Coronavirus and workplace safety and health

We are working to minimise risks in the line of work

Employers are responsible for systematically investigating and preventing health and safety risks in the workplace so that employees can work safely. During the current coronavirus pandemic, the employer’s responsibility is, inter alia, to ensure there is enough personal protective equipment and that the equipment used is safe. The Swedish Work Environment Authority is the authority responsible for ensuring compliance with the Work Environment Act. This is achieved through supervision, legislation, and communication. We work to ensure that no one is injured, falls ill, or dies as a result of their work.

Working from home

Working life is greatly affected by the current pandemic due to the spread of the coronavirus. Many have been recommended to work from home, while others need to keep going to work in the healthcare sector and other services essential to society. 

Five quick tips for you who are working from home

Contact and other actors

You can follow the development of COVID-19 at the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s website or Krisinformation.se:

Information at the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s website, opens in new window

Krisinformation.se, opens in new window

You can call the national information number
113 13 to have your questions about COVID-19 answered.

You can call our Answering Service at 010 – 730 90 00 if you have more questions on risks of infection in your work environment.

The novel coronavirus in Risk Class 3

The Swedish Work Environment Authority supports the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s assessment to treat the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 as Risk Class 3. Risk Class 3 includes infectious agents that may cause diseases with serious consequences and where the possibilities of a cure or prevention are limited, or if the disease is highly contagious.

The legal grounds for the assessment can be found in Section 6 of the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s provisions (AFS 2018:4) on risks of infection, where it states that if an infectious agent is missing in the provisions’ list of viruses, the higher risk class shall be used.