Ergonomic risk assessment and the Danish APV: what the rules require
What is an APV?
APV stands for arbejdspladsvurdering, the Danish workplace assessment. It is the legal form of risk assessment that every Danish employer must carry out, from the first employee. The rules are in the executive order on systematic health and safety work, BEK nr. 608 of 29 June 2026, which took effect on 1 July 2026 and replaced the 2024 order.
Employers choose their own method, but the APV must be written and must include four elements:
- A risk assessment based on a mapping of the working environment
- Sickness absence, assessed to see whether conditions at work contribute to it
- A written action plan stating the nature, severity, extent and causes of each problem, and when, how and by whom it will be solved
- Implementation and follow-up, checking that the solutions work
How often must it be done?
- At least every three years
- Whenever the work, methods or processes change in ways that affect the working environment
- For all employees
The action plan must be available to management, employees and Arbejdstilsynet. The health and safety organisation (AMO) must take part in the whole process, from planning to follow-up, and signs off on the action plan. If you lack the expertise, you must get external help, but the responsibility stays with you.
How do you assess ergonomics in the APV?
The official guidance is AT-vejledning om ergonomisk arbejdsmiljø (VEJ nr. 10133, 1 October 2026). It replaced the older guidance on lifting, pulling and pushing in December 2025 and covers three areas:
- Manual handling: lifting, carrying, pulling, pushing and moving people
- Working postures and movements
- Monotonous, straining work, including repetitive work
The lifting model: red, yellow and green
Arbejdstilsynet judges a lift by the weight and the reach, the horizontal distance from the load’s centre to the lower back:
| Reach | Green (normally fine) | Yellow (assess further) | Red (harmful, act now) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close to the body | up to 11 kg | up to 50 kg | over 50 kg |
| Forearm distance, about 30 cm | up to 7 kg | up to 30 kg | over 30 kg |
| ¾ arm distance, about 45 cm | up to 3 kg | up to 15 kg | over 15 kg |
For yellow-zone lifts, first check for three aggravating factors: a bent back, twisting or asymmetric lifting, and arms at or above shoulder height. If none applies, the lift is normally not harmful. If one does, the frequency counts too: up to 12 lifts per hour is low, up to 120 is moderate, and more is high.
The guidance also sets practical limits:
- Daily lifting volume: about 10 tonnes close to the body, 6 tonnes at forearm distance and 3 tonnes at ¾ arm distance. Green-zone lifts are not counted.
- Carrying more than about 2 metres: about 20 kg close to the body, 12 kg at forearm distance and 6 kg at ¾ arm distance, over at most about 20 metres on level ground.
- Two-person lifts: at most about 70% of what one person could lift, so at most 42 kg at forearm distance in good conditions.
Postures and repetitive work
For postures, look for bent and twisted backs, raised arms and long static positions. For repetitive work, look at how much of the day is spent on the same movements. The rules say monotonous, straining work should be avoided or limited, for example by rotating tasks, adding variety and building in breaks.
Five steps to a better ergonomic APV
- List the tasks, not just the job titles. Risk sits in specific lifts and movements.
- Ask and observe. Combine a questionnaire on pain with observation of the tasks people point to.
- Rate each task with the lifting model and the posture and repetition criteria above.
- Link it to sickness absence. Which departments and tasks have the most musculoskeletal absence?
- Plan, act and measure again. Put each problem in the action plan with an owner and a date, and check the effect.
Where measurement helps
Observation and questionnaires capture what people notice. They miss how strain accumulates over a full shift and which tasks contribute most. Precure’s wearable sensors measure muscle load and posture during ordinary work, so you can prioritise the APV action plan on data and document the effect of each change. See the Ergonomics program, and read more about what causes MSDs.
Sources
- Bekendtgørelse om systematisk arbejdsmiljøarbejde (BEK nr. 608 af 29/06/2026), Beskæftigelses- og Ligestillingsministeriet, Retsinformation, 2026
- AT-vejledning om ergonomisk arbejdsmiljø (VEJ nr. 10133 af 01/10/2026), Arbejdstilsynet, Retsinformation, 2026
- Rød gul grøn skema: løft, træk og skub, Arbejdstilsynet, 2026
- Arbejdspladsvurdering (APV), Arbejdstilsynet, 2026
Written by a physiotherapist. General information, not a diagnosis: see a doctor or physiotherapist about your own pain.