Here you can find out about Danish Working Environment Authority inspections and how to be prepared for them.
Danish Working Environment Authority (WEA) inspections are not announced in advance. Previously, WEA announced inspections in advance, but this has been changed. So as a member of the occupational health and safety organisation, you need to be conscious of the fact that AT inspectors might show up at any time. So AU HR recommends that local occupational health and safety committees/groups prepare for these inspections by making sure that the documents WEA typically requests are kept up-to-date and are easily accessible.
As as a general rule, WEA carries out a general ‘spot check’ to ensure compliance with safety rules. There are other types of inspection as well. Read more on the WEA website.
When the WEA inspectors turn up, they will ask to speak with a management representative and an occupational health and safety representative. WEA picks units to inspect based on their P number (a ten-digit code for a company’s location). For this reason, it’s a good idea to let the inspector know if there are multiple units at the same address and ask whether they’ve come to inspect a particular unit.
Typically, they will ask to see your WPA and an overview of the occupational health and safety organisation. They’ll also take a walk around the premises to inspect the physical surroundings, and may speak to some staff. Then the inspectors will review and summarise their findings, after which they’ll send the unit an inspection report.
It’s important that all staff know who their occupational health and safety representative(s) is/are and who their supervisor is, as well as how to get in touch with them. Staff also need to know where to find information about the working environment in their unit, for example WPA action plans and WPA reports. Below is a list of examples of topics WEA inspectors might ask about and request documentation for:
Workplace assessment (WPA) – REMEMBER to do a new WPA in connection with relocation and any other changes that impact the work environment!
AU's occupational health and safety organisation and the local occupational health and safety organisation
That the members of the occupational health and safety organisation have completed the mandatory occupational health and safety training
That the members of the occupational health and safety organisation have been offered supplementary training
That staff have completed any mandatory training courses relevant to their job function
Chemical risk assessment and workplace instruction manuals (APBs)
Instruction manuals for and mandatory inspection of machinery and instruments
Work environment statistics
The annual occupational health and safety review
Smoking policy in writing
Read more in the detailed guide to Danish Working Environment Authority inspections
ON the WEA website, you’ll find good advice on preparing for an inspection (Bliv klar til tilsyn, in Danish only).
The WEA can inspect any unit at the university, regardless of size or location. The WEA selects one or more p-numbers (which stands for ‘production unit number’) to inspect. A p-number is a code for an address associated with a CVR number.
One address can house different units (for example, two different departments on the same floor or different floors, or an administrative centre), but all of the units at the address will have the same p-number. This means that the inspection will normally include all the units at the address. The WEA inspectors have the right to access the entire company and the right to talk to all employees.
If the inspection does not uncover significant problems with the work environment, the company will receive a ‘clean bill of health’ inspection report. However, if the inspection uncovers significant problems with the work environment, the WEA will issue a citation ordering the company to rectify the problem by a specific date, in some cases with the assistance of an authorised health and safety consultant. In the case of serious violations, an immediate improvement notice is issued, which means that the violation must be rectified immediately. Once the working conditions have been rectified, the WEA normally returns for a follow-up inspection.
The WEA can issue different kinds of citations. Consult the WEA website for more information.
The ‘smiley scheme’ was abolished on 1 February 2024. A new scheme will be introduced by WEA some time in summer 2024. The new system will apply to all Danish and foreign companies that have received an inspection within the past six months. The system will register which companies have been issued an improvement notice as well as what occupational health and safety violations the improvement notice addressed.
It is mandatory to use the Danish Working Environment Authority's digital self-service solution ADVI (in English: "https://workplacedenmark.dk/en/health-and-safety/inspection-of-foreign-companies/report-back) when reporting back subsequent to receiving a ruling from the Danish Working Environment Authority, such as an improvement or prohibition notice or response to a written consultation on an intended ruling.
You need MitID Erhverv user rights to access ADVI. Find out how to get access on AU’s website.
Any communication from the WEA after an inspection and the unit’s responses must be archived. The unit in question is responsible for this.