Her ability to inspire colleagues and create a safer work environment through training and educational material impressed the jury. Camilla Backebjörk at LKAB receives Svemin’s Work Environment Award 2023 today.
Health and safety are fundamental to the Swedish mining and mineral industry. There are therefore constant improvements in the area, which Svemin, the industry organization for mines, mineral and metal producers in Sweden, draws attention to by awarding Svemin’s Work Environment Award.
This year’s conference at Kulturens Hus in Luleå attracts a large audience and LKAB’s Camilla Backebjörk was moved.
I feel incredibly proud and honoured. Both for the efforts we have made and for everyone who has been on this journey. I am very grateful to work in a company that wants to get better and develop every day, says Camilla Backebjörk.
For 13 years, Backebjörk has worked with issues related to the working environment and safety. Through educational tools, training materials and enthusiasm, she creates a safer working environment for her employees. According to Backebjörk, the importance of long-term work is important.
You can choose to challenge or preserve norms. The will comes from within. We have worked with people to gain insight through education. You have to see it as long-term work, says Backebjörk.
Being able to help others and influence the daily work of their colleagues is a major driving force for this year’s winner.
In the end, it is my colleagues who have given me the inspiration to create a better working environment for everyone. If I can prevent one person from getting hurt or sick, it’s worth everything. Being able to influence has driven me. The safety culture group in Malmberget gives me an incredible amount of inspiration every day, concludes Backebjörk.
A healthy and safe environment at the workplace is a prerequisite. With this year’s theme for the environment conference; inclusion, equality and values, we want to highlight how important these soft issues are to work with and be aware of, these parameters play as big a role as the physical “hard” parts of the work environment, says Svemin’s work environment expert Åsa Dahlfors.
Previous winner of Svemin’s Working Environment Award
- 2019 – A group at Boliden Aitik showed great initiative, commitment and innovative thinking to develop tools in the preventive work environment and safety work.
- 2018 – Sören Eriksson, chief safety officer, Boliden Kristineberg and Johan Holmberg, fire safety coordinator together with Garpenberg’s guide, Boliden Garpenberg.
- 2016 – Zinkgruvan Mining’s Health and leisure group.
- 2015 – Edor Lövgren, safety representative and operator of the Raise Boring department, Bergteamet.
- 2014 – Niklas Karlsson, section manager Maintenance at Boliden Garpenberg.
Word of the jury
She is described as a genuine firebrand! An appreciated one. With her incredible commitment and solid competence in safety culture and the organizational and social work environment area, she has produced educational tools and training materials that are appreciated with a “Wow, now I understand” feeling. She shows and explains in a simple way how people’s behaviours work, how certain situations can arise and how to actively work for a better safety culture in the workplace. After being involved and contributing to safety work for a long time (13 years), she now has a whole safety culture group to work with.
