Safety in the construction industry has become a question of top priority in recent years. Despite a massive investment of time, money and knowledge, the occur-rence of fatal accidents in Sweden alone is around one a month. The purpose of this study is therefore to improve the safety on the construction site. By an examination of the role of the safety agents and their cooperation with the construction workers and supervisors as well as examine how safety agents can improve safety on the construction site, which is the goal of the study. Four questions were formulated based on the purpose and the goal of the study. The methods used to answer the questions were a questionnaire survey, multiple interviews, a literature review and a document analysis. The report describes the safety agent’s role as a complex one with many different tasks. The role of the safety agents is regulated in the health and safety law, but it can sometimes be difficult to interpret and the agents can therefore interpret their role differently. Some of the tasks and the rights that the law describes is the right to stop a dangerous task, and the right to affect the employer. The safety agents should also participate in the early planning and carrying out safety inspections. The surveys show that safety agent’s cooperation with both construction workers and supervisors worked well at the examined places. A major area for improve-ment is in the early planning, where the safety agents should participate, which they rarely do. To improve the safety on the construction site the safety agents can lead by exam-ple as role models in safety. They can also use their right to stop a dangerous task and their right to affect the employer to improve the safety. Creating a safe construction site requires that everyone works together. There should be a safety approach through the whole project, from the people who con-duct the early planning to the people involved in the production. Everyone must work actively to achieve a good working environment. The knowledge of the safe-ty agents should be used in all steps of the construction process, not just in the production. / Säkerheten på byggarbetsplatsen är i dagsläget en högt prioriterad fråga, ändå är branschen mycket olycksdrabbad. Trots att mycket resurser läggs på säkerhet dör omkring en person varje månad på byggarbetsplatser bara i Sverige. Syftet med examensarbetet är därför att förbättra säkerheten på byggarbetsplatsen. Detta genom att kartlägga skyddsombudets roll och deras samarbete med yrkesar-betare och arbetsledning samt undersöka hur skyddsombudet kan förbättra säker-heten på byggarbetsplatsen, vilket är målet med examensarbetet. Utifrån syfte och mål utformades fyra frågeställningar som berör skyddsombudets roll, dess samarbete med yrkesarbetare och arbetsledning, samt vad skyddsombu-det kan göra för att förbättra säkerheten på byggarbetsplatsen. De metoder som tillämpades för att besvara frågeställningarna var en enkätunder-sökning, flertalet intervjuer och en litteraturstudie. I rapporten beskrivs skyddsombudets roll som komplicerad med många olika ar-betsuppgifter. Skyddsombudets roll är reglerad i arbetsmiljölagen men den kan ibland vara svårtolkad och skyddsombuden kan därför tolka sin uppgift olika. Några av uppgifterna och rättigheterna som lagen beskriver är stoppningsrätten och hänvändelserätten. Skyddsombuden ska dessutom delta vid tidig planering och utföra skyddsronder. Vid enkätundersökningen framgick att skyddsombudens samarbete med både yr-kesarbetare och arbetsledning fungerade bra på de arbetsplatser som undersöktes. Ett stort förbättringsområde finns dock inom den tidiga planeringen där skydds-ombuden ska delta, vilket de sällan gör. Det skyddsombuden kan göra för att förbättra säkerheten på byggarbetsplatsen är att vara förebilder inom säkerhetsarbetet. De kan även använda sig av stoppnings-rätten och hänvändelserätten för att påverka arbetsgivaren till att förbättra säker-heten. För att få en säker arbetsplats krävs att alla deltar i säkerhetsarbetet, det är inte bara skyddsombudets uppgift utan alla inom projektet måste vara delaktiga. Allt från de som utför den tidiga planeringen till de i produktionen måste aktivt arbeta för en bättre arbetsmiljö. Med skyddsombudens kompetens bör de vara delaktiga i säkerhetsarbetet i alla steg i byggprocessen, inte bara under produktionen.

