Internal Control of Work Environment

Internal Control of Work Environment.
Guidelines.

Work environment has a very significant role in the life of worker, cause we spend approximately one third of our lives at work. Work environment is our workplace with all conditions and risk factors existing in and around it, which affects or could affect our safety and health at work. Therefore it is very important that workers feel as good as possible, comfortably and safe in this environment. It is proved in the world's practice that in good and well arranged work environment productivity of work increases, the number of accidents at work and occupational diseases decreases, workers are working more efficiently and their work life prolongs.

Employer is responsible for the work environment and he should ensure that internal supervision of the work environment naturally incorporates in the operation of enterprise. Almost everything that is going on within the enterprise has the role in development of work environment. These guidelines we have developed in order to help you to understand the essence and meaning of internal supervision of the work environment, to facilitate you to carry out internal supervision of the work environment in your enterprise or institution and to help dealing with the issues related to safety and health at work.

Internal supervision of the work environment has a preventive nature and its aim is to identify at the earliest possible stage the risk factors and problems existing in work environment that create or could create a risk to the safety and health of workers. Preventing the risk in its source safe and harmless to health of workers work environment is ensured and the resources of employer are economized.

Systematic internal supervision of the work environment should not necessarily be complicated. The main thing is to give the possibility to each worker of the enterprise or institution to take part in and to contribute to the improvement of work environment. Successful co-operation between employer and workers on the labour protection issues will facilitate to create safe and harmless to health work environment and will help to avoid illnesses and traumas.

I indeed hope that these guidelines will facilitate to successful carrying out of internal supervision of the work environment in your enterprise and will ensure good work conditions as well.

These guidelines are developed basing on the Cabinet Regulations No.379 of 23 August 2001, "Order of the Performance of Internal Supervision of the Work Environment", that came into force in 1 January 2002 with the new Labour Protection Law.

Till now there were no regulations particularly on internal supervision of work environment and work environment risk assessment. Therefore it could be said that with the new Labour Protection Law and Cabinet Regulations No.379 of 23 August 2001, "Order of the Performance of Internal Supervision of the Work Environment" (here and after - Regulations) the enforcement of the new "preventive principle" has started at both levels state's labour protection system as well as at enterprise level. "Preventative principle" should be understood as activities (identification of the risk factors, risk assessment, labour protection measures etc.), that are targeted to prevent or to reduce work environment risks at the earliest possible stage, so the activities are targeted towards the source and not the consequences.

These guidelines on internal supervision of the work environment have been developed in order to explain and to help you understand and practically fulfil the requirements of the Regulations. This material will give you general guidelines on internal supervision of the work environment but you have to adapt internal supervision according to the kind of activity of your enterprise or institution.

• the aggregate of the preventative measures that are targeted to create such a work environment where worker feels safe and good.
• the supervision of the work environment (identification of the risk factors and risk assessment), that allows to discover the problems existing in the enterprise or institution.
• duly planing and enforcement of the measures that prevent or reduce work environment risk particularly in its source.
• Continuous, acclivitous, spiral development where the activities are following each other (see the picture).

• As the result it is possible to discover risks existing at workplaces in time and to do measures for their prevention, that also will reduce the possibility of accidents at work and occupational diseases.
  
• It will ensure improvement of the work conditions at the enterprise and wherewith improvement of the feeling of workers, cause in safe and snug work environment workers feel better and are more satisfied than in dangerous, dirty and undigested work environment that endanger their health and safety.
  
• The efficiency of the work will increase, cause in the optimal and harmless to health work conditions the worker will work faster and with pleasure. He would not have anymore to think about the harmful impact of the work conditions (loud noise, foul air, insufficient lighting, stress etc.), that disturbs the work.
  
• The number of illnesses of workers and related absence of workers at work, caused by unhealthy work conditions (cold premises, draught, overburdens, incorrectly established workplace, stress etc.) will decrease.
  
• It will help to avoid exploitation interference and breakdowns of the equipment.
  
• It will reduce both direct (payments for the first 14 days of sickness of the worker, costs of the equipment damages, wastage of the raw materials etc.), and indirect (lost work time of the workers, renewal of the workplace, training of the replacement worker, searching for the new qualified workforce etc.) costs.
  
• Preventing risks already at the planning of the workplaces and particularly in the source of the risk, finances are economized, cause it is cheaper to change something at the very begging than afterwards when the accident has occurred. For instance, it is more propitious to install ventilation and dust collection systems when you are building the house and to pay addition sum than to find out the necessity of such systems when the house is already finished and State Labour Inspectorate has fined you for several times because of the bad work conditions for the workers or when the operation of your enterprise is been stopped.
  
• Good and snug work environment helps to create positive image of the enterprise and it is easier for the enterprise to keep present workers and to contract new ones.
  
• Snug and good work environment facilitates to improve the quality of the production and service of the enterprise as well as it will help to fulfil requirements of the quality standards.
  
• It is essential and irreplaceable part of the labour protection system and also of the whole economic activity of the enterprise.
  
• Finally it is requirement of the legislation that is stated in the new Labour Protection Law and Regulations legislated on its base.
  

Employer is responsible for the supervision of the work environment in the enterprise or institution and observes that it is introduced according to all the requirements stated by the legislation. Employer has to know and to observe labour protection legislation that corresponds to his enterprise or institution. The main tasks of the employer are following:

• to organise and to plan the supervision of the work environment, determining concrete objectives and tasks as well as labour protection measures that are necessary in order to improve work environment in the enterprise;

• to observe and to ensure that internal supervision of the work environment conforms with all the requirements of the legislation and that workers are working in safe and harmless work conditions;

• to provide all financial, personnel, technical and other resources necessary for the carrying out the supervision of the work environment;

Workers participate in the carrying out of internal supervision of the working environment, for instance, reporting about the existing risks, diseases, accidents and breakdowns as well as give suggestions and their opinion on the labour protection measures carried out or that are necessary. It is very important that employer and workers collaborate when carrying out internal supervision of the work environment. Such a collaboration and exchange of opinions could be realised through discussions and consultations, organising meetings at the workplace and jointly investigating work environment.

