Arbejdstilsynet, the Danish Working Environment Authority carries out inspections at enterprises to check that their health and safety conditions are in order. This includes foreign enterprises with employees.
Arbejdstilsynet, the Danish Working Environment Authority supervises whether acts and rules in the field of safety and health at work are observed, among others through inspection visits and guidance of the enterprises and their safety organisations. The aim is to make the enterprises capable of solving their issues in relation to health and safety at the workplace.
The different forms of sanctions of Arbejdstilsynet, i.e. improvement notices, legal charges and administrative fines will depend on both the enterprise’s actual working environment standards and on its own efforts.
As an executive authority, Arbejdstilsynet focuses in particular on enterprises with poor safety and health conditions and no serious policy in relation to working environment issues.
At an inspection by Arbejdstilsynet we check compliance with the Danish health and safety legislation. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the health and safety regulation.
Arbejdstilsynet is entitled to enter a company’s premises or workplace without a court order. This means that the company must give Arbejdstilsynet access even though this may disrupt work. The inspection is carried out by an inspector who must show identification.
An inspection is usually unannounced. We check your enterprise by walking around to assess whether your health and safety conditions are in order. We look at conditions such as the enterprise’s own health and safety performance and ergonomics, noise and the risk of accidents, etc.
If necessary, Arbejdstilsynet can arrange for an interpreter to assist. The interpreter will usually translate via phone during the inspection visit . In special cases we also have the option of bringing an interpreter with them to the inspection.
The use of an interpreter is free of charge for your company.
If your enterprise fails to comply with the health and safety legislation, Arbejdstilsynet may order you to rectify the situation immediately or within a deadline. We can also decide to issue a 'notice of violation' if we find there has been a violation of the working environment legislation, but there is no action to order, because the conditions have already been sorted out. In more serious cases we can report your enterprise to the police and you may have to pay fines.
Arbejdstilsynet can offer enterprises a voluntary agreement to problem-solve, if we suspect a complex health and safety problem or if we find a health and safety problem, that is relevant to more workplaces in the same enterprise. The agreement provides enterprises with the opportunity to make an effort regarding their working environment, and getting help and guidance from Arbejdstilsynet. We do not offer agreements in case of problems that need to be solved immediately.
For further information about Arbejdstilsynet and the health and safety rules, visit Workplace Denmark. The website contains information about employer obligations, inspections and the response options of Arbejdstilsynet, among others.