A safety representative must be able to identify problems, ask the right questions, and ensure that the work environment is safe. Therefore, safety representatives and members of the workplace safety committee need training that provides both an understanding of their roles and practical working methods.
Complete 40-hour online course
The course records 40 hours in the course portal and does not require any assignments to be approved afterward. See the current price in the online store.
See the 40-hour Safety Representative Course →
Why is the standard 40 hours?
The training is intended to enable the safety representative to perform their duties in a responsible manner. It must therefore cover more than just general HSE principles. The safety representative must understand their role, the employer’s responsibilities, employee participation, risk assessment, the right to stop work, safety inspections, nonconformities, and how workplace safety issues are followed up.
The Regulations on Organization, Management, and Employee Participation set 40 hours as the minimum requirement. The training may be longer if the enterprise’s risk factors and workplace issues so require.
When can the training be shorter?
Shorter training is not a decision an employer can make alone. The employer and the employees must jointly determine that shorter training is justifiable based on the nature and scope of the problems. This assessment should be specific and documented. Unpredictable operations, physical risks, shift work, chemicals, machinery, work at customer sites, or complex organizational structures often make it advisable to retain the 40-hour workweek.
What should safety representative training include?
- The safety representative's role, duties, rights, and right to halt work
- cooperation with the employer, employees, employee representatives, the Working Environment Committee (AMU), and the Occupational Health Service (BHT)
- internal control, assessment, risk assessment, and action plan
- safety rounds, nonconformities, accidents, and near misses
- physical, organizational, and psychosocial work environment
- Hiring, Coordination, Changes, and Emergency Preparedness
- how cases are prepared, taken up, and tracked until they are closed
Can the 40-hour course be taken online?
Yes. Online training makes it possible to spread the course out over several days or weeks and pick up where you left off. The important thing is that the course is of sufficient duration, has relevant content, and incorporates active learning methods. Komplett HMS tracks course time in the portal and uses scenarios and knowledge checks along the way.
What will participants receive after the course?
Once 40 hours have been logged and the knowledge test has been passed, the participant receives a digital course certificate. Optional local exercises are intended for personal practice but should not be submitted to Komplett HMS and do not count toward registered course hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for the training?
The employer must provide the training and cover the costs. The training shall normally take place during working hours.
Does the course need to be renewed?
There is no general, fixed expiration date, but the employer must ensure that the training is up to date whenever the role, the risk, or the regulations change.
Does the course also apply to AMU?
Yes. The 40-hour course is designed for safety representatives, chief safety representatives, and members of workplace health and safety committees.
See the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority's updated guidance on safety representatives and training.