Hi Johan! Tell us more about yourself.
I’m a Finance officer, at the Medical Department Office in Malmö, and I’m the Principal safety representative for the two departments at the faculty, with operations in Malmö, the Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, and the Department of Translational Medicine. I have worked at Lund University for almost 20 years.

Why are health and safety representatives important to employees?
The health and safety representatives work for a safe and good work environment and represent the employees in work environment issues. The health and safety representatives are also an interlocutor for employees in all work environment-related issues. All conversations with health and safety representatives are confidential. The health and safety representatives are also a resource and partner for the manager in charge of each safety area.

What does a Principal health and safety representative do?
The principal health and safety representative coordinates the local safety representatives' activities in each safety area and acts as a knowledge bank for various issues in work environment that come up. The Principal health and safety representative also collaborates with the employer and participates in safety rounds and risk and impact analyses in connection with organizational changes and work shortages. The Principal health and safety representative participates in HSE committee work (Health, Environment and Safety Issues) and participates in LSK (the local Safety Committee at the Faculty of Medicine).

What is the difference between a Principal health safety representative and a health and safety representative?
The Principal health safety representative has an overall coordinating role, including the collaborative work towards the employer, while the local health and safety representatives have the local and detailed knowledge about the work environment in their respective safety area.