The main tasks of trusted representative are the following:

• to collaborate with employer or designated labour protection specialist on the matters regarding labour protection at the enterprise;

• to participate in the planning of internal supervision of the work environment and work environment risk assessment;

• to express their opinion about labour protection measures necessary;

• to participate in the investigation of the accidents at work if any occurred.

Labour protection specialist usually is that knowledgeable and accordingly trained person who is designated by the employer to carry out internal supervision of the work environment. The main tasks of the labour protection specialist are following:

• to organise and to take part in all the stages of internal supervision of the work environment;

• to collaborate with trusted representatives and workers in order to carry out internal supervision of the work environment;

• to inform employer about the results obtained from the review of workplaces, labour protection measures carried out or that should be carried out.

Competent specialists or competent authorities are usually involved by the employer in the cases when he does not have necessary knowledge himself or there is not labour protection specialist at the enterprise in order to carry out internal supervision of the work environment. The main tasks of the competent specialist or competent authority are following:

• to carry out the tasks of internal supervision of the work environment entrusted, for example - risk assessment;

• to collaborate with trusted representatives on the labour protection matters;

• to involve workers in the carrying out of internal supervision of the work environment, for instance - to listen to workers opinion concerning particular workplace and risk factors existing in it;

• to inform employer about their activities, results obtained from the review of the workplaces and necessary labour protection measures.

Other persons and institutions involved, e.g., laboratories, which carry out necessary work environment measurements (for noise, work environment air, lighting etc.), within limits collaborate with the employer or labour protection specialist designed by him and in the case of necessity explain them the meaning of the results of the measurements.

Internal supervision of the work environment consist of four main stages (see picture):

• Planning of internal supervision of the work environment - determination of the objectives and tasks and corresponding labour protection measures, that should be carried out in order to improve safety and health of workers at the enterprise, taking into account the results ofinitial evaluation or last review of the workplace;
• Work environment risk assessment - the review of the workplace, identifying existing work environment risk factors (risk sources) and assessing the risk to the safety and health of workers;
• Realisation of internal supervision of the work environment - according to the results of review of the workplaces, those workplaces are determined where there are work environment risk that should be prevented or reduced and appropriate labour protection measures are planned and carried out in order to prevent or reduce this risk;
• Checking and correction of internal supervision of the work environment - the efficiency of internal supervision of the work environment carried out in the enterprise should be evaluated (whether planned objectives and tasks are achieved, whether carried out labour protection measures have improved work environment at the enterprise, whether requirements of the legislative acts are fulfilled etc.)

Evaluation of the initial situation helps you to determine strong and weak sides of your enterprise regarding health and safety issues. Evaluation of the initial situation will be as a starting-point for you when evaluating achievements and will help to analyse the efficiency and adequacy of the previous activities, it will as well help to take the decisions on the necessary measures for the improvement of the work environment in your enterprise.

• What labour protection legislative acts corresponds to your enterprise;
• Conformity of the labour protection system of your enterprise (institution) to the requirements of labour protection legislative acts;
• Information and instructions on health and safety issues available in the enterprise;
• Work environment risks existing in the enterprise;
• "good practice" examples in the operation field of the enterprise;
• efficiency and expediency of the current labour protection measures;
• the amount, efficiency and expediency of the resources allocated for health and safety issues.

Yet evaluation of the initial situation is not direct requirement of the legislation, thought it should be carried out in all enterprises without reference to the fact how much you have already done in the field of health and safety at work. However enterprises could be divided into two categories - first one, when you have already taken certain measures and activities in order to improve work environment, and second one, when you have not done anything so far

In the first case when you have already taken certain activities in order to improve work environment, it is necessary to assess how much have you already done (have you done review of the workplaces, have you assessed work environment risks, have you taken labour protection measures, implemented labour protection system etc.) and what you still have not done in order to fulfill the requirements of legislative acts. In order to say that, it is necessary for you to get acquainted with the requirements of the new Labour Protection Law and Requirements. It is useful to make a list of control questions (checklist) for each stage of internal supervision of the work environment as well as for each labour protection legislative act that corresponds to your enterprise. Afterwards try to find the answers to the questions in the list.

In the second case when maybe you have not done any particular activities in field of internal supervision of the work environment, still even in this case you should evaluate initial situation and to make checklist that will allow you to determine whether you indeed should start everything from zero point or you already have some deposition.

So, checklist will be useful for you without reference to the fact how much you have already done in the field of health and safety at work in your enterprise. Therefore try to make a list of questions concerning the existing situation within the enterprise and try to answer to these questions as honestly as possible. In the annex 1 of this material you will find an example of practical checklist that has been prepared by one enterprise.

Evaluation of initial situation consist of many things and activities as from evaluation of the resources of the enterprise (e.g. financial, human, material etc.) as identification of the risk factors at the workplace.

• Who in enterprise is responsible for the health and safety? Is there designated a labour protection specialist/established a labour protection organisational unit? Is it enough? What could be improved in the organisation of labour protection?

• What are the work environment risk factors existing in the enterprise and consequential work environment risk (size, seriousness of the consequences and likelihood)?

• What are the labour protection measures (short-term/long-term) taken in your enterprise or institution? Are they sufficient in order to guarantee the safety and health of worker?

• Have workers received necessary training and instructions in the field of labour protection? How the flow of labour protection information is ensured? Is the information provided sufficient? What could be improved?

• What are the resources (personnel, material, financial) allocated for labour protection issues? Are they sufficient to guarantee safety and health of workers? What could be improved?

• What is the situation with accidents at work and occupational diseases in your enterprise (institution)? How many? What are the reasons?

• Have workers complained on work conditions? What particularly?

