EHS-2024-bez-linków-2

Main Authorities Supervising Working Conditions in OHS Area

  • National Labor Inspectorate

  • State Sanitary Inspection

  • Technical Office Inspection

  • State Fire Service

National Labor Inspectorate: Legal Authority and Structure

  1. Legal Framework: Established under the ACT of April 13, 2007.

  2. Function: Supervises and controls compliance with labor law and occupational health and safety regulations, including legality of employment.

  3. Accountability: Reports to the Sejm and is supervised by the Labor Protection Council.

  4. Organizational Structure: Includes the Chief Labor Inspectorate, district labor inspectorates, and the National Labor Inspectorate Training Center.

  5. Management: Headed by the Chief Labor Inspector and supported by deputies.

National Labor Inspectorate: Tasks

  • Supervision and Control: Over compliance with labor law provisions, including health, safety, working hours, employee rights, and more.

  • Employment Legality Control: Ensures employment practices conform to legal standards.

  • Product Compliance: Inspects products for compliance with safety and health regulations, excluding those under other authorities.

National Labor Inspectorate: Powers in Violation of Regulations

  1. Deficiency Removal Orders: Mandates corrections of identified deficiencies in occupational health and safety.

  2. Order to Stop Work: Directs cessation of work that threatens employee safety; orders must be executed immediately.

  3. Machine Operation Restrictions: Orders halt to machinery operation that poses health risks.

  4. Stopping Unsafe Activities: Directs cessation of activities in unsafe environments.

State Sanitary Inspection: Legal Authority and Structure

  1. Governance: Reports to the Minister of Health.

  2. Management: Led by the Chief Sanitary Inspector appointed by the Prime Minister.

  3. Regional Structure: Includes State Provincial and District Sanitary Inspectors, and State Border Sanitary Inspectors.

State Sanitary Inspection: Tasks

  • Preventive Sanitary Supervision:

    • Reviews spatial development plans and local development studies.

    • Reviews documentation for hygiene compliance.

    • Participates in approving construction and transportation projects.

    • Initiates projects to mitigate negative health impacts from various factors.

Office of Technical Inspection: Forms of Technical Inspection

  1. Supervisory Types:

    • Full technical supervision

    • Limited technical supervision

    • Simplified technical supervision

  2. Operational Authority: Technical devices must have operational permits from the technical supervision office. Non-compliance leads to cessation of device operation or market withdrawal if unsafe.

Occupational Health and Safety Service (OHS)

  • Establishment Requirement: Employers with more than 100 employees must establish an OHS service; smaller employers may assign tasks to trained employees.

Occupational Health and Safety Commission

  • Commission Formation: Required for employers with over 250 employees; composed of employer and employee representatives.

  • Leadership: Chaired by the employer or authorized individual, with equal representation from employees.

Social/Trade Unions and Social Labor Inspection

  • Union Roles: Protect employee rights and oversee labor law compliance.

  • Inspection Responsibilities: Conduct safety inspections and represent employee interests in the workplace.

Basic Duties of an Employer

  • Responsibility: Ensure health and safety at work, independent of employee duties.

  • Protection Measures: Organize work safely, enforce health regulations, monitor compliance, and adapt to changing conditions.

Rights and Duties of Employees

  • Right to Stop Work: Employees can stop work if conditions pose danger, without penalties.

  • Entitlement During Hazards: Employees must be compensated during work stoppages for health and safety reasons.

Basic Duties of a Manager

  • Workstation Organization: Comply with safety principles.

  • Protective Equipment: Ensure usage and effectiveness of personal protective equipment.

  • Monitoring: Enforce health and safety regulation compliance and follow medical recommendations.

Incident Reporting and Follow-Up

  • Employer Actions: Post-incident measures include hazard mitigation, first aid, and incident documentation.

  • Notification Obligations: Immediate reporting required for serious incidents to labor authorities.

Types of Incidents

  1. Fatal Incident: Resulting in death within 6 months.

  2. Serious Incident: Causing significant bodily harm or permanent health issues.

  3. Collective Incident: Involving multiple injuries.

  4. Individual Incident: Involving a single injured employee.

Calculating Incident Rates

  • Standard Calculations: Based on 200,000 labor hours enabling industry comparisons.

Risk Assessment: Purpose

  • Hazard Identification: Identifying hazards and assessing risks to apply protective measures per legal requirements.

Risk Assessment: Basic Definitions

  • Hazard Identification: Identifying conditions that may cause harm.

  • Acceptable Risk: Risk level after reduction measures.

  • ALARP Principle: Risk reduction efforts continue until disproportionate to outcomes.

Risk Assessment Process: Basic Stages

  1. Methodology selection

  2. Hazard identification

  3. Risk evaluation

  4. Control measure implementation

  5. Documentation

Review and Verification of Risk Assessment

  • When to Review: Upon job changes, unsatisfactory protective measures, or after incidents or changes in workforce health.