INDUSTRIAL INJURIES AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work Environment Supervisory Authority
The
work environment in Greenland is still subject to Danish law and the Work Environment Supervisory Authority under the Danish government inspects the work
environment in Greenland.
Greenland has its own Health
and Safety at Work Act with reference to the Danish Consolidated Act No. 1048
of 25 October 2005. The act applies to work on land and to a limited degree to
aviation, navigation, and fishing.
The purpose of the Work Environment Supervisory Authority is to help create a safe and healthy work environment at Greenlandic workplaces by:
- Inspecting businesses
- Preparing regulations on work environment
- Releasing information on work environment
The Greenlandic Work Environment Council
The purpose of the Greenlandic work environment council is to improve knowledge of a safe and healthy work environment and to let the unions and the employers' organizations have a say to ensure that the goal is reached.
Education in Work Environment
The statutory education in work environment is administered by the Work Environment Supervisory Authority. The length of the education was changed in 2010 from 32 hours to 37 hours.
It is a requirement that businesses with ten or more employees have a security organization with members to implement the statutory health and safety training. Since January 2009, all workplaces with employees, regardless of their number, have been required to prepare risk assessments (the so-called APV's); the training provides tools for compiling these risk assessments.
Overview 1
Completed Courses in Work Environment
Source: Work Environment Supervisory Authority
Industrial Accidents
It is only accidents on land which must be reported to the Work Environment Supervisory Authority. There is no obligation to report industrial accidents in maritime transport, fisheries, aviation, and the offshore industry.
The regulations on the notification of industrial accidents can be found in the ministerial order no. 401 of 24 June 1986. Since early 2009, it has been possible to submit reports of industrial accidents and work-related illnesses electronically.
Overview 2
Reported Industrial Accidents to the Work Environment Supervisory Authority in Greenland by Type of Injury
|
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
I alt |
133 |
154 |
168 |
185 |
216 |
245 |
258 |
299 |
334 |
343 |
297 |
287 |
|
Death |
- |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
- |
2 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
Amputation |
4 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
Fractures |
24 |
28 |
24 |
29 |
24 |
22 |
36 |
32 |
31 |
35 |
28 |
29 |
|
Sprains etc. |
38 |
21 |
52 |
39 |
60 |
63 |
69 |
89 |
111 |
123 |
87 |
58 |
|
Wounds |
21 |
38 |
40 |
53 |
49 |
60 |
46 |
66 |
75 |
79 |
63 |
52 |
|
Thermal injury |
1 |
3 |
5 |
9 |
8 |
- |
5 |
6 |
9 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
|
Damage to soft parts |
15 |
23 |
18 |
12 |
18 |
36 |
42 |
51 |
41 |
55 |
41 |
25 |
|
Cauterization |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
|
Poisoning |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
|
Unknown and other |
27 |
33 |
17 |
36 |
52 |
54 |
55 |
47 |
51 |
28 |
62 |
113 |
Source: The Greenlandic Department of the Work Environment Supervisory Authority
Centre for Industrial Injury Insurance
The Danish law on industrial injury insurance is in force in Greenland with some modifications due to the Greenlandic business structure.
The centre for industrial injury insurance administers a compensation scheme on behalf of the Danish agency for industrial injury.
Figure 1
Reported Industrial Injuries to the Board for Industrial Injury
Source: Industrial injury insurance tribunal
Links
Read more about the Work Environment Supervisory Authority in Greenland at www.at.gl
Read more about the Greenlandic Work Environment Council at http://synkron.at.dk
Read more about the Centre for Industrial Injury Insurance at www.naalakkersuisut.gl