The study aims to gain insight into how social workers perceive their psychosocial work environment and examine whether this effects the performance of their duties. The study mainly addresses the shortcomings of the psychosocial work environment of Social Services and the implications it entails for social workers health and wellbeing. The psychosocial work environment includes physical and psychological factors therefore the study's interpretive framework consists of organizational theoretical and social psychological concepts and previous research on the subject. We examined the organizational and social psychological connections to social workers perception of their work environment with a qualitative approach. The empirical data was collected through interviews with four social workers in a municipality in central Sweden using a semi-structured interview guide. The results led to the conclusions that challenge our preconceptions and gave us a nuanced perspective on social workers working conditions. The result of the study indicates that social service officials may not always be affected by adverse workplace conditions. Exceptions exist.

A large cost at the construction sites today is the labour cost of the workers. But unfortunately the worker potential is not used to full. It is not unusual to take into a count with a work-­‐place-­‐additional-­‐time of 50% in some cases. By increasing the workers' motivation and responsibility for their tasks may reduce the time considerably, which also increases the potential for greater gains in construction projects. By using the situational leadership may the workers level of maturity develop entirely. They become broadly self-­‐propelled with high efficiency and the construction leader can after that get more time for his/hers own tasks. The work gets done more efficiently and the potential for greater profits increase. Good leadership at the construction site also improves the working environment for all. More people may be motivated to go to work and such sickness absence may decline.

Denna kvalitativa studies syfte var att undersöka hur ett privatägt omsorgsföretag arbetar långsiktigt med personalens fysiska och psykiska hälsa samt hur personalen upplever hälsoarbetet och sin fysiska och psykiska hälsa på arbetsplatsen. Då verksamheten i första hand beskrevs som brukarstyrd var det intressant att undersöka hur ett företag kan arbeta aktivt med personalens hälsa utan att det inkräktar på den brukarstyrda verksamheten. Detta var vid studiens genomförande ett relativt outforskat område inom arbetshälsoforskningen. Genom enskilda intervjuer med två personer ur ledningen, och genom två parintervjuer med fyra personer ur personalen kartlade författarna hur företaget arbetar långsiktigt med personalens hälsa samt hur personalen upplever hälsan på arbetet. Resultatet bearbetades med hjälp av en analysmetod beskriven av Kvale och Brinkmann (2009). Resultaten visade att företagets långsiktiga strategi bygger på att satsningar görs för att förebygga ohälsa på ett tidigt plan. Personalen uppmuntras genom ett flertal aktiviteter till en sund livsstil. Genom systematiskt arbetsmiljöarbete, tydliga handlingsplaner, arbetsordningar samt kompetensutveckling skapas säkerhet och trygghet för personalen, vilket främjar personalens fysiska och psykiska hälsa. Resultaten visade även att personalen upplever sig ha en god fysisk och psykisk hälsa. Dock uppfattar inte personalen i vissa lägen hälsoarbetet lika positivt som ledningen. Personalen saknar stöd från ledningen i konfliktsituationer på arbetsplatsen och då det handlar om psykiska påfrestningar i arbetet. Resultaten visade även att ledningen ibland inte når ut till personalen då det gäller syftet med hälsofrämjande åtgärder. Författarna hoppas att resultatet från denna studie kan bli en inspiration i fortsatt hälsoarbete för såväl det studerade företaget som för andra företag. / The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how a privately owned health care company works with employee work health, both physical and mental health, in a long-term perspective. The purpose was also to investigate how the employees perceive the company's health work and their own physical and mental work health. Since the main purpose of the business was described as caring for the people that live in the company's houses, it is interesting to investigate how a company like this also can work when it comes to caring for the employees without neglecting the company business. At the time of this study this was a relatively unexplored area in the work health research. By doing individual interviews with two persons from the company's management and two interviews in pairs with four of the company's employees the authors were able to chart how the company works in a long-term perspective concerning employee health and also how the employees interpret the health status at their workplace. The results were analyzed using an analysis described by Kvale and Brinkmann (2009). The results showed that the long-term strategy of the company rests on preventive health investments at an early stage. The employees are encouraged to a healthy lifestyle by several activities arranged by the company. By actively applying a systematic work environment strategy, manifestive plans of action, working regulations and capacity building, safety and comfort can be created, which enhance the physical and mental health of the employees. The results also showed that the employees perceive the company's health work as positive and feel both physically and mentally well at their workplace. However at certain aspects the employees did not think as well of the company's health work as the management did. The employees lacked support from the management in situations of conflict at the workplace and in situations of mental strain at work. The results also showed that the management at times doesn't give enough information of the purpose of the health maintenance investments that are made. The authors of this study hope that the results can work as an inspiration for further health work to the studied company as well as for other companies.