• What are the collective protective measures and personal protective equipment allocated to ensure safety and health of workers? Are they adequate and sufficient? Are they operating and are they adequately used? Are there some problems?

When evaluating initial situation, it is essential to listen to the opinion of workers and trusted representatives cause workers know better the problems existing in the workplaces they are working in and maybe workers could suggest you what could be the possible solutions of the problems.

Information collected from the evaluation of initial situation will be useful for you when formulating labour protection policy of the enterprise and planning internal supervision of the work environment. When you have evaluated the initial situation in your enterprise or institution it is suggested to develop labour protection policy of the enterprise.

When you have evaluated the existing situation in your enterprise, you have to try to develop labour protection policy of the enterprise considering and determining what work conditions and labour protection system you would like to see in your enterprise in future perspective.

Development of the labour protection policy is not a requirement of legislation nevertheless developed labour protection policy of the enterprise will serve you as a base for further activities in the field of labour protection.

Labour protection policy is policy of whole enterprise or institution on labour protection issues developed by employer, where general objectives in the field of labour protection of the enterprise are determined (for instance, to reduce number of accidents at work or occupation diseases, to create new workplaces according to all ergonomic and labour protection requirements etc.). This policy is like a base for further planning and realisation of enterprise's activities, for distribution of resources etc. Labour protection policy of the enterprise is determined, documented and realised by employer.

When developing labour protection policy, you describe what work conditions and labour protection system you would like to see in your enterprise. Following issues should be included and described in the labour protection policy of the enterprise:

• Development of the labour protection system in the enterprise as integral part of whole enterprise activity;

• Improvement of the work environment of enterprise at least according to requirements of legislative acts;

• Allocation of resources necessary for realisation of the labour protection policy of the enterprise;

• Determination of enterprise objectives in the field of labour protection and its publishing at least in the form of internal information (report) of the enterprise;

• Realisation and improvement of labour protection system of the enterprise, including internal supervision of the work environment;

• Consultations with workers in order to interest and involve them into realisation of policy;

• Training and informing of workers at all levels on the labour protection issues etc.

The policy developed should be simple, clear and concrete as possible so it could assist to development of the labour protection system of your enterprise and internal supervision of the work environment. In small enterprises good action-plan could serve as the labour protection policy instrument.

WHAT IS PLANNING?

Internal supervision of the work environment plan should include:

Planning of internal supervision of the work environment should be done every year. Plan of internal supervision of the work environment should be prepared or revised when there has been changes in work conditions or work processes or when you feel that labour protection system or previous measures have not been successful and corrections are needed. Planning should be done every year as preventative action, cause in a year work environment could change or some drawbacks of organisation of labour protection could transpire and it could be necessary to improve labour protection system, to make new evaluations and to take new measures.

It is hard to find one universal definition for work environment risk assessment, cause it consists of many activities. But in common language work environment risk assessment is:

• Review of workplaces with the purpose to find existing risks;
  
  
• Identification of the work environment risk factors;
  
  
• Assessment of work environment risks, determining how large is the risk, what are the consequences it may create and what is the likelihood of occurrence and finally - does it endanger safety and health of workers.
  
  

Risk assessment consist of following steps:

1. review of workplaces, identifying work environment risk factors, which creates or may create a risk to the safety and health of workers (e.g., draught, noise, vibration, dangerous substances etc.) and which should be prevented or reduced in order to ensure safety and health of workers.
   
   
2. determination of workers and other persons, whose safety and health is subject to work environment risk identified, including determination of workers that are subject to special risks. Evaluate how many and which persons are subject to risk in particular workplace, whether work environment risk affects only one worker or it affects also other workers, whether it affects visitors or other persons.
   
   
3. assessment of size (consequences) and likelihood of occurrence of work environment risk. For example, noise - whether it exceeds allowed norms and endanger hearing of workers or just creates slightly disturbing sound (size/consequences), whether noise is incessant or it is appears for a while when starting some machine (likelihood of occurrence).
   
   
4. determination of labour protection measures necessary to prevent or reduce work environment risks and order of their realisation (See next chapter - Realisation of internal supervision of the work environment).
   
   

1. Prepare check-list. Before you start practical activity - review of workplaces, think about some important questions related to risk assessment and try to answers them. That will help you to avoid unexpected situations and confusions during the risk assessment process. These questions could be already included in the planning of internal supervision of the work environment risks but review them and prepare clear action model. Try to answer following questions:
   • What you are going to check (review)?
   • When the review will be carried out?
   • Who will carry out the review and who will participate in it?
   • How the review will be done?
   • Do you have experience and results of previous reviews?
   • Do you have data on incidents, work injuries, accidents at work or occupational diseases?
   • Do you have data on sick-lists?
   • Are legislative acts recognised that concern your enterprise or institution? What are requirements of the legislative acts regarding labour protection in your enterprise and regarding work environment risk assessment?
   • Do you have any appropriate materials or "good practice" examples in the field of your enterprise activity?
   
   
   
2. Review workplaces. Assess each workplace and then whole work environment as such. Each workplace should be assessed except when there are similar work conditions in the workplaces (e.g. similar work equipment, fitting-out of workplaces, characteristics of work etc.). If the work conditions are similar, a work environment risk assessment of one workplace or type of work shall be sufficient.
   
   
3. Identify work environment risk factors. When assessing workplaces try to identify and analyse what work environment risk factors (sources, reasons) exist in workplace and which could create a risk to the safety and health of workers (e.g. noise, slippery floor, insufficient lightning etc.). It is essential to identify risk factors so the measures for their prevention could be realised as soon as possible and more effective, thereby preventing workers from work accident, sicknesses and traumas.
   
