Workplace assessment (APV)

All university units at DTU must prepare a written workplace assessment (APV). The work environmental committee (AMU) at the individual university unit must ensure that there is always an updated APV available to both management and employees.

A workplace assessment (APV) is about mapping the university unit's working environment, identifying the areas where action is needed, and preparing a plan for how to improve the working environment in these areas. An APV is thus the university unit's own tool for working systematically and effectively with the working environment.

Preparation of workplace assessment (APV)

There is freedom of choice regarding which method is used during the preparation of a workplace assessment, but it must always include the following 4 phases:

• A risk assessment of the university unit's working environment problems. The risk assessment must be carried out on the basis of an investigation of the university unit's working environment conditions.
• An inclusion of the university unit's sickness absence with a view to assessing whether conditions in the university unit's working environment can contribute to the sickness absence. At DTU, the local collaboration committee (LSU) is involved in the assessment of the university unit's sickness absence. 
• A written action plan for solving the university unit's working environment problems, which cannot be solved immediately. The action plan must contain a description of the nature, seriousness, extent and causes of the problems, as well as information on when and how the problems must be solved, including who is responsible for implementing the solutions. 
• Implementation of the action plan and follow-up on the measures initiated, including follow-up on whether the solutions initiated are adequate and effective.

Management and employees must cooperate throughout the entire preparation of the APV, which must be carried out in compliance with the general prevention principles stated in appendix 1 to the Danish Working Environment Authority's Executive Order No. 65 on systematic work environment work.

Every year, all employees at DTU contribute to a working environment survey, focusing alternately on the physical working environment (in even years) and Well-being dialogues (in odd years).

To support the mapping of the physical working environment, all university units are offered to participate in a centrally rolled-out questionnaire survey that is adapted to the working reality in which the individual employee finds himself. The questionnaire survey is always followed up by dialogue at the university units. Mapping the psychological working environment is facilitated through well-being dialogues, which are tailored to the individual university unit.

The university units' workplace assessments must be revised regularly when there are changes in the work, working methods and/or work processes, and if these changes have an impact on the working environment. This may, for example, be the case in the event of a major reorganization or relocation, if a new machine is purchased or other chemical substances are used. It may also be necessary to adjust the APV if you gain new knowledge or new experience, for example if there is an accident at work, or if there are problems with the well-being of the employees, and it turns out that this is due to conditions in the working environment.