The overall aim of the study was to examine work environment factors within the maritime industry. For this purpose a new measurement tool for work environment on board ships was developed. Further aims of the study were the examination of organizational culture, occupational stress and job satisfaction. 215 seafarers from 24 ships participated in the study. The response rate was at 35% for the whole sample. In order to investigate differences in organizational culture, a multivariate analysis was conducted, which revealed significant differences in organizational culture due to nationality and hierarchical position. In order to examine predictors of job satisfaction, multiple hierarchical block regression analysis were performed. Occupational stress and organizational culture emerged as significant predictors of job satisfaction. Especially relationships with co-workers and relationships with superiors emerged as predictive for job satisfaction. Social support and feedback from superiors showed the strongest predictive power for job satisfaction. The results in the study emphasize the importance of nationality and hierarchical position as important variables for measuring organizational culture. In addition, the importance of social relationships between co-workers and superiors are discussed. The aim of the study was to examine whether there were significant differences in organizational culture on board ships when looking at the variables nationality, hierarchical position and ship type. 215 Norwegian and Filipino seafarers from 24 ships participated in the study. The response rate was at 35% for the whole sample. Multivariate analysis revealed overall significant differences for the seven culture dimensions. In addition a significant difference of nation on the two factors (2) Working with the opposite gender and (3) Social support and feedback given by superiors emerged. Further multivariate analyses showed resulted in overall significant differences between hierarchical positions on organizational culture and especially on the factor (3) Emotional involvement in co-workers problems. The results emphasize the importance of including variables as nationality and hierarchical position when studying organizational culture within the maritime industry. The aim of the study was to examine the dimensions stress and organizational culture as predictors of job satisfaction within the specific conditions of the occupation of seafarers. In addition the impact of Social support and feedback given by superiors on job satisfaction was examined. 215 Norwegian and Filipino seafarers with different ranks from 24 different ships participated in this study. 97 of the respondents reported to be Officers/Managers and 87 of the respondents Ratings/Subordinates. The response rate was 35, 5 % for the entire sample. Multiple hierarchical block regression analysis were performed and revealed both stress and organizational culture as significant predictors of overall job satisfaction. Especially relationships with co-workers and relationships with superiors emerged as predictive for job satisfaction as a part of organizational culture. As predicted the factor Social support and feedback given by superiors had great predictive power for job satisfaction. The results emphasize the importance of organizational culture and especially relationships between the employees on board a ship.

This essay will focus on the psychosocial work environment, harassment and bullying at the workplace. As the essay is written as a part of the human resources program, the topics are discussed from a human resource management perspective. Harassment and bullying are highlighted on the basis of a labor law perspective where the focus is on the prevention work. The essay is based on analysis of law, the preparatory work for new laws and regulations, rules and regulations from the Swedish work environment authority, case law and doctrine, and is supplemented by interviews.   Harassed and bullied can in everyday speech sometimes be used as synonyms for one another. From a labor law perspective, the concepts, however, are not at all equivalent. Harassment and bullying are treated in different ways in the Swedish labor law. The essay examines how the cases of harassment are distributed on the different grounds of discrimination and why the Swedish legislator by law has chosen to provide an additional protection for groups with certain attributes and characteristics. The essay examines the question of why the Swedish legislators have chosen to regulate harassment and bullying in different laws as the psychological and social consequences for the individual as well as the working group are often the same.   The study also examines how the employer's obligations differ in situations of harassment and bullying. Methods and a checklist for preventing harassment and bullying in the workplace are presented. The essay shows that employer' obligations for preventing, investigating and attending to cases of harassment and bullying are equivalent but when these obligations are not met, the implications will be different. The consequence for the individual will be that he or she in some cases of bullying won’t have any option but to rely on the employer's goodwill and interest of having a workplace free from bullying.

