Occupational health and safety training for employees and their frequency

The primary duty of the employer is to protect the health and life of employees by ensuring safe and hygienic working conditions. The employer is also obliged to organize health and safety training - it is he who is obliged to provide information in this regard. The frequency and form of training courses depend on the type of position held by the employee.

Health and safety training - when and what time should it take place?

Occupational health and safety training should be organized and conducted by employers or, at their request, by organizational units authorized to conduct training activities in the field of occupational health and safety on the basis of the provisions on the education system.

Occupational health and safety training should be repeated by the employer during the employee's employment relationship in order to consolidate knowledge in this field and to present any changes. The issue of the frequency of OHS training is related to the type and conditions of the work performed.

Repeatability of periodic training, at least	Type of job position in the company	Type of training	Minimum training duration in minutes
Once in 1 year	Employees occupying blue-collar positions where particularly dangerous work is performed (high health hazards and accident hazards)	On-the-job training and lecture	360
Once every 3 years	Workers holding blue-collar positions
Once every 5 years	The employer and other people managing employees, in particular managers, masters and foremen	Course, seminar, guided self-education	720
	Engineering and technical workers, technologists and production organizers, designers, constructors of machines and other technical devices		720
	Employees of the OHS service and persons performing the tasks of the OHS service		1,440 - including 180 exercises
	Workers exposed to hazardous, nuisance or harmful factors and workers whose work is related to occupational health and safety		360
Once every 6 years	Administrative and office employees, when the type of the predominant activity of the employer within the meaning of the provisions on official statistics is included in the group of activities for which a risk category higher than the third will be established and others not listed		360
No periodic training	Administrative and office workers employed by employers classified in the activity group for which a risk category no higher than the third has been established		-

Health and safety training and COVID

During an epidemic emergency or an epidemic, it is allowed to conduct initial training in the field of occupational health and safety entirely via electronic means of communication, with the exception of on-the-job training:

• an employee employed in a blue-collar position;
• an employee employed in a position where there is exposure to hazardous factors;
• the employee transferred to the position;
• a student undertaking practical vocational training and a student undertaking student practice.

If the date of conducting periodic training in the field of health and safety at work falls within:

• the period of validity of the state of epidemic threat or state of epidemic or
• within 30 days from the date of cancellation of the state of epidemic threat, if the state of the epidemic or the state of the epidemic is not announced

- this period is extended to the 60th day from the date of cancellation of the state of epidemic threat, if the state of the epidemic or the state of the epidemic is not announced.

Health and safety training - what are their types?

The employer is obliged to provide training to the employee in the field of occupational health and safety before allowing him to work, and to conduct periodic training in this regard. The regulations provide for two types of health and safety training:

• introductory and
• periodic.

In addition, OHS training, both initial and periodic, should take place during work and at the employer's expense. After reading the instructions and guidelines for health and safety at work, the employee is obliged to confirm this fact in writing.

Training of an employee before admitting him to work is not required if he takes up work in the same position as he held for a given employer immediately before entering into another employment contract with this employer.

When should periodic trainings for administrative and office employees take place?

Due to the act of November 9, 2018 amending certain acts to simplify the tax and economic law for entrepreneurs, which entered into force on January 1, 2019, the obligation of periodic health and safety training for administrative and office employees has changed. So far, administrative and office employees have participated in periodic training every 6 years.

According to the new regulations, administrative and office workers employed by employers classified in the occupational group for which a risk category not higher than the third have been recognized will be exempted from periodic OHS training. These are the groups with the least harmful factors to health and a low accident rate.

Groups of activities for which a risk category of no higher than three has been established:

• clothing production,
• production of leather and leather products,
• printing and reproduction of recorded information carriers,
• production of computers, electronic and optical products,
• retail trade, except retail trade of motor vehicles,
• air Transport,
• information and communication,
• detective and security activities,
• education,
• activities related to culture, recreation and entertainment,
• scientific and technical activities,
• financial and insurance activities,
• activities related to servicing the real estate market,
• activities related to catering services,
• activities related to the administrative support of the office.

In a situation where the type of predominant activity of the employer is in the group for which the higher risk category is determined, the employer is obliged to conduct periodic training within 6 months from the date of determining the higher risk category.

Is the employer always obliged to set up a health and safety service?

The number of employees in the plant determines the obligation to establish a health and safety service, which is to advise and exercise control in the field of occupational health and safety. If the employer employs more than 100 employees, he is obliged to establish a health and safety service, and in the case of employment of less than 100 people, he may entrust the tasks of the service to one of the employees employed in a given position.

The employer may perform the tasks of the OHS service, provided that he undergoes training authorizing him to do so. This possibility applies to entrepreneurs who employ up to 10 employees.

From January 1, 2019, due to changes in the Labor Code, an employer who, in addition to completing the training, conducts activities for which a risk category not higher than the third has been established, has the option to take over the tasks of the OHS service when employing up to 50 employees. Until the end of last year, the limit of employees for whom an employer qualified for a risk category no higher than the third could perform the tasks of the OHS service after completing the training, was 20 employees.

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First aid in the workplace - is it necessary?

The Labor Code (Article 2091) also imposes an obligation on the employer to appoint employees within the workplace to provide first aid and to carry out activities in the field of fire fighting and evacuation of employees.

The manner of proceeding in the above-mentioned situations should be adapted to the type and scope of the activity performed, the number of employees (as well as other people on the premises of the workplace), as well as the type and level of emerging threats. In a situation where the employer employs only young or disabled employees, the activities in the field of first aid, fire fighting and evacuation of employees may be performed by himself.

First aid - who is responsible for what?

The regulations do not specify in detail the scope of training that should be provided by persons designated in the company to provide first aid and to perform activities in the field of fire fighting and evacuation of employees. Hence, it is assumed that directional training for such workers will be sufficient in first aid, fire fighting and employee evacuation, and may be updated as part of regular health and safety training. In addition, the first training in this field can also be carried out in the field of initial or periodic health and safety training, if it is properly adapted.

A similar position is taken by the Central Institute for Labor Protection - National Research Institute (hereinafter: CIOP). developing and issuing opinions on labor protection standards in the field of occupational health and safety. Persons appointed to perform activities in the field of fire protection and evacuation do not need to have specialized qualifications in this area. They should have completed training in the field of health and safety in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labor of July 27, 2004 (on training in the field of health and safety at work - Journal of Laws No. 180, item 1860, as amended) CIOP explains that the issues related to fire protection were included in the framework training programs included in the annex to the regulation. The employer or the organizational unit conducting OHS training should ensure that the initial or periodic OHS training is prepared in accordance with the positions present in the company, taking into account the training of employees designated to perform activities in the field of fire fighting and evacuation of employees (depending on the type and level of threats that may occur in a given unit).