Duties of the employer:
The employer shall ensure that the enterprise is arranged and maintained, and that the work is planned, organized and performed in accordance with the provisions stipulated in or by virtue of the Working
Environment Act. To ensure that the safety, health and welfare of the employees are taken into consideration at all levels throughout the enterprise, the employer shall:
a) When planning new workplaces, alteration of workplaces or production methods, procurement of technical appliances and equipment etc., study and evaluate whether the working environment will be in compliance with the requirements of this Act and effect the measures necessary.
b) Arrange continuous charting of the existing working environment in the enterprise as regards risks, health hazards and welfare, and effect the measures necessary.
c) Arrange continuous checks of the working environment and the health of employees when there may be a risk of health injuries caused by long term effects from influences in the working environment.
d) Ensure that the employee who mainly performs work at night, is offered a health check before the employment commences and subsequently at regular intervals. The provision does not apply to employees that normally are working less than three hours of their daily working hour at night.
e) Arrange for expert assistance and for testing and measuring equipment when this is necessary in order to comply with the requirements of the Act.
f) Organize and arrange the work giving due consideration to the age, proficiency, working ability and other capabilities of the individual employees.
g) Arrange for systematic promotion of safety within the enterprise, and ensure that qualified persons with an understanding of safety matters are appointed to ascertain that the work is performed in a proper manner with respect to safety and health considerations.
h) Ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act relating to systematic promotion of safety, cf. Chapter VII.
i) Ensure that employees are informed of any accident risks and health hazards that may be connected with the working environment, and that they receive the necessary training, practice and instruction.
The self-employed in the building and construction industry
The link under Further Readings (right) leads to a handbook that compiles and highlights the most important aspects of the regulations that you should know about in order to safeguard your own working environment and that of others.