The elections to the occupational health and safety organisation at Aarhus University are held every third year. The current period expires 28 February 2027. Preparations are in progress for the next OHS Committee election, covering the period 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2030.
If changes are nessesary to the occupational health and safety organisation before the ordinary election period help can be found here: How to hold local occupational health and safety organisation elections.
The election of occupational health and safety representatives is held among the employees. Managers are appointed to the occupational health and safety groups and occupational health and safety committees by their senior managers.
To be elected as an occupational health and safety representative, you must be employed at AU for at least nine months, before you stand for the election.
Election of occupational health and safety representative follow the rules of election of union representative in regards to employment (DK). Occupational health and safety representatives are trustees protected when in that function.
Please note: An occupational health and safety representative is not required to be member of a trade union. (DK)
According to the legislation (7.2.9. Occupational health and safety representative), there are no alternates in the occupational health and safety groups. Therefore, alternates for occupational health and safety representatives are not elected at AU.
If the occupational health and safety representative is absent for a continuous period of at least four months, a new occupational health and safety representative may be elected.
According to the ministerial order, it is not a requirement that an alternate for the occupational health and safety representative is elected. However an organisation can decide to do more than the law requires.
Limited use of alternates for occupational health and safety representatives is recommended at AU. If management decides that alternates are required, the following should apply:
The faculty is responsible for informing the alternates about these matters.
Based on the management’s decision, there may be alternates in the Local Occupational Health and Safety Committees (LAMU), the Faculty/Administration Occupational Health and Safety Committees (FAMU/AAMU) and in the Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee (HAMU). However, the alternates must be elected from among the already elected occupational health and safety representatives.
Note that the term of office of the occupational health and safety representative ends on the 28 February 2027, when a joint AU election will be held. Preparations are in progress for the next OHS Committee election, covering the period 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2030.
If necessary, contact your work envirionment contact person for advice. If it is not possible to elect an occupational health and safety representative, the supervisor and the chair will work alone until the staff later have elected a representative.
Every third year the normal election for occupational health and safety representatives takes place.
There can also be a need for elections in other time periods. If the elected health and safety representative resigns from the position goes on leave or sickleave for more than 4 month, a new election can be made within the 3 year period. An elected health and safety representative cannot resign from the office or be overthrown from the office as the regulations says (in Danish) AT vejledning 10209 afsnit 4.3
If the Occupational health and safety representative (AMR) moves away from the location where the representative has been elected, here are a couple of examples of different frameworks:
If you think you need to change your OHSO-structure or parts of it, take a hold of your work envirionment contact person. You need to take action regarding:
After that there is going to be a new election which is from a set date until the current election period expires 28 February 2027. The curent AMR only has the trustee protection until the new OHSO is set to start.
AMR will not be notified to have a shorter elected period, but the function expires. Thereby their trustee protection expires unless they step into a new AMR-role in the new OHSO-structure.
If an occupational health and safety group is not represented, AU encourages interested employees to stand for election as a staff representative (occupational health and safety representative).