   

It might be useful for you to use form given in the annex 1 of Regulations for review of workplaces, where possible work environment risk factors that may exist in your enterprise and in concrete workplace are listed. There are many and various work environment risk factors that might affect you and safety and health of your workers (e.g. equipment, intense working time, vibration, noise, dust, dangerous substances, heat, cold, draught and many other). It is hard to remember and imagine all of them, therefore it is recommended for you to make a list of work environment risk factors and to check which of those factors exist in your enterprise and in concrete workplace and which do not. For this purpose you may use form given in the annex 1 of the Regulations or to make your own form or list of work environment risk factors, essential is that none of the work environment risk factors stays unnoticed.

When identifying work environment risk factors existing in the work environment, it is necessary to listen to the thoughts and opinion of workers, cause they are the ones that feel better the harmful impact from one or another factor to their safety and health and work performed (for instance, insufficient lighting, too strong noise, embarrassing work poses, inappropriate chairs etc.).

It is very essential that identification of risk factors and risk assessment is done by competent and knowledgeable specialist, it could be labour protection specialist of the enterprise. Sometimes it is useful that risk assessment is done by specialist engaged, cause workers maybe are so used to some risk factor that they do not feel it anymore as a risk factor (for instance, missing safeguards for work equipment, lack of safety enclosures etc.), and such situations may cause accident at work.

There are many and various risk assessment methods known in the world as from quite simple as to completely difficult and it is hard to say which particular method you should choose to apply in your enterprise. You and your specialist, who you have designated to perform this duty, have to choose. Notwithstanding to the method you choose risk assessment should cover 4 steps mentioned in the beginning of this chapter. In small enterprises which field of activity is not dangerous, risk assessment could be simple, using checklists.

Person, who is performing risk assessment, should have necessary knowledge in both matters labour protection and the field to be assessed. Usually risk assessment is entrusted to labour protection specialist of the enterprise but in small enterprises, where, for instance, only three workers are employed, employer often take the responsibility to perform this duty himself or engage competent specialist or competent authority from outside. If employer take the decision to perform work environment risk assessment himself, he needs to be accordingly trained.

• employer,
• labour protection specialist,
• competent specialists or competent authorities engaged.

Employer is responsible for work environment risk assessment in his enterprise and in each particular workplace. Employer may assess risks himself or to entrust this task to the labour protection specialist or to the competent specialist or competent authority. However, the fact that employer does not perform risk assessment himself does not relieve him from the responsibility to fulfil requirements of legislative acts. Employer is responsible for documentation of materials of work environment risk assessment (reviews of workplaces, identification of risk factors, risk assessment).

Without reference to the fact who is performing risk assessment, worker, which is working in particular workplace and manage it and trusted representative if there is any in the enterprise, should be involved in risk assessment. Worker, who is involved in work environment risk assessment, helps the estimator by providing with all necessary information on workplace he is working in. Trusted representative collaborates with the person performing work environment risk assessment, by assisting to risk assessment and expressing his opinion about possible work environment risks and measures to be taken to prevent or eliminate them.

• that risks to the safety and health of workers may be caused by the separate work environment risk factors (e.g. noise equipment, location of workplaces etc.), the work methods and organisation, insufficient professional preparation and instruction of workers and the aggregate of the circumstances mentioned in this paragraph;
  
  
• the likelihood of occurrence and size (consequences) of work environment risks. It should be assessed whether particular risk could occur often or very seldom and whether consequences could be serious (work trauma, fracture, occupational disease, accident at work) or they are small (cut finger with the paper page from printer, small bruise etc.);
  
  
• existing interaction between workers and their job in the enterprise. It should be taken into account that the job of one worker may cause a risk to another worker, who is present at the same workplace or in surrounding. Therefore interaction between jobs of workers and connection should be assessed (how much they have to collaborate, how they should contact each other, how the risk created of one worker may affect other workers etc.);
  
  
• the presence of other persons at the workplace (e.g., workers from other enterprise, visitors, students, patients of hospitals, clients etc.).
  
  

• observations and experience of the workers and trusted representatives;
  
  
• information on incidents, breakdowns, traumas, sicknesses, accidents at work and occupational diseases;
  
  
• sick-lists of workers and results of obligatory medical checks;
  
  
• legislative acts in the field of labour protection that concern your enterprise;
  
  
• checklists;
  
  
• informative materials and examples of "good practice" in the field of correspondent branch;
  
  
• knowledge of labour protection specialists or labour protection organisational unit of your enterprise;
  
• results of previously done work environment measurements and results of work environment risk assessment.
  
  

• touring of work environment and workplaces;
  
  
• calling meetings with workers, going through issues planned;
  
  
• carrying out discussions with staff;
  
  
• interviewing or mediatizing workers and trusted representatives;
  
  
• taking measurements, e.g. for noise level, concentration of chemical substances in the air etc.
  
  

If worker has to perform his work task at some other place (at another employer), then employer could in advance irradiate what is the work environment there, for instance, visiting this workplace or interviewing workers of that enterprise.

When assessing work environment risks it is necessary to document all information gained during the review of workplaces, indicating how work environment risk factors are identified, how work environment risks are assessed and if the measures has been done - their results and test reports also should be documented.

All documentation on work environment risk assessment should be kept and if necessary shown to State Labour Inspectorate after its request. It is suggested to keep these documents at least till the next time you carry out work environment risk assessment.

It is suggested to keep the materials on work environment risk assessment for a longer period of time, cause they could avail you next time when you will carry out planning of internal supervision of the work environment and next work environment risk assessment. Previous materials you could use then as examples and as a base for comparison in order to see whether the situation in the work environment of your enterprise has improved or not.

Work environment risks should be assessed at least once a year. Once a year is the minimum interval for preventative risk assessment when you assess workplaces, establish whether something has changed comparing to the previous assessment, whether workers have not complaint about anything and whether no accidents at work have occurred etc.