In open office settings, auditory distractions coming from surrounding work environment are shown to be a considerable source of indirect costs to an organization, such as performance costs, behavioral costs, and healthcare costs, to name a few. These costs are substantial to affect the net productivity of an organization, where productivity is equal to revenue minus the costs. This research argues that the costs of auditory distractions should be estimated when evaluating the value of a workspace for an organization. However, since organizational decisions are generally guided by cost-benefit analysis and a precise dollar figure cannot be attached to the stated indirect costs because these are subjective in nature; therefore, these are generally ignored. Costs that are critical to sustainability and development of a business and the fact that cost-benefit approach is no longer appropriate for these decisions, a more robust decision-based approach to workspace selection is proposed. Decision-based approach is seen as an organized approach to select between workspace options under uncertainty and risk wherein the selected workspace is maximized in terms of some expected utility. Here utility is defined as the measurement of strength or intensity of a person's preferences. Decision-based approach include consideration of a multitude of environmental decision variables, objective or subjective, in a single equation and processing of the same in a limited amount of time with rationality and consistency. A multi-attribute workspace choice utility decision model is developed with the intent to facilitate systematic understanding and analysis of workspace alternatives for an organization. This research shows how the decision-making approach to workspace selection simplifies the problem by providing a structure that is easily comprehensible, and allows simultaneous processing of both, qualitative and quantitative conflicting objectives, through a single decision-making model. In doing so, this research firmly establishes the importance of workspace's adaptability to auditory distractions for office workers, particularly knowledge workers, who are constantly undertaking a range of complex tasks. The study holistically and systematically addresses the fundamental issue prevalent in state-of-the-art North American open plan office settings of substantiality of two extremely contrasting requirements, concentration and collaboration, in the same workspace and work environment at a given time.

This design thesis is part of CATEA's RERC workplace accommodations grant, and it adopts a human centered design methodology to research, develop, test and evaluate designs of behind-the-counter workspaces that maximize independence and participation of employees and increase their employment possibilities. Preliminary research shows that current designs of behind-the-counter workspaces do not accommodate needs of intended employees including the seated and standing users. According to the research, factors like task design and lack of ease of use have contributed to job loss and reduced employment. Through participatory research techniques and ergonomic studies, this project identified accessibility and usability needs and outlined basic and extended design guidelines for behind-the-counter workstations that would address these needs. Results from observational research, usability studies and user interviews were analysed to create design specifications for a range of workstations. The resulting workstation designs incorporate universal design guidelines and aim to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities and older adults.

<p>This essay will focus on the psychosocial work environment, harassment and bullying at the workplace. As the essay is written as a part of the human resources program, the topics are discussed from a human resource management perspective. Harassment and bullying are highlighted on the basis of a labor law perspective where the focus is on the prevention work. The essay is based on analysis of law, the preparatory work for new laws and regulations, rules and regulations from the Swedish work environment authority, case law and doctrine, and is supplemented by interviews.</p><p> </p><p>Harassed and bullied can in everyday speech sometimes be used as synonyms for one another. From a labor law perspective, the concepts, however, are not at all equivalent. Harassment and bullying are treated in different ways in the Swedish labor law. The essay examines how the cases of harassment are distributed on the different grounds of discrimination and why the Swedish legislator by law has chosen to provide an additional protection for groups with certain attributes and characteristics. The essay examines the question of why the Swedish legislators have chosen to regulate harassment and bullying in different laws as the psychological and social consequences for the individual as well as the working group are often the same.</p><p> </p><p>The study also examines how the employer's obligations differ in situations of harassment and bullying. Methods and a checklist for preventing harassment and bullying in the workplace are presented. The essay shows that employer' obligations for preventing, investigating and attending to cases of harassment and bullying are equivalent but when these obligations are not met, the implications will be different. The consequence for the individual will be that he or she in some cases of bullying won’t have any option but to rely on the employer's goodwill and interest of having a workplace free from bullying.</p>

No description available.