IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet

Företagshälsovårdens (fhv) uppdrag, är att "arbeta för att förebygga och undanröja hälsorisker på arbetsplatsen samt ha kompetens att identifiera och beskriva sambanden mellan arbetsmiljö, organisation, produktivitet och hälsa". Samtidigt agerar fhv på en marknad där de tjänster som fhv levererar ska svara mot kundens beställning. Denna studie syftar till att lyfta fram och analysera en rad goda exempel på hur fhv och företag har arbetat för att på ett bra sätt nå arbetsmiljölagens mål.Via kontakter med arbetsmarknadens parter, branschförbund, samt bevakning och sökning i massmedia identifierades 31 företag som tänkbara goda exempel, varav 15 företag slutligen valdes ut för att ingå i studien. HR-/personalchef, arbetsledande chef, skyddsombud samt representant(-er)/kundansvarig på den fhv som företaget anlitade har intervjuats.Projektet visar att relationen mellan fhv och företag är central för de goda resultat som uppnåtts. Tillit, förtroende och dialog mellan företag och fhv nämns som särskilt viktigt. I synnerhet gäller detta när företag har ambitionen att öka användningen av fhv i sitt förebyggande arbetsmiljöarbete och minska den behandlande delen av fhv:s verksamhet. Företag med god struktur och systematik i sitt arbetsmiljöarbete har lättare att utvärdera och strategiskt använda fhv:s insatser. När fhv får tillgång till information och kunskap från företaget kan de erbjuda bättre service och vara del i företagets processer. Fhv:s förmåga att anpassa sig efter företagets behov och anpassa/utveckla sina tjänster i samråd med företaget framhålls som framgångsfaktor före fhv:s kompetens eller metoder. En strategisk relation mellan företag och fhv kräver också kontinuerlig kalibrering, dialog och anpassning av vilka tjänster som erbjuds och tydlig fördelning av ansvar och arbetsområden.

Occupational health service (OHS) is often described as an important and strategic resource to reduce work-related accidents and diseases, improve work ability and successfully assess the need for improvement of the workplace and working environment and suggest means for the improvements needed. During recent decades several Swedish Government Official Reports have discussed the role, work models and organization of OHS. However, not much research has been done on how OHS contribute to reduced absence due to work-related illness or improvement of the work ability of employees.In our study, the ambition has been to describe how OHS can contribute and give effects in client companies. Fifteen companies considered to be good examples were selected in cooperation with the social partners (employer organizations, unions), with the aim to identify companies where Swedish OHSs had successfully contributed in some way to reduce absenteeism and to improve work ability in client companies. Different organizational types of OHS units were studies. Screening interviews were initially made by telephone with the human resource managers or similar functions in 31 companies, from which 15 were chosen for in-depth case studies.Semi-structured interviews were carried out with manager or coordinators of personnel and human resources, trade union representatives, first-line managers and representatives of OHS. During the interviews, questions were asked about the organization, the process of agreement between company and OHS, activities, and OHSs contribution to occupational health safety-management etc.The results show that OHSs must acknowledge clients´ needs and expectations and cannot operate in one single "best practice" which fits all. The opportunities for OHS to contribute and improve work ability and reduce absenteeism depend strongly on the relationship between the OHS and the company. Good occupational safety and health management (OHSM) at company level was a key factor for effective use of OHS. Most of the companies in the study had undertaken re-structuring of their internal processes for OHSM, which then became starting point for re-negotiation of relation to and use of OHS.An efficient collaboration was highly dependent on a continuous dialogue and contact between company and OHS, where the OHS needed to be flexible and adjust to the company needs, also during the period of agreement. A near relationship between company/managers and OHS is important for the use of OHS for improvement of the production. Education of and support to line management was part of this development. Hence, within the companies, the relations and contacts with OHS were no longer exclusively done by the HR department, but also by line managers and/or groups with participants from every department, including safety representatives.The results indicate that the companies, when developing their own OHSM, identify the need for more consultative qualities from the OHS, such as having an interactive discussion or getting advice from a competent partner that is applicable to the own organization and that contributes to the core business of the company. The strategic collaborations also often led to that OHSs contribution was gradually shifted from a reactive or medical focus to a more proactive approach. Several of the interviewed OHSs also held this strategy to work more with prevention as strategic partners, and focusing on “treating the organization", not the individual, leaving the executive measures to the company.This report is only available in Swedish.