient.

The requirement can be seen, i.a., as an expression of the wish to turn the workplace into a health promotion forum. The workplace may greatly influence the health condition of employees. Working life may serve to increase the personal resources and well-being of employees – or it may result in a deterioration of their mental and physical functional capacity due to a stressful working environment. The goal is to create a tighter link between the working environment and health promotion. Enterprises may contribute to improving the health and safety conditions of their staff by combining health and safety promoting measures with initiatives targeted at a healthier lifestyle.

WEA Guidelines F.5.2 provides detailed guidelines on health promotion at enterprises and a number of examples on how to meet the requirement.

5.4. Requirements for the activities of enterprises concerning the inclusive labour market

The enterprise in consultation with its staff or their representatives must have decided how to implement initiatives promoting an inclusive workplace and an inclusive labour market. The requirements concerning methods to be met by enterprises depend on whether the enterprise is under an obligation to establish a Safety Committee. Regardless of its size, the enterprise must decide how it is going to fulfil the objective of retaining its own employees and recruiting new employees threatened by exclusion from the labour market. The decision of enterprises or production units with a Safety Committee must include goals, an action plan and guidelines for following up on the action plan.

The requirement constitutes a means to following up on and implementing the objective of creating a more inclusive society for all and for enterprises to assume social responsibility.

WEA Guidelines F.5.3 provides detailed guidelines on initiatives promoting an inclusive labour market and a number of examples on how to meet the requirement.

5.5. Requirement for documentation of health and safety activities

In order to obtain a health and safety certificate, enterprises must document their health and safety activities. The documentation must be renewed every three years when reapplying for a certificate. The documentation requirements are less comprehensive for enterprises which are not required to establish a Safety Committee.

5.5.1. Documentation requirements for enterprises with a Safety Committee 
For enterprises required to establish a Safety Committee, the overall documentation must include:

  • A health and safety policy
  • A workplace assessment
  • An organisation chart of the Internal Safety Organisation
  • Written guidelines for instruction and training
  • Written guidelines for systematic investigation of occupational accidents and imminent risks of accidents
  • Documentation of affiliation with an occupational health service
  • Written guidelines for health and safety reviews
  • Written guidelines for involvement of the Internal Safety Organisation in planning-related issues
  • Written guidelines for information on health and safety conditions of importance to external undertakings
  • Written guidelines for the decision made concerning the inclusive labour market
  • Written guidelines for the decision made concerning health promotion
The enterprise must also be able to document the results, if any, of:
  • The action plans and goals set out in its health and safety policy
  • The initiatives launched concerning health promotion
  • The initiatives launched concerning the inclusive labour market.

This obviously implies that the enterprise has actually achieved some results. The first time it obtains a certificate, the enterprise may not yet have achieved any results that can be documented, unless it has already worked on these subjects for some time. Expectations for the goals and action plans to have brought about results are raised once the certificate is due to be renewed. However, the enterprise may have decided on concrete initiatives concerning, for example, the inclusive labour market which it has been unable to implement.

5.5.2. Documentation requirements for enterprises without a Safety Committee
For enterprises which are not under an obligation to establish a Safety Committee, the documentation must include:

  • A health and safety policy
  • A workplace assessment
  • An organisation chart of the Internal Safety Organisation
  • Documentation of affiliation with an occupational health service
  • Written guidelines for health and safety reviews
  • Written guidelines for the decision made concerning the inclusive labour market
  • Written guidelines for the decision made concerning health promotion
The enterprise must also be able to document the results, if any, of:
  • The goals set out in its health and safety policy
  • The decision made concerning health promotion
  • The decision made concerning the inclusive labour market.

This obviously implies that the enterprise has actually achieved some results. The first time it obtains a certificate, the enterprise may not yet have achieved any results. Once the certificate is due to be renewed, the enterprise will often be able to document results. However, the enterprise may have decided on concrete initiatives concerning, for example, the inclusive labour market which it has been unable to implement.

5.5.3. Involvement of employees
It must be documented that the employees or their representatives have been involved in the work to meet the requirements for obtaining a health and safety certificate, including that they have been given the opportunity to comment.

Enterprises are free to choose how to involve employees and how to document their involvement. For example, they may ask a staff representative to endorse the documentation, or they may present relevant minutes from meetings of the Internal Safety Organisation and/or Safety Committee, etc.

5.5.4. Publication
The purpose of the requirement for documentation and publication is to enable third parties to get an insight into the health and safety conditions of the enterprise. Third parties may be persons wanting to apply for a job at the enterprise in question. The documentation is also meant to enable enterprises to profile themselves in order to obtain public recognition.

The documentation must be available to the public. This means that the enterprise must be prepared to show the documentation to any third parties who wish to see it. The enterprise is free to choose a more offensive approach and, for example, publish the documentation on its website.

If the documentation contains information of a confidential nature, e.g. about named employees, it must be made anonymous before publication. If it contains trade secrets, e.g. about specific production methods, they may be removed before publication.