The Work Environment Act

The Work Environment Act (Arbetsmiljölagen) applies to  every activity in which employees perform work on behalf of an employer. The purpose of the Act is to prevent occupational illness and accidents and to otherwise ensure a good work environment.

The act establishes early on that people pursuing an education or training are to be treated as employees for the purposes of most of its provisions. Therefore the act applies to all doctoral students in relation to their HEI, even if they are not employed by the HEI. For doctoral students who are employed by someone other than the HEI, the act also applies in relation to their employer, of course.

The act contains regulations about the obligations of employers and others responsible for safety, to create a good work environment and to prevent ill health and accidents at work. It also contains regulations about the cooperation between employer and employee, for example rules about the activities of the safety representative.

You can find the official text of the law here and an unofficial English translation here.