• when enterprise starts other (new) type of activity. For instance, enterprise is producing furniture but then decides to start also marketing or vice versa, as the result new work environment risk factors appear and it is necessary to re-assess work environment risks. Notwithstanding maybe the new activities are taking place in completely other (new) building (workplace) and can not influence existing work conditions then of course risk assessment should be carried out in the new type of activity (new workplace) only;
  
  
• if there have been changes in work environment (e.g., work processes, work methods, work equipment or the use or production of substances and products have changed, workplace has been essentially reorganised etc.);
  
  
• if established impairment of conditions in the work environment or unconformity to the requirements of legislative acts. For example, it is established that noise in workplaces has increased and disturbs workers to perform their tasks, in this case employer should assess why the level of noise has increased (whether some detail of work equipment has broken or noise filter has broken etc.). But when it is established that work conditions does not comply with the requirements of legislative acts (for instance, it is established that dust concentration in work environment air exceeds limit values allowed in the standards), then the reason of exceeding should be determined and necessary measures should be taken, afterwards checked if everything is in order;
  
  
• when new regulations in the field of labour protection has been accepted and come into force, and these regulations are applicable to activities of your enterprise then risk assessment is necessary in order to determine whether these requirements of the new legislation acts are fulfilled.
  
  

Risk assessment or measurements for some of the work environment risk factors should be carried out in other intervals than once a year if it is specified in accordant legislative acts on particular work environment risk factor (for instance, on noise, work environment air etc.).

1. evaluated, so they could serve as a basis for conclusions about the situation in the enterprise and in the particular workplace. On the ground of results of work environment risk assessment, necessary labour protection measures are planned in order to ensure safety and health of workers as well as priority of these measures (which should be taken first) according to the level of risk;
   
   
2. documented and workers should be informed about them, so that they could know to what risks they are subject to and accordingly know where to draw their attention and how to avoid from the risk or reduce it;
   
   
3. kept, so next time when the work environment risk assessment will be carried out, results could be used as example and supporting point for next results.
   
   

If laboratories are involved in the work environment risk assessment and they are taking some work environment measurements then the person, who is carrying out work environment risk assessment, should evaluate results of laboratory's test report and these results take into account when planning labour protection measures.

Pregnant women, women in the post-natal period, teenagers, and disabled persons are example of groups of persons that could be special subject to risk factors. Therefore employer should draw special attention towards workplaces where workers of these groups mentioned are employed.

Realisation of internal supervision of the work environment is the aggregate of the activities steered to the prevention or reduction of work environment risks identified during the work environment risk assessment till the level, which does not endanger safety and health of workers.

Employer:

• take decisions on how the work environment risks in the enterprise are going to be prevented or eliminated - what labour protection measures are going to be taken and who will perform that;
  
  
• distributes tasks, responsibilities and recourses for realisation of internal supervision of the work environment;
  
  
• is responsible for the fact that labour protection measures are taken on time and as soon as possible, cause you cannot plan that workers need personal protective equipment but provide them only after half a year.

Notwithstanding to the fact whether employer realises internal supervision of the work environment himself or he just distributes tasks and responsibilities and does not practically perform any measures, he still have the main responsibility that with the measures determined and taken safety and health of workers is guaranteed.

Labour protection specialist performs tasks entrusted to him and take part in the organisation of labour protection measures and controls their in time performance. For every activity labour protection specialist has to inform employer. When realising internal supervision of the work environment in the enterprise labour protection specialist collaborates with the management of the enterprise, management of unit, persons, who are responsible for performance of labour protection measures, trusted representatives and workers.

Person, which employer has designated as person in charge for taking labour protection measures, directly organises and manages performance of labour protection measures and is responsible for measures to be done in time and for the quality of performance.

Workers during the realisation of internal supervision of the work environment, collaborate with employer, labour protection specialist or person, which employer has designated as person in charge for taking labour protection measures. Workers should observe information and instructions provided by the employer concerning work environment risks in the enterprise and labour protection measures taken and should officiate their tasks and duties determined by the employer concerning labour protection measures.

This question may arise to everybody performing internal supervision of the work environment for the first time, therefore we will try to explain to you with the help of some simple steps the backbone of this stage. All realisation of internal supervision of the work environment could be further divided into 5 main steps::

1. ESTIMATE THE RESULTS
   
   
2. DETERMINE MEASURES
   
   
3. DETERMINE TERMS AND RESPONSIBLE PORSONS
   
   
4. PERFORM THE MEASURES
   
   
5. CHECK THE MEASURES
   
   

1.Estimate the results. You have just assessed work environment risks in your enterprise and gathered certain results on workplaces, risk factors, risks, measurement results (for instance, on noise, lighting, composition of the work environment air etc.), and now you have to estimate these results. On the ground of these results you have to determine those workplaces, where work environment risks are existing, which should be prevented or reduced with labour protection measures, and you have to determine workers which are subject to these risks. Risk, which should be prevented or reduced is risk that create danger to the safety and health of workers and you have to determine that using some of the risk assessment methods or counting on risk assessment results and infallibility of you decision, but anyway employer will be responsible for the choice made.

2. Determine measures. When you have determined those workplaces where the risk for the safety and health of the workers are existing and determined workers who are subject to this risk, then you have to plan and determine accordant labour protection measures in order to ensure safety and health of the workers at work. When determining labour protection measures it is necessary to take into account results gained during the risk assessment on risk factors (sources and causes) and risk as such. Prevent the risk directly in its source and take into account its cause. For instance, in order to reduce harmful impact of the dust in wood-working enterprise you have to plan whether it is more advantageous and better for you and workers to install common ventilation and dust collecting device or if it is technically impossible, inexpedient and moreover if it does not ensure safety and health of the workers, you may, for example, provide workers with appropriate respirators. When determining measures, you have to estimate the character of the risk (whether it affects only one single worker/workplace, how much the exposure limit values are exceeded, whether the risk may realise often, what consequences it may create etc.) and to decide how to prevent or reduce it better.

