Anyone who starts work on a Swedish construction site (byggarbetsplats) — employee, subcontractor or self-employed — is expected to arrive with the right personal protective equipment (personlig skyddsutrustning, PSU), and on almost every site also an ID06 card. The rules come from Arbetsmiljöverket, the Swedish Work Environment Authority. Since 1 January 2025 its old AFS regulations have been replaced by a new structure: AFS 2023:3 covers planning and work-environment coordination on construction projects, AFS 2023:11 covers the safe use of work equipment and personal protective equipment, and AFS 2023:13 covers risks in certain types of work. In practice the main contractor's site rules (ordnings- och skyddsregler) set the concrete minimum, and they are usually stricter than the law. This guide lists what is typically required and which EU standard marking to look for.
PPE is the last line of defence
Swedish rules, like those in the rest of the Nordics, put collective measures first — barriers, guardrails, dust extraction, separating people from vehicles. PPE must be used when a risk cannot be removed in other ways. On a building site that applies to falling objects, vehicle traffic and sharp materials almost everywhere, so the basic kit is worn by everyone on site. All PPE must be CE-marked under Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and come with user instructions in Swedish.
Minimum kit on a Swedish site
| Item |
Typical requirement |
Standard |
| Safety helmet (skyddshjälm) |
Industrial helmet with chin strap, worn fastened; required by most main contractors |
EN 397 |
| Hi-vis clothing (varselkläder) |
Class 2 is the common minimum on sites with vehicle traffic, also for visitors; class 3 for road works |
EN ISO 20471 |
| Safety shoes (skyddsskor) |
Toe cap and anti-perforation midsole, e.g. S3 |
EN ISO 20345 |
| Safety glasses (skyddsglasögon) |
Part of the standard kit in the site rules of large contractors such as Peab and NCC |
EN 166 |
| Gloves (arbetshandskar) |
Suitable for the task |
EN 388 |
| Hearing protection |
Where the work is noisy |
EN 352 |
Hi-vis: which class do you need?
Hi-vis clothing (varselkläder) is certified to EN ISO 20471 in three classes. Class 1 needs at least 0.14 m² of fluorescent and 0.10 m² of reflective material, class 2 needs 0.50 m² and 0.13 m², and class 3 needs 0.80 m² and 0.20 m². Class 2 is the common minimum on Swedish sites with vehicle traffic, and it applies to visitors as well. Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration, requires class 3 for road works. The building workers' union Byggnads points out in its PPE guidance that the right class depends on the site's risk assessment, so check the site rules before you buy.
Two practical points: trousers alone can reach at most class 2, and a class 2 jacket worn with class 2 trousers can together be certified as class 3 — but only if the manufacturer states that combination. More detail in our guide hi-vis classes EN ISO 20471 explained.
ID06 card and the electronic staff register (personalliggare)
Since 1 January 2016 every Swedish construction site must keep a personalliggare — an electronic register of everyone working on the site — and Skatteverket (the Swedish Tax Agency) can make unannounced checks. The industry ID card ID06 is used on almost all sites to check in to the register. Without an ID06 card, or pre-registration with the main contractor, you can be refused entry at the gate. Sort this out before the first day, especially if you are coming to Sweden from another country.
Who pays for the equipment?
The employer must provide the PPE its employees need free of charge and make sure it is used; employees must use it. Self-employed workers and small subcontractors buy their own — which is why many crews order complete kits per worker before a project starts. Companies buying for crews from another EU country can read our guide on VAT 0% reverse charge for EU companies.
Typical mistakes at the site entrance
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Helmet without a fastened chin strap. Byggnads recommends an EN 397 industrial helmet worn fastened, and most main contractors write the chin strap into their site rules. See EN 397 vs EN 12492 helmets.
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Safety shoes (skyddsskor) without a puncture-resistant sole. Site rules typically ask for a toe cap and an anti-perforation midsole. Plain S1 shoes do not have one — see S1P vs S3 vs S3S safety boots.
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Relying on hi-vis trousers. Trousers alone reach at most class 2. If the site asks for class 3, you need a class 3 garment or a jacket and trousers certified together as class 3.
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No ID06 card or registration. Without it you may not get past the gate on day one.
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PPE without CE marking or Swedish instructions. Cheap unmarked gear can be rejected at a site inspection.
Working in other Nordic countries?
The basics are similar across the region, but ID cards and details differ. See our guides for Norway (HMS-kort), Denmark and Finland (Valtti card), or the side-by-side overview Nordic construction-site PPE rules compared.
Put together the kit
Browse safety helmets, hi-vis workwear, work jackets, work trousers, S3 safety boots, safety glasses and work gloves. For Swedish winters add helmet liners, thermal underwear and rainwear. To order a full set per worker, use the workwear kit builder. For the meaning of each marking see EU workwear standards explained.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always check the main contractor's site rules (ordnings- och skyddsregler) before the first day on site.
