Guidelines for Work Environment and Health

Summary of the guidelines

The present guidelines also constitute KI's work environment policy, in accordance with AFS 2001:1 Systematic work environment management.

Purpose

KI's work environment should promote the health of employees and students in their work and studies so that they are in a position to carry out creative, innovative and sustainable work that leads to education and research of the highest quality.

Scope

The guidelines apply to employees and students working at KI. The work environment and health work must be characterised by a holistic approach in which all work environment factors are assessed and managed.

Overall objectives

KI shall be a safe and secure place to work and study, characterised by clarity in terms of organisation and division of responsibilities and active work environment and health management. 

The working and study environment at KI should be characterised by a good social climate with mutual respect, consideration and accountability, encouraging and fair leadership, participation and empowerment. There should also be conditions for reflection and recovery in the work/study.

KI's work environment management shall prevent ill health and accidents in work and studies. If incidents and work injuries do occur, they must be managed (to prevent similar events from occurring again) and documented in the internal incident reporting system for employees and students. 

Departments/representatives should formulate their own objectives with accompanying activities regarding the organisational and social working environment in their local business plans. Target achievement is monitored and followed up in annual safety rounds, in employee interviews, in questionnaire-based employee and student surveys, in departmental activity reports, in internal audit reviews and in the annual follow-ups of the systematic work environment management carried out in the KI's local work environment groups.

Responsibility for achieving the objectives

It is the mutual and shared responsibility of everyone working and studying at the KI to contribute to good health and safety. The KI's management will work with strategic and coordinated efforts to support and create the conditions for the departments' and joint functions' work on occupational health and safety. Departments/representatives must allocate resources, implement measures and continuously monitor their work environment and health work for employees and students. 

Managers/leaders should exercise clear and supportive leadership that promotes physical and mental well-being and actively lead local work environment and health work. Employees and students should take responsibility for their own well-being and actively contribute to good safety and a good working environment.