Workplace appraisal is a mandatory measure for occupational safety. If an employer has positions with severe and harmful conditions, he/she needs to know the basics of carrying it out. The appraisal procedure is reminded in the following.
Main organizational nuances
The appraisal should be conducted within the terms specified in the collective agreement by the company, but at least once every five years.
An unscheduled appraisal should be conducted in the event of a radical change in the conditions and nature of work on the initiative of the employer, the trade union committee, the labor collective or its elected body, the State Labor Organization.
The appraisal is conducted by a standing certifying commission. Its composition and authority are determined by the order of the head of the company. The composition of the certifying commission includes an authorized representative of the elective body of the primary trade union, and in the absence of a trade union - a person authorized by the employee. Also, it is recommended that the certifying commission includes the main specialists, the staff of the personnel department, labor protection, accounting service, health authorities, representatives of public organizations (para. 2.2 of the Guidelines for the appraisal of workplaces under the terms of work, approved by the decree of the Minister of Labor, Chief State Sanitary Doctor dated 01.09.1992, No. 41, hereinafter – Guidelines No. 41).
Project and research organizations, technical inspections of labor unions, territorial bodies of the State Labor Organization can be involved in the appraisal.
Order of a head
The appraisal is conducted based on the order of the manager, in which he/she:
· specifies the main appraisal tasks;
· approves the composition, appoints the chairman and secretary of the standing certifying commission, determines its authority;
· establishes terms and schedules for conducting preparatory works in structural subdivisions;
· determines the interaction with interested state bodies and public organizations;
· determines project or research institutions for scientific and technical appraisal of working conditions and participation in the development of measures to eliminate harmful production factors.
The certifying commission in accordance with para. 2.3 of the Guidelines No. 41 provides:
· organizational and methodological guidance and control at all stages of work;
· organization of production of plans for the location of equipment in each unit with their operation, the definition of boundaries of workplaces (working areas) with the provision of their respective numbers;
· preparing a list of work places to be appraised;
· comparison of the applied technological process, the equipment composition, raw materials used and materials with the intended project;
· determination of the amount of necessary research on hazardous and dangerous factors of the production environment and organization of their research;
· detection of harmful and dangerous factors at the workplaces. Appraisal of working conditions for the establishment of classes (degrees) of harmful working conditions in accordance with the State Sanitary norms and rules of the Hygienic Classification;
· establishing the correspondence of names of the professions and positions of the employees employed at those workplaces, the nature of the actual work performed on the basis of the Unified Tariff-Qualification Reference Book,. In the case of deviations, the name of the profession (position) is brought into conformity with the actual work performed (taking into account the name of the profession (position) according to the Occupational classification);
· filling in the Working Conditions Card (Annex 2 to Guidelines No. 41) for each workplace or group of similar work places. It should be filled in accordance with the Instruction on filling the Card of Working Conditions during the appraisal of workplaces, approved by a joint order of the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Health dated 30.11.1992, dated 27.11.1992, No. 06-41-48;
· appraisal conduction and compilation of the list of work places, industries, professions and positions with unfavorable working conditions;
· organization of the measures development aimed at improving the working conditions and improving the health of workers.
Appraisal of working conditions
Sanitary and hygienic investigations of the factors of the production environment and the labor process are carried out by the sanitary laboratories of enterprises and organizations, certified by the authorities of the State Standard and the Ministry of Health on the lists that are consistent with the State Expert Expertise of working conditions, as well as on a contractual basis, the laboratory of territorial sanitary and epidemiological stations.
The assessment of working conditions during the appraisal of workplaces is carried out to establish classes (degrees) of harmful working conditions in accordance with the State Health and Hygiene Rules and Standards No. 248.
On the basis of a comprehensive assessment, workplaces are classified into one type of working environment: with particularly harmful and particularly difficult working conditions; with harmful and difficult working conditions; with harmful working conditions (para. 6.2 of the Guidelines No. 41).
The employees who are employed at the workplaces appraised should be familiarized with the results of the appraisal. The card is signed by the chairman and members of the commission (para. 6.6 of the Guidelines No. 41).
Results presentation
After the appraisal, its results should be presented:
· a list of workplaces, industries, works, professions and positions, whose employees are confirmed by the right to benefits and compensation, provided by law, signed by the chairman of the commission in agreement with the trade union;
· a list of workplaces, industries, jobs, professions and positions, whose employees are offered to establish privileges and compensation at the expense of the company and in accordance with Art. 13 of the Law No. 1788;
· a list of workplaces with unfavorable working conditions, in which priority measures for their improvement are necessary.
The results of the appraisal are used by companies and organizations to implement measures to improve working conditions, as well as to establish the benefits and compensations provided for by the current legislation.
The list of workplaces, industries, works, professions and positions, whose employees are confirmed by the right to benefits and compensation, in particular for preferential pension provision, provided by law, is approved by ф company-wide order and is kept for 50 years. And extracts from the order are added to the work record of workers whose profession and positions are included in this list (para. 6.8 of Guidelines No. 41).
By the way, the lists of persons working in the industry with harmful working conditions, as well as the timesheet, the duties of workers involved in work with harmful working conditions, should be kept for 75 years.
