Safety Representative
In all businesses that have employees, a safety representative must be elected. The safety representative must safeguard the interests of the employees in matters concerning their working environment. The safety representative must be consulted in planning and implementation of measures relevant to the representative's area of responsibility. Safety Representatives must participate in inspections carried out by the Labour Inspection
Safety Representative Requirement
All businesses with employees must have a safety representative. In businesses with fewer than five employees, the parties may agree in writing to an alternative arrangement. In businesses with more than ten employees, multiple safety representatives can be elected.
Training of Safety Representatives
The employer must ensure that the safety representatives receive the necessary training to perform their duties in a proper manner. Generally, the duration of the training should be at least 40 hours. Safety representatives must be given the necessary time to carry out their safety work properly. Safety work that must be performed beyond regular working hours shall be compensated as overtime work. The employer must ensure that serving as a safety representative does not result in loss of income for the safety representative or in any other way diminishes the safety representative's working or employment conditions.
The Working Environment Act on safety representatives (in Norwegian only)
Regional Safety Representatives in the Construction Industry
All businesses in the construction industry, including those consisting of only one person, are covered by a system of Regional Safety Representatives (RVO). All businesses engaged in construction activities must pay an annual fee.
RVO conducts unannounced visits to construction sites and primarily work at workplaces without elected safety representatives. Until a safety representative is elected for the workplace, RVOs have the same authority as a regular safety representative. RVOs can identify deficiencies, inform about regulations, and offer solutions to occupational health and safety issues in conference with the business and its employees.
RVO – regional Safety Representatives in the Construction Industry (in Norwegian only)
Regional Safety Representatives in the Hotel, Restaurant, and Cleaning Industry
All businesses in the hotel, restaurant, and cleaning industry are covered by a system of Regional Safety Representatives (RVO) and must pay an annual fee for this.
The RVO system applies to
- All businesses obligated to have a license to serve food
- All businesses obligated to have a license to serve alcohol
- All businesses obligated to have an authorisation as cleaning company
- All businesses offering accommodation
- All staffing agencies hiring out labour for the abovementioned industries
The RVO system applies for all enterprises, both large and small, as well as for sole proprietorships.
RVOs visit small and medium-sized enterprises in accommodation, food service, and cleaning, and provide advice and guidance on systematic health and safety management. They contribute to establishing a safety service where it is not established, and when necessary, they can assume the role of a safety representative.
