New statistics from the Swedish Work Environment Authority show that they have received 1,500 notifications throughout the country about serious incidents due to corona in various industries, most from hospitals and the elderly. 146 of them have entered Västra Götaland.
Here in the county, 22 safety representatives have also requested protection stops, which is by far the most in all regions. Almost one third of all the country's safety stops have been in Västra Götaland.
Both Marianne Bromberg and her colleague Roza Nord became seriously ill in covid-19 and they are convinced that they were infected at work, at the old-age home Backahus on Hisingen in Gothenburg. Marianne thinks it is serious that they did not have proper protective equipment. They were given homemade visors and poor mouthguards, she says.
"You get a mouthguard that looks like a crumpled paper and it breaks down when you lick it a bit, that's tragic," says Marianne Bromberg, specialist nurse.
- We even lacked soap. If you do not have the prerequisites, it will be then, ”she says.
Reported the shortcomingsAt the end of April, she submitted a 66A notification of serious deficiencies in the work environment, where she, as a safety representative, requires action.
- I have to make sure that there is the right protective equipment, I have to alert. Otherwise, I'm wrong, says Marianne Bromberg.
Her colleague Rosa Nord, also her specialist nurse, is also critical of the employer.
- They have failed with their work environment responsibility, they have failed. You have to go to the bottom with why it has happened and make an action plan, she says.
The area manager in the district of Norra Hisingen says that they already ordered protective equipment at the turn of the year, but that it was not then delivered. They have now reported all employees' illness as a work environment injury.
- It is included that you report it as a work environment injury, then we do an investigation and submit it to the Work Environment Authority, says Eva Midbjer Hammarström.