ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on development: how ergonomic, safe, and attractive workplaces can be planned and designed. It describes the principles behind, and the development of, work environment management in general, together with some applications in mining. Work environment management, in its essence, more or less entails managing different risks or occupational health and safety issues. Work environment management as a strategy has steadily gained in popularity since the 1980s and has evolved into one of the main concepts for reducing social and economic problems of ill-health at work, even extending to developing countries. Work environment management, then, especially in the extent that it relates to risk management, is concerned with decision making. The Swedish Work Environment Act points out the responsibility of the employer and stipulates the basic demands on a good work environment. The Work Environment Act gives the framework for provisions issued by the Swedish Work Environment Authority.
