Health and safety training in the field of particularly dangerous work
There are some professions where the exercise is particularly risky. The list of such works was defined in the Regulation of the Minister of Labor and Social Policy of September 26, 1997 in chapter 6, however, it is not a closed catalog, but only guidelines. The management of a given plant and its employees are obliged to know the applicable regulations regarding the performance of particularly dangerous works. This knowledge can only be acquired by participating in appropriate training. In this article, you will learn what professions and activities we classify as particularly dangerous workwho should receive training and how often Health and Safety, you will also gain knowledge about forms and types of health and safety training.
What are the most dangerous jobs?
In the light of health and safety regulations, particularly dangerous works include those tasks the performance of which increases the risk of accidents due to their specificity, the hazardous materials used or the place where they are performed.
Particularly dangerous works are understood as:
- work in tanks, canals, inside technical devices and in other dangerous closed spaces;
- construction, demolition, renovation and assembly works carried out without stopping the operation of the workplace or its part;
- work with the use of hazardous materials;
- work at height;
- work defined as particularly dangerous in other regulations on occupational health and safety or in the manuals for the operation of devices and installations.
Employer Responsibilities
According to the regulations, the employer must take special precautions when organizing work considered particularly dangerous. He should appoint specific people to ensure direct supervision, and also ensure security measures in the form of an appropriate organization, technical solutions used, e.g. belaying, collective protection measures, e.g. adequate ventilation. PPE is also required.
The employer is also responsible for establishing and updating a list of particularly hazardous work in the workplace. There are no detailed guidelines as to the form of keeping this type of documentation, so it is determined by the employer.
The obligations of the owner of the enterprise also include instructing employees, including the personal division of tasks, the sequence of their execution, occupational health and safety requirements at individual positions, emergency procedures and the definition of particularly dangerous zones in the plant, to which only authorized persons have access.
Who is subject to OSH training?
The Labor Code requires the employer to train the employee in the field of occupational health and safety before allowing him to work and to organize periodic training in this area. For safety reasons, the employee cannot be allowed to work for which he or she does not have the necessary qualifications and permissions or the required skills as well as knowledge of the regulations. All employees, regardless of the type of work performed, are subject to training in the field of occupational health and safety, including:
- persons employed for the purpose of training to perform a specific job.
persons employed under civil law contracts
Forms of training
Instruction - it is a training with a duration of not less than 2 hours, which allows you to obtain, update or supplement knowledge and skills related to the performance of works.
Course - it is a form of training that lasts no less than 15 hours and consists of both theoretical and practical classes.
Guided self-education - it is understood as a form of education with the use of materials provided by the training organizer via mail, the Internet, while ensuring consultation with people who meet the requirements for lecturers.
Seminar - it is a form of training that lasts no less than 5 teaching hours and allows you to obtain, update or supplement knowledge and skills in the field of occupational health and safety.
Types of training
Occupational health and safety training can be divided into introductory training, in which we can distinguish:
- General health and safety training - its purpose is to familiarize employees with the basic rules and safety standards in a given company, as well as with providing first aid.
- Occupational health and safety training - its scope includes familiarizing the employee with environmental factors and occupational risks at the workplace. In addition, it includes getting acquainted with the methods of protection against possible threats, as well as methods of safe work at the position.
Another type of health and safety training is periodic training that is carried out to update knowledge in the field of occupational health and safety. They are carried out in accordance with the provisions of the regulation (Journal of Laws 2004.180.1860 for:
- employers and people in managerial positions at least once every 5 years;
- engineering and technical employees every 5 years;
- people employed in the health and safety service at least once every 5 years;
- employees in blue-collar positions at least once in a period of 3 years, unless there are significant threats, then once a year;
- administrative, office and other employees - in their case, occupational health and safety training is carried out once every 6 years;
It should be mentioned that each periodic training course ends with an examination, after which the participant successfully passes the relevant certificate. It happens that people with a current health and safety certificate who have undergone the required training from another employer may be exempt from training with a new employer.
Who can conduct OHS training in the field of particularly hazardous work?
Periodic training in the field of occupational health and safety may be organized by:
- employer;
- an organizational unit that conducts training activities in this field;
The training units include continuing and practical education institutions, training and vocational training centers, upper secondary schools, research and development units, universities and other scientific institutions. The legal capacity to conduct such trainings is also possessed by associations and legal or natural persons providing educational services on the terms specified in the regulations.