3. Determine terms and persons in charge. After determination of the labour protection measures necessary, you have to plan terms when the measures will be taken and who will do that. You can not perform all the measures at once therefore it is necessary to prepare time schedule determining when which measure will be realised. Start with those urgent measures that the most necessary to ensure safety and health of the workers. Be ware that terms you determine are real, but do not linger with the realisation of the labour protection measures and do not lie over the measures. When you have determined the measures and terms, determine the persons in charge of realisation of the measures. If there are several measures and very often it is necessary to realise several labour protection measures at once then very long time will be necessary for one person to carry out all the measures. For example, there is some work equipment in the enterprise that simultaneously creates too high noise and vibration as well. For the prevention of such a risk it is necessary to take complex labour protection measures - to isolate base of equipment with a material reducing the vibration, isolate equipment with noise damping protection-wall, to provide workers with personal protective equipment etc. If there is only one workplace then there should not be special problems but if there are many workplaces alike in some factory then while one person will manage to prevent risks in all workplaces safety and health of some workers will be endangered for some period of time. Therefore employer has to distribute tasks and responsibilities carefully and advisedly. It is essential that tasks of the internal supervision are performed by the person or persons who are the most appropriate for that.

4. Take the measures. When you have mapped out necessary measures, determined terms and persons in charge for the performance of the measures, then you have to realise the measures. Always prevent the most serious risks uppermost. Try to prevent the sources of these risks. If perhaps it is not possible to avoid all the risks - then you have to act differently, for instance, giving to workers special instructions, training and leading them or providing them with personal protective equipment as the last mean. Measures, which can not be done at the first onset due to the objective reasons, shall be entered to the plan determining when the measures will be taken and who will be in charge of it.

5. Check the measures. Supervise the process of the measures, try to perform measures in the terms planned and determined and check the efficiency of the measures as well, whether they are able to prevent or reduce risk till the necessary level and to ensure safety and health of the workers or not.

When taking measures for prevention or reduction of the work environment risks, you have to take into account, that prevention of one risk shall not create another one, videlicet - be ware that solving one problem you without intention do not create another, doubtful is the gain when in order to reduce noise from outside you cocoon windows of your office but do not ensure appropriate ventilation for the workers consequently creating warm and airless atmosphere in your office. Be ware as well that risks are not transmitted to another place, for instance, the effusion of toxic substances endangers some other room or public place (in one hospital the effusion ventilation from morgue was placed directly under the windows of children's house).

There could be several occupations (positions) and workplaces, which are more dangerous for the workers than others. Both Law and Regulations determines that employer shall compile a list of occupations (positions) or workplaces, in which:

• health conditions of the employees are affected or may be affected by harmful to health work environment factors (for instance, noise);
  
  
• employees have special conditions at work; and
  
  
• the work of employees is related to a possible risk to the health of other persons.
  

In order to elaborate these lists, you have to use annexes given in the Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers concerning harmful to health work environment factors, works with special conditions and works related to a possible risk to the health of other persons, and secondly - results of work environment risk assessment and information gained during the review of workplaces on work environment risk factors.

Workers working in the listed workplaces and occupations (positions) mentioned are subject to special risk therefore employer shall pay additional attention to ensuring their safety and health at work. Employer shall separately plan and specify the labour protection measures (including personal protective equipment necessary) for the protection of workers mentioned.

Employer shall determine and facilitate mutual collaboration between:

• management of the enterprise, management of the units and trusted representatives, labour protection specialists and workers;
  
  
• workers, workers from other enterprises performing their job in the same territory (for instance, suppliers) and clients;
  
  
• workers, designated to perform first aid, fire fighting, workers evacuation measures and other measures necessary in emergency situations.
  

Employer shall inform all workers and trusted representatives about:

• risk factors and corresponding work environment risks existing in the enterprise and in particular workplace;
  
  
• benefit for the workers and whole enterprise proceeding from the prevention of the work environment risk factors and reduction of the work environment risks;
  
  
• their tasks and responsibilities during the internal supervision of the work environment, including necessary action in emergency situations;
  
  
• possible consequences that may arise from the ignoring of work processes and preventive measures specified;
  
  
• results of the work environment risk assessment and conclusions made on the basis of these results;
  
  
• labour protection measures performed and those shall be performed.
  

Employer shall ensure instruction and in case of necessity - training of workers on labour protection issues. Workers should receive instructions before they start to work (initial instruction), instruction in his workplace and periodical instructions and training on labour protection issues.

Checking and correction of internal supervision of the work environment is the last stage of internal supervision of the work environment reflecting results and efficiency of your activities (checking), but at the same time it is also the first step for continual improvement of internal supervision of the work environment (correction).

The aim of checking is to clarify:

• Whether you have established such an internal supervision of the work environment that ensures safety and health of workers;
• Whether you have fulfilled requirements of the legislative acts;
• Whether you have achieved objectives and tasks initially set (in the plan);
• Whether you have prevented work environment risks in the enterprise or reduced them till the allowed level, which does not endanger safety and health of workers;
• What corrections and improvement are necessary to be made in your internal supervision of the work environment.

Analyse all previously taken steps of the internal supervision of the work environment, overall labour protection system and estimate whether you have achieved objectives and tasks planned. Check whether you have taken labour protection measures and are they performed in time and have the given results expected.

When checking internal supervision of the work environment, results of the previous checks and work environment risk assessment should be taken into account.

All stages and results of the check shall be documented.

Employer should have to check cause he is responsible for the fact that internal supervision of the work environment in enterprise is implemented at least according to the requirements of the legislative acts. Employer shall critically and carefully estimate the results and efficiency of the measures taken in order to identify imperfections and to perform necessary improvement in internal supervision of the work environment in enterprise, and do not wait for State Labour Inspectorate to advert him on them.

If employer does not have necessary knowledge to perform such kind of checks, he may entrust this task either to the enterprises' labour protection specialist or competent specialist or competent authority involved from outside. However in this case employer should rely on the knowledge and competence of these specialists while he stays responsible for the result.

