Health and safety representatives, health and safety committees

As the head of a public authority, the Vice-Chancellor has primary responsibility for the work environment at Lund University. The Vice-Chancellor, or the person appointed by the Vice-Chancellor, is the chair of the Central Health and Safety Committee. The pro vice-chancellor for communication, integrity and character has been the chair since January 2021.

The Central Health and Safety Committee is to act as a collaborative body between the  employer and representatives of the employees in matters concerning planning, implementation and follow-up of systematic work environment management at the University.

The Central Health and Safety Committee is to participate in the planning of work environment management and, on the basis of the University’s Work Environment  Policy, initiate and follow up measures relating to the University’s work environment management.

The duties of the Central Health and Safety Committee are regulated by statute.

Members of the Central Health and Safety Committee

Employer  

• Jimmie Kristensson, pro vice-chancellor (chair)
• Marie Härstedt, HR director (member)
• Veronica Gummesson, head of LU Estates (member)
• Anna Helmer,  HR Division (substitute for the HR director)
• vacant, LU Estates (substitute for the head of LU Estates  ) 

OFR/ST    

• Johanna Tagesson (chief health and safety representative )
• Isabell Bohlin (member)    

Saco-S  

• Johan Stenmark (chief health and safety representative)
• Agneta Sanmartin (member)    

Seko    

• Heba Elali (chief health and safety representative)
• Ingrid Lagerborg (member)    

Student representatives 

• Mia Huovilainen (chief student health and safety representative)
• Katarina Davidsson (student representative)

Who can vote?

All employees are eligible to vote and can vote.

The election process

Elections of health and safety representatives and their substitutes are conducted in three stages: nomination, election procedure at the workplace and formal election by the employee organisations. 

Stage 1: Nomination of health and safety representatives and substitutes 

The head of department/equivalent provides information about the upcoming election and invites the employees to nominate candidates, i.e. to submit proposals for a health and safety representative and a substitute within their own protection area. Some protection areas include activities from several departments. In these cases, the heads of department/equivalents concerned must collaborate in organising the nominations and election process. 

Employees can nominate new or existing health and safety representative. They may also nominate themselves.

Please note that only employees who are members of the employee organisations with which the University has collective agreements (Saco/S, Seko, OFR/S) are appointed as health and safety representatives.

The head of department/equivalent/nomination coordinator emails the nominated candidates from the protected area to skyddsombudsval [at] hr [dot] lu [dot] se NOTE! Specify NOMINATION in the title line of the email.

The proposals for nominees that have been agreed in the workplace are to be sent to the following email address: skyddsombudsval [at] hr [dot] lu [dot] se State the protection area, the health and safety representative (name, email, employee organisation) and substitute (name, email, employee organisation). 

The nominated candidates are confirmed as eligible by the employee organisations with collective agreements at LU, via an email to the workplace. The election procedure can then be implemented in the workplace. 

Stage 2: Election procedure in the workplace 

The head of department/equivalent sends out a summons in good time to all employees in the relevant protection area, no later than two weeks before the election day. The head of department/equivalent also ensures that an election official is appointed. 

An election report is compiled by the person appointed as the election official.

The election report and attendance list are to be registered at the workplace. Once the election procedure is complete, the proposals for health and safety representatives are sent to skyddsombudsval [at] hr [dot] lu [dot] se. State the protection area, the health and safety representative (name, email, employee organisation) and substitute (name, email, employee organisation).

Stage 3: Formal election of health and safety representative and substitute 

The employee organisations appoint the health and safety representatives collectively, on the basis of the proposals sent in from the election procedure. When the employee organisations have appointed the health and safety representatives, they send out an email to the head of department/equivalent responsible for the election and to the health and safety representative to confirm that the election process is complete. The confirmation, or the message that the election has not been approved, is to be sent out no later than one month after the submission of the proposed candidates for appointment. 

Election of the principal health and safety representative 

Once the election of health and safety representatives is complete, the employee organisations ensure the appointment of the principal health and safety representative. The principal health and safety representative is appointed from among the elected health and safety representatives within the principal protection area. 

Training for health and safety representatives 

Safety representatives are offered a basic work environment training programme, which has been developed in collaboration between the safety representatives, the HR Division and the occupational health service. The training contains two parts – a digital part and a workshop (both in Swedish).

The digital part is available in the Professional Development Portal and involves self-study that can be completed at any time.

Work environment knowledge for all employees – basic course in Swedish (Kompetensportalen/the Professional Development Portal)

The second part, the workshop, is carried out several times a year and the safety officer registers for it via the Professional Development Portal (Kompetensportalen).

Read more about the workshop Work environment knowledge for safety representatives – advanced course, in Swedish (Kompetensportalen/the Professional Development Portal).

By-election

A by-election must be carried out if the elected safety representative ends his or her assignment before the mandate period has expired. A by-election is conducted in the same way as a safety representative election.