Work Environmental Committee (AMU)

Each of DTU’s university entities has an independent occupational health and safety organization consisting of a Work Environmental Committee and a number of occupational health and safety groups.
The Work Environmental Committee is the university’s supreme body in the OHS organization, and the senior manager in the University entity (or his or her representative with the same powers) chairs
the committee. The committee also consists of work supervisors and OHS representatives from one or two OHS groups. If the University entity has more than two OHS groups, two work supervisors and two OHS representatives are elected from the OHS groups to the committee (as well as alternates). In addition, it is a requirement that the composition of the Work Environmental Committee must reflect the University entity’s fields of work (laboratory/workshop/office/other). In accordance with the Danish Educational Environment Act (Undervisningsmiljøloven), students are entitled to be represented on the Work Environmental Committee in university entities with teaching activities. The committee may have 1-2 student representatives.

The Work Environmental Committee performs tasks of an overall and strategic nature in relation to the working environment at the individual University entity—including planning and coordinating working environment actions and initiatives—as well as advising and supporting the University entity’s senior management on working environment issues.

The committee must ensure that an up-to-date workplace assessment (APV) is always available for the University entity. At the end of the year, the committee must also conduct a systematic working environment discussion and prepare a working environment action plan for the coming year. This discussion is conducted at the same time at all University entities to ensure that it is linked to the Corporate Work Environmental Committee’s work.

In addition to the mandatory workplace assessment (APV), the Work Environmental Committee may perform systematic screenings/rounds on an ad hoc basis in risky fields of work.

Examples of the Work Environmental Committee’s tasks

• Planning, managing, and coordinating the University entity’s collaboration on health and safety.
• Participating in determination of the size of the OHS organization at the University entity and ensuring that a local OHS coordinator is appointed.
• Participating in preparation of the University entity’s workplace assessment (APV), including collaboration on job satisfaction and well-being with the local collaboration committee.
• Conducting the University entity’s annual working environment discussion and preparing a working environment action plan for the coming year.
• Ensuring that the University entity complies with the existing working environment legislation, as well as with DTU’s working environment sub-policy, and DTU’s guidelines.
• Checking the health and safety work in the University entity, and informing and advising the OHS groups on this.
• Advising the University entity’s senior management on how to solve health and safety issues.
• Examining causes of accidents at work and near incidents, as well as ensuring that preventive measures are taken.
• Ensuring that the members of the OHS groups complete the statutory occupational health and safety training.
• Laying down principles for adequate and necessary training and instruction, adjusted to the working conditions at the University entity and the employees’ needs.
• Making visible and communicating the occupational health and safety work and the OHS organization at the University entity.
• Submitting issues to the Occupational health and safety coordinator network if they cannot be resolved locally in the University entity.