It must work to promote a fully responsible working environment in the company.

All businesses with at least 30 employees are obliged to set up a Working Environment Committee (WEC). If one of the parties requires it, businesses with between 10 and 30 employees must also have a WEC. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority can also decide that there must be an WEC in an enterprise.

The composition of the committee

The Working Environment Committee (WEC) must consist of an equal number of representatives from the employer and employee side. The employer appoints its representatives, while the employees choose their representatives from among the employees in the business.

The committee’s tasks

WEC must participate in the planning of the protection and environmental work, and closely follow developments in matters concerning the safety, health and welfare of the employees.

The committee must, among other things:

• Actively participate in the company’s HSEQ work
• Handle matters concerning conservation and environmental work, including risk assessments and action plans
• Ensure that employees receive information and training about conservation and environmental work
• Be a collaborative forum for employers and employees in conservation and environmental work
• Handle plans and changes that affect the working environment
• Review HSEQ deviations and ensure that prevention is implemented

WEC’s rights

WEC has the right to:

• Participate in the planning of conservation and environmental work
• Get information about the company’s risk situation
• Ask the employer to take measures to improve the working environment
• Ask for assistance from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority
• Members of WEC have the right to training.

WEC’s importance

WEC is an important body for promoting a good working environment in Norwegian businesses. The committee gives employers and employees a common arena to collaborate on conservation and environmental work. WEC can contribute to preventing occupational accidents and illnesses, and to creating a working environment that is good for both the employees and the business.

Examples of cases that WEC can handle

WEC can deal with a number of different matters relating to conservation and environmental work in the company.

Here are some examples:

• Questions concerning the occupational health service and the internal protection service
• Questions about training
• Plans that will affect the working environment
• Use of temporary positions
• Health and welfare aspects of working time arrangements
• Reports on accidents, near misses and work-related illness
• Risk assessments and action plans
• Psychosocial conditions

WEC can also take up matters that are not directly related to conservation and environmental work, but which may nevertheless have an impact on the working environment. For example, WEC can take up cases about pay and working conditions, organizational conditions, or the length of working hours.