The occupational safety and health representative is a member of the occupational safety and health committee in his or her own right, when the workplace has one. One of the important tasks of the occupational safety and health representative in the occupational safety and health cooperation is to convey information about matters related to the occupational safety and health of the employees he or she represents to the employer and other actors in the occupational safety and health cooperation. The occupational safety and health representative does not have legal responsibility for the occupational safety and health of the workplace; the responsibility always lies with the employer.
Election of representatives
In health and safety elections, staff members elect their representatives to take part in the joint action on health and safety at the workplace. Unless otherwise agreed, elections are held every two years between 1 November and 31 December. The law on occupational safety and health supervision and joint occupational safety and health activities in the workplace provides for occupational safety and health elections. The different sectors have their own election procedures, which must be followed to ensure that the election is legally binding. You can find sector-specific instructions on how to organise elections, for example on the Centre for Occupational Safety and Health's online service.
Employees elect a health and safety representative and two deputies from among their number when there are at least ten employees at the workplace. These can also be elected in smaller workplaces. Employees always have the right to elect their own health and safety representatives and two deputies.
If there are at least twenty employees, a health and safety committee is set up. The health and safety representatives are automatically members of the health and safety committee. The other workers' representatives on the committee are also elected in the health and safety election.
If the workplace has agreed locally on health and safety representatives, these are also elected in the health and safety election. In this case, guidelines on the criteria can be found in the collective agreement for the sector.
The employer appoints its own representatives for health and safety, such as the health and safety manager and the members of the health and safety committee representing the employer, so they are not elected.
Occupational Safety and Health app
The app is a free tool that makes it easy to carry out electronic voting in health and safety elections. To use the app, you need to register and accept the service agreement.
The election is organised by the workers
Employees organise the election of the health and safety representative and deputies.
All workers in the workplace must have the opportunity to participate in the election, i.e. to stand as a candidate and vote. If the workplace elects its own employee health and safety representative, only all employees participate in this election. The election must not cause undue disruption to the operation of the workplace and the employer must not make it difficult to organise the election.
The organisers shall agree the time and place of the election with the employer. Unless otherwise agreed, the election shall take place between 1 November and 31 December of the year preceding the beginning of the new term of office.
Prior to the election, the head of labour protection invites representatives of the staff groups to a consultation. At the consultation meeting, the scope of activities, the extent of the health and safety organisation, the number of members of the health and safety committee, the representation of the various parties and the distribution of staff between the various groups are agreed and determined.
The practical organisation of the elections is carried out by the existing health and safety committee or by an election committee made up of staff representatives and comprising at least three members. The employer must make available to the employees the space needed to organise the elections. The employer shall make available to the employees a list of the employees in the workplace and, where appropriate, a list of the staff members for the purpose of organising the elections.
At least 14 days before the election, notice of the election shall be given by means of a notice reaching all eligible employees.