Chemical risks are now being investigated at companies and schools in the county

Each year, dust, asbestos, exhaust gases or other chemical hazards at work cause illnesses and deaths, according to the Swedish Work Environment Authority, which called for about 18,000 workplaces to review the risks prior to the inspections. It can be about dangerous chemical products but also about quartz dust, mildew dust, welding fumes and exhaust gases.

Inspections will be carried out, among other things, in manufacturing, soil and forest, in cleaning companies, car repair shops, hotels and restaurants, schools and in health care.

Chemical risks at work are more common than one might think, says Elin Löfström-Engdahl, project manager at the Swedish Work Environment Authority. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness of how they should be handled.

- It is the employer's responsibility to prevent risks at work. Most people are also keen to keep track of the risks that exist, so that no one gets sick from their job.

Inspecting schools is also important for several reasons, says Elin Löfström-Engdahl.

- There can be, for example, chemistry education and vocational training. Young people have a long time left in working life, so it is important to learn from the beginning how to work safely. It will be a benefit both to the individual and to society.

In the first round of inspections last year, deficiencies were detected in eight of ten workplaces.

- Sometimes, for example, there is no list of chemical risks at all, or the list is deficient.

The inspections will continue until 16 October, in the framework of a joint EU operation. The results will be presented in Stockholm on November 6.