The frequency of checks of internal supervision of the work environment depends on the economic activity of the enterprise, existing work environment risk factors and the likelihood and consequences of the work environment risks as well. The employer himself should determine frequency of the checks, but similarly as work environment risk assessment it shall be done at least once a year.

If employer has not carried out the check of internal supervision of the work environment himself, person, who has carried out the check, shall inform employer on the results gained. On the other hand, it is suggested that employer informs workers on the objectives and tasks achieved, because workers feeling that employer do care about their safety and health will positively estimate his activities for improvement of the work environment and provision of their safety and health.

On the ground of results of internal supervision of the work environment (including labour protection measures and their efficiency) checks, employer determines what improvements are necessary to make. Necessary corrections in the plan of internal supervision of the work environment and improvement of internal supervision of the work environment are made on the basis of results of internal supervision of the work environment checks. Employer shall document operations mentioned.

In previous chapters we gave you information on each of the stages of internal supervision of the work environment and we hope that this information helped you to understand the essence and purport of these stages. In this chapter we will try to answer to the questions which may arise after you have carried out internal supervision of the work environment in your enterprise or institution and which probably were not answered in the previous chapters of this material.

It is not enough for effective operation of internal supervision of the work environment if you only once a year carry out stages of internal supervision of the work environment described in the previous six chapters. Internal supervision of the work environment is continuous process, the objective of which is to establish a safe and harmless to health work environment. Therefore when you have carried out previously described stages of internal supervision of the work environment, reconsider and map out the activities and measures necessary for further internal supervision of the work environment, and how the daily internal supervision of the work environment will be carried out.

Use daily tasks of work as starting point for the daily internal supervision of the work environment and see how they affect work environment and how they may affect safety and health of workers. For example, workers should have an additional rest if there are some especially heavy tasks of work. Workers who have received new tasks of work or who have not been at work for a longer period of time, maybe need support and information.

It is advisable that not only labour protection specialist but also each worker check his workplace and carry out risk assessment before he start to work. That could have a look of, for instance, checking of the operation of equipment (whether stopping/starting regimen are operating accordingly, whether protective devices are fixed, whether lighting for performance of work is sufficient etc.).

If there have been changes in your enterprise, it is important to assess what consequences these changes could create in the work environment. Changes could create new work environment risks in the enterprise, for example, in some workplace where several machine tools already existed placement of another new work equipment could cause the increase of noise level, which exceeds allowed limit values, cause now the total noise created by the equipment will be greater that before. Notwithstanding, changes could be also positive and improve work environment in the enterprise, for example, when old, noisy and dangerous machine is replaced with new, modern, noiseless and safer one. If you are not sure that the changes in your enterprise have not created new or additional risk to the safety and health of workers you should carry out work environment risk assessment.

If accident at work occurs, victim or witnesses of this accident immediately report on accident to employer, direct chief of work or labour protection specialist.

The witnesses of this accident, employer, direct chief of work or labour protection specialist speedily provide emergency medical assistance and if necessary - take the victim to the hospital.

Employer shall inform enterprise's labour protection specialist and trusted representative on the accident occurred.

Employer or his authorized person takes the measures for investigation of the accident occurred at work, including establishment of commission for the investigation of the accident occurred.

If one or several workers have died in the accident or heavy handicap to health of worker has been stated, employer shall immediately report to the State Labour Inspectorate and Police Unit, in which supervision region accident has occurred.

Any accident at work that has occurred in the enterprise where employer employs less than five workers shall be immediately reported to State Labour Inspectorate.

Sicknesses, overspill and accident at work indicate on the work environment risk factors existing in the work environment. It is essential that you investigate the reasons of the accident at work occurred and take the measures so such accidents could not repeat anymore.

It is suggested to make a written record on the resume of sicknesses and accidents at work and to sift it.

Regulations determine that employer shall obligatory document internal supervision of the work environment plans and corrections made in it, materials of workplace checks (including identification of the work environment risk factors) and work environment risk assessment results. That is the obligatory requirement of the legislation, but if you have followed our suggestions then at the moment you should have:

• check-list on existing situation in the enterprise and document on results of initial situation evaluation, including results of initial assessment of the work environment risks;
• developed and documented, clear and concrete labour protection policy of the enterprise (in small enterprises - good action plan), with general objectives determined in the field of labour protection;
• Internal supervision of the work environment plan with determined concrete objectives and tasks, corresponding labour protection measures and terms of their realisation, persons in charge and resources necessary;
• List of questions on work environment risk assessment (elaborated before risk assessment);
• Results of workplace reviews with work environment risk factors identified in the workplaces;
• Results of work environment measurements carried out, for instance, results on work environment noise measurements, and test report, if laboratory has performed the measurements;
• Work environment risk assessment results;
• Plan of the labour protection measures necessary, with terms of realisation and persons in charge;
• A list of occupations (positions) or workplaces, in which:
  • health conditions of the workers are affected or may be affected by harmful to health work environment factors;
  • workers have special conditions at work; and
  • the work of employees is related to a possible risk to the health of other persons.
  The lists shall indicate the labour protection measures and personal protective equipment necessary to ensure safety and health of the workers;
• Results of internal supervision of the work environment checks with necessary corrections and improvements;
• written resume on sicknesses and accidents at work;
• elaborated written instructions on labour protection issues.

Internal supervision of the work environment in small enterprises could be carried out using following simplified model of activities:

1. Evaluate existing work conditions;
2. Identify work environment risk factors and assess work environment risks;
3. Decide what labour protection measures are necessary and who will perform them and who will control them;
4. Take the measures the prevention of the risk factors identified and reduction of work environment risks;
5. Elaborate action plan for tasks that can not be done immediately;
6. Control labour protection measures taken and make necessary corrections.

