LO chairman Johan Lindholm reacts strongly to Ekot’s review, which was published on Friday.
– It is simply terrible. Workplaces shouldn’t work like this, so it makes me very upset, he says.
Last spring, elevated values of the gas ammonia were measured at Northvolt’s factory in Skellefteå. In connection with that, the company sent out a Teams message to the staff urging them to continue working.
The Swedish Work Environment Authority has set a maximum limit for how much ammonia workers may be exposed to. It is at 50 ppm, parts per million. And according to the Swedish Work Environment Authority, companies may not set their own limit values.
– No. It is the Swedish Work Environment Agency that sets limit values. And they are set to protect workers. It is a binding rule, says Ann-Louise Jonsson, expert at the Swedish Work Environment Agency.
But in connection with the gas leak last spring, Northvolt sent out a list of its own new limit values to the employees. Now they were expected to work at up to 500 ppm, which means a tenfold increase in the Norwegian Work Environment Authority’s limit value for ammonia.
– Who wants to work in rooms plagued by ammonia or other gas? says Johan Lindholm.
After Ekot’s reporting has he cleared his calendar to be able to go to Northvolt.
– I’m going to Northvolt on Tuesday after listening to what went out in Ekot this morning of course. I’m putting other things aside now. I will meet protection agents and elected officials and I will get their view of the issue, says Johan Lindholm.
“I understand that the workers are afraid”
Emma Nerenheim, who sits on the management team at Northvolt, tells Ekot that the company managed to bring down the ammonia values after the release and that the protective equipment the staff has must withstand 500 ppm.
– This is, of course, an assessment that our security managers have made. And with hindsight, it can also be concluded that our HSE staff also did not make the assessment that we exposed the employees to risk in this situation, says Emma Nehrenheim.
When Johan Lindholm is in Skellefteå, he will also discuss the issue of the working environment with Northvolt’s management.
– I understand that the workers there are afraid, they are afraid of how their workplace is of course and not that it is reported in the media that the company is trying to make it happen. This must simply stop, says Johan Lindholm.