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The virus has created a new factor that most employers have not had to consider before in their work environment: the risk of infection. What is a previous aspect to consider as an employer is also shown in the statistics of the Swedish Work Environment Authority.
– If we look at the influx, we see that something has happened here in 2020, and it is probably not a big deal to guess what the connection is, says CEO of the Swedish Work Environment Authority Erna Zelmin-Ekenhem.
So far this year, the authority has received 4,729 reports of incidents related to the crown. These are cases in which employers have reported that one or more workers have been exposed to the virus at work, for example when performing tasks near an infected person without the possibility of distancing or other protection.
In 196 cases, the security representative in workplaces across the country they discovered such serious risks that they called for the intervention of the Swedish Work Environment Authority.
99 times, safety representatives have seen such serious risks of corona infection in the workplace that a so-called safety representative has been called to stop. A safety representative can only do this if the life or health of employees is in immediate and serious danger, in accordance with the Work Environment Act.
– We are not talking about a machine that has broken, but here there has been great concern about something that makes you sick and may even die. It’s no wonder there was concern and the brakes were applied at that point, says Erna Zelmin-Ekenhem.
By comparison, a total of 83 safety representative stops were requested last year.
– It is a strong increase, says Erna Zelmin-Ekenhem and continues:
– We have also seen that reports of occupational diseases and other things related to covid have increased a lot and of course we need to look at this more carefully in the future.
In addition to all matters at the Swedish Work Environment Authority Three prosecutor-led preliminary investigations into workplace crime related to the pandemic are also now underway.
According to the National Unit of Crimes in the Work Environment of the Public Ministry, during the year a total of nine police complaints were prepared about crimes in the work environment related to the crown. But three of them were never taken away by prosecutors and three led to a preliminary investigation that was later closed.
– What we have typically seen are injuries or deaths in the workplace from, for example, falls or crush accidents. These include reports of employees dying as a result of an infection believed to have been caused in the workplace, says Chief Prosecutor Karin Falk Strand.
Preliminary investigations completed it was suspended when the prosecutor concluded that it was not possible to prove that the person was indeed infected in the workplace. That is the great challenge in this type of case, says Karin Falk Strand.
– It is very difficult to do when you have a social spread that we have today, say where the infection came from, she says.
At least two of the three preliminary investigations underway are on nursing homes.
Also when it comes to intervention requests from the Swedish Work Environment Authority and stops by safety representatives, it is the care and nursing for the elderly that is at the top, along with transport services such as the public transport or taxis.
Erna Zelmin Ekenhem notes that care problems existed in the work environment even before the pandemic.
– For many years we have been able to verify that there is a fairly large staff turnover. That said, it does not mean that those who enter do not do their work, but it is difficult to achieve continuity in routines and if you do not have a good work environment, you are not well equipped to face a crisis like the one we have now. she explains.
Are there reasons to criticize employers or do the circumstances excuse it?
– It is like so many times that the truth is somewhere in between. Many employers have tried their best to understand, eliminate, and minimize the risks, and it has worked reasonably well under the conditions.
– But then we also see that there are deficiencies that worry us a lot, and we see it above all in health care, says Erna Zelmin Ekenhem.
