The safety representative's role in mapping the working environment
The safety representative shall see to it that the psychosocial working environment is safeguarded, and be consulted when measures are planned. That brings both rights and a role in the mapping itself. Here is what the law says, and what it means in practice.
Updated September 25, 2026 · 4 min read
What the law says
«The safety representative shall safeguard the employees' interests in matters concerning the working environment.»
The section lists what the safety representative shall in particular see to. One of the points is that the employees' psychosocial working environment is safeguarded. The fourth paragraph says the safety representative shall be consulted during the planning and implementation of measures that matter for the working environment, including the organisation's systematic HSE work.
Section 1A-2 of the regulation on the performance of work also says the mapping and risk assessment of the psychosocial working environment shall be done together with the employees and their representatives. The safety representative is one of those representatives.
Must every organisation have a safety representative?
The main rule in section 6-1 is yes: a safety representative shall be elected in every organisation. Organisations with fewer than five employees may agree in writing on another arrangement. With more than ten employees, several safety representatives may be elected.
The safety representative's role, phase by phase
| Phase | The safety representative's role |
|---|---|
| Planning | Consulted on how the mapping is done, what it covers and how anonymity is secured |
| Carrying it out | Can help employees know why they are getting the survey, and that it is safe to answer |
| Result | Should see the same basis as management, not a summary afterwards |
| Measures | Consulted when measures are chosen and planned |
| Follow-up | Sees to it that the measures are actually carried out, and that the psychosocial working environment is safeguarded |
Access in practice
The law uses the words «consulted» and «see to». It is hard to give good advice about something you have only seen a summary of. So the safety representative should have access to the same result as management – for the whole organisation and for the groups large enough to be shown.
Access does not mean access to individual answers. Anonymity applies to the safety representative as much as to management: nobody shall be able to see who answered what, and small groups shall not be shown to anyone.
How to raise it with management
Many safety representatives know the mapping should be done, but not how to raise it. Some advice:
- Start with questions, not demands. «When did we last map the psychosocial working environment, and what happened to the findings?»
- Point to the rules. Since 1 January 2026 the regulation says clearly that mapping shall be repeated regularly and documented.
- Propose a rhythm. One main survey a year with short pulses in between is easier to achieve than a large project.
- Offer to take part. A safety representative who helps explain the survey gives employees a reason to trust it.
On the page for safety representatives you will find a ready e-mail you can send to the managing director.
If the organisation has a working environment committee
The union representatives' role
Section 3-1, first paragraph, of the Working Environment Act says systematic HSE work shall be done together with the employees and their union representatives. Where the safety representative is responsible for the working environment, the union representatives represent the employees more broadly. Many organisations discuss a work environment survey with the union representatives before it goes out, treating it as a control measure under chapter 9 of the Act.
Situations you may meet
The result is poor for one department
Raise it as a finding, not a verdict. Ask what lies behind the figure, and let the department help choose the measures. Measures handed down without explanation rarely work.
Someone wants to see the figures for a small group
Stand firm. The limit on how small a group can be shown exists to protect employees, and it is why people dare to answer honestly. A group too small to be shown still counts in the figures for the whole.
Nothing happens after the survey
Ask about the measures: who owns them, and when are they due? Without an owner and a deadline, measures become intentions. The next survey is the best argument – it shows whether anything has moved.
Organisations where at least 30 people are regularly employed shall have a working environment committee (AMU). Between 10 and 30 employees, one shall be set up when one of the parties demands it. If there is an AMU, it is a natural place to raise the mapping and its follow-up.
Sources
- Working Environment Act § 6-1 (Lovdata, Norwegian)
- Working Environment Act § 6-2 (Lovdata, Norwegian)
- Working Environment Act § 7-1 (Lovdata, Norwegian)
- Regulation on the performance of work (Lovdata, Norwegian)
- Regulation on the performance of work, chapter 1A (Arbeidstilsynet, Norwegian)
This article is general information, not legal advice. The legal references were checked against Lovdata and Arbeidstilsynet in September 2026.
Give the safety representative the same basis as management
In Orgpuls the safety representative has access at no extra cost. 15 days free, no card.