Labour protection - safety and health of employees at work;

Labour protection measures - legal, economic, social, technical and organisational preventive measures the objective of which is to establish a safe and harmless to health work environment, as well as prevent accidents at work and occupational diseases;

Labour protection specialist - an employee who has the duty to organise and control labour protection measures and to perform internal supervision of the work environment, and who has been trained in accordance with the procedures specified by the Cabinet;

Work equipment - any device (machine, mechanism), apparatus, tool or installation that is used at work;

Employer - a natural person, a legal person or a partnership with legal capacity, which employs at least one employee;

Work environment - the workplace with its physical, chemical, psychological, biological, physiological and other factors to which an employee is subject in the performance of his or her work;

Internal supervision of the work environment - the planning, organisation, implementation and management of the activities of an undertaking in such a way as to guarantee a safe and harmless to health work environment;

Work environment risk - the likelihood that harm to the safety or health of an employee in a work environment may be caused, and level of possible seriousness of such harm;

Workplace - a place in which an employee performs his or her work, as well as any other place within the scope of the undertaking which is accessible to the employee in the course of his or her work or where the employee works in accordance with the permission or an order of the employer;

Competent authority - an authority which is authorised to perform internal supervision of the work environment and whose competence on labour protection issues has been evaluated in accordance with procedures specified by the Cabinet;

Competent specialist - a specialist who is competent to perform internal supervision of the work environment in an undertaking and whose competence has been evaluated in accordance with procedures specified by the Cabinet;

Preventative measures - actions or measures that are carried out or planned in an undertaking for all stages of work in order to prevent or reduce work environment risk;

Trusted representative - a person elected by employees, who is trained in accordance with procedures specified by the Cabinet and who represents the interests of employees regarding labour protection;

Accident at work - a sudden and rapid deterioration of the worker's health conditions which has been caused by dangerous or hazardous factors of the work environment and which result in a partial or complete loss of capacity for work or the death of the worker;

Occupational diseases - diseases characteristic for specific categories of workers and caused by physical, chemical, hygienic, biological and psychological factors of the given type of work;

Continual improvement - process of enhancing the internal supervision of the work environment and labour protection system, to achieve improvements in overall labour protection performances, in line with the enterprise's labour protection policy;

Identification of the work environment risk factors - process of recognizing that risk factors exists and defining its characteristics;

Incident - event that gave rise to an accident or had the potential to lead to an accident;

Objectives - goals, in terms of labour protection performance, that an enterprise sets itself to achieve;

Labour protection system - part of the overall management system that facilitates the management of the work environment risks associated with the activity of the enterprise. This includes work environment risk assessment, internal supervision of the work environment, establishment of labour protection organisational structures and consultations with employees in order to involve them in improvement of labour protection;

Work environment risk assessment - overall process of estimating the magnitude of risk and deciding whether or not the risk is tolerable (whether or not it endanger safety and health of the workers).

In order to determine which labour protection requirements should be observed in your enterprise it is necessary to get acquainted with and to evaluate all legislative acts in the field of labour protection. In this annex only the most important labour protection legislative acts are listed, which more or less corresponds to all enterprises.

1. Labour Protection Law (adopted by the Saeima on 20 June 2001, Coming into force on 1 January 2002.);
2. Cabinet Regulations No.379 of 23 August 2001, Order of the Performance of Internal Supervision of the Work Environment (Coming into force on 1 January 2002);
3. Cabinet Regulations No.539 of 27 December 2001, Regulations Concerning Labour Protection Requirements when Working with Carcinogens Substances at Workplaces Order of the Performance of internal supervision of the work environment (Coming into force on 1 January 2002);
4. Cabinet Regulation No. 153 of 3 April 2001, Regulations on Protection of Safety and Health at Work when Working with a Display Screen and Setting up a Workstation (Coming into force on 1 June 2001);
5. Cabinet Regulation No. 72 of 13 February 2001, Requirements for Safety and Health protection at Work in Working with Chemical Substances and Chemical Products in the Workplace (Coming into force on 1 April 2001);
6. Cabinet Regulation No. 318 of 19 September 2000, On the Requirements Regarding the Organising of Work Safety and Health Protection and the Equipping of Workplaces at Construction Sites (Coming into force on 1 August 2001);
7. Cabinet Regulation No. 159 of 25 April 2000, Use of Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Coming into force on 1 January 2001);
8. Cabinet Regulation No. 44 of 8 February 2000, Minimum Requirements for Safety at Work and Protection of Health when Using Work Equipment (Coming into force on 1 July 2000);
9. Cabinet Regulation No. 270 of 3 August 1999, Regulations regarding Work Safety and Health Protection Requirements when Moving Heavy Loads (Coming into force on 1 January 2001);
10. Cabinet Regulation No. 470 of 22 December 1998, Procedures for the Investigation and Registration of Accidents at Work (Coming into force on 1 January 1999);
11. Cabinet Regulation No, 318 of 25 August 1998, Requirements for Use of Safety Signs in Workplaces (Coming into force on 1 January 1999);
12. Cabinet Regulation No. 317 of 25 August 1998, Regulations regarding Work Safety and Health Protection of Employees in Work with Asbestos (Coming into force on 1 January 2000).

Very often we could hear the question - Where it is possible to get acquainted with labour protection legislative acts? or Where we could get the information on labour protection issues? In this annex we will try to answer these questions and to show you the way to the information on labour protection.

• State Labour Inspectorate
  38 K.Valdemāra Str.,,
  Riga, LV - 1010
  Ph. 70217511
  www.vdi.lv

• Ministry of Welfare: www.lm.gov.lv
• Latvian Employers' Confederation: www.lddk.lv
• Latvian Free Trade Unions Confederation: www.lbas.lv
• Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health:www.parks.lv/home/ioeh/

• www.likumi.lv
• www.mk.gov.lv
• www.saeima.lv

Information on the latest topical issues, researches, situation in the memberstates of the European Union you can found at website of European Agency for Health and Safety: http://osha.europa.eu/