Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2024, publiée 113ème session CIT (2025)

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Convention (n° 155) sur la sécurité et la santé des travailleurs, 1981 (Ratification: 1982)
Convention (n° 187) sur le cadre promotionnel pour la sécurité et la santé au travail, 2006 (Ratification: 2008)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of the ratified Conventions on occupational safety and health (OSH), the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 155 (OSH) and 187 (promotional framework for OSH) together.

The Committee notes the observations on Conventions Nos 155 and 187 of the Swedish Confederation for Professional Employees (TCO), Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (SACO) and Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) transmitted by the Government.

Articles 9(1) of Convention No. 155 and Article 4(2)(c) of the Convention No. 187. Mechanisms for ensuring compliance with national laws and regulations, including inspection systems. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government regarding the increase in the number of inspections from 2020 to 2022. It notes the Government’s information on the implementation of the national supervisory project, Vision Zero (Nollvision), by the Swedish Work Environment Authority (SWEA), initially during the period of 2018–22, aimed at ensuring that employers effectively prevent accidents, incidents, and health hazards through systematic management of the work environment. The SWEA visited around 4,900 workplaces and carried out approximately 7,700 procedures, focusing on specific risks and sectors. It also notes that the SWEA issued remediation notices to 80 per cent of the inspected workplaces, imposed 60 immediate bans in cases of severe threats to workers’ safety, and levied 330 penalty charges. The Committee further notes the Government’s information on the expansion of the Nollvision on the Work Environment Strategy for 2021–25, which aims to shift the focus from preventing workplace fatalities to eliminating work-related deaths entirely. It notes that the Agency for Public Management (APM) evaluated the Work Environment Strategy for Modern Working Life 2016–2020, concluding that the SWEA has recruited and trained around 160 new work environment inspectors, but that the increase in the SWEA budget does not fully compensate for the costs arising from the adopted strategy. It notes that the APM assesses that a strengthening of the supervisory activities is well in line with the intentions of the strategy. In addition, the Committee notes the observations from LO, SACO and the TCO regarding the transformation of work environment inspectors from specialists to generalists, negatively impacting the identification of hazards in specialized areas such as construction or seasonal work. The Committee requests the Government adopt measures to further improve the inspection activities performed by the SWEA, as well as other measures to ensure that OSH laws and regulations are enforced by an adequate and appropriate system of inspection. It requests the Government to provide its comments regarding the observations of LO, SACO and the TCO on the impact of the change of inspectors from specialists to generalists.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.