Occupational health and safety

One of an employer’s basic duties is to ensure the occupational health and safety of employees and everyone else present at the workplace (customers and visitors).

Employer must remain alert and check that the workplace is safe. If they discover anything that could compromise safety, they must put it right.

Employees must know how to behave correctly in the workplace, which work equipment they must use, how to operate machinery and workplace equipment correctly, and which training they must complete to qualify for particular activities. The general aim is to ensure safe behaviour in the workplace and thereby prevent occupational accidents.

Related internal company policies, records of employee training and records of occupational accidents should also be standard practice.

The accuracy of documentation is checked by the Labour Inspectorate. Penalties for failing to comply with occupational health and safety principles and rules can reach CZK 2 million in extreme cases. The most typical Labour Inspectorate visit follows a serious occupational accident, where an employee may seek compensation from the employer.

Fire protection

Fire protection concerns workplace safety in relation to fire. It is necessary both to prevent fires and to know how to respond if an unexpected incident occurs.

Preventive measures include identifying emergency exits and the building’s overall fire safety arrangements. Employees also need proper training: they must know not only how to prevent fires (e.g. operate machinery and work equipment correctly, have electrical appliances inspected regularly, etc.) but also what to do if a fire actually breaks out.

Fire protection is inspected by the fire service. Penalties for ordinary businesses can reach CZK 500,000.

If you are insured against fire-related risks, it is a good idea to read the policy carefully and check that you comply with all its conditions: operating in premises approved for that purpose, ensuring employee training, keeping electrical appliance inspections up to date, etc. We all know how insurers like to find a way out. 🙂

And other obligations

Some training is not directly required by law, unlike occupational health and safety and fire protection training, but I would certainly recommend it. One example is driver training. I would recommend this for all employees who will drive company vehