The Court repeals the Swedish Work Environment Authority's ban and writes in a press release:
“The Swedish Work Environment Authority has banned Stockholm municipality from carrying out patient-related work with users with established or suspected covid-19 infection, unless protective equipment in the form of visors in combination with oral protection is worn. The Administrative Court considers that the concept of "patient-related work" is not as clear and precise as is necessary for the municipality to be able to anticipate what measures need to be taken and therefore cancels the decision. "
- The decision of the administrative court does not mean a medical assessment of which protective equipment is to be used in certain tasks. Instead, it was the legal requirements for a ban that became decisive, says chief counsel Johan Lundmark.
The case is about the Swedish Work Environment Authority's injunction which prohibited work without both oral protection and visor in all patient-related work with covid patients. The employer, Kungsholmen's district administration, referred to the recommendations of the Public Health Authority and wanted the use of oral protection to be limited to only certain tasks.
However, as SVT previously revealed, the Swedish Work Environment Authority's management has chosen to adapt its formulations to those of the municipality and the Public Health Authority, following pressure from, among other things, the employers' organization SRK. The goal has now been decided earlier than planned. (See fact box.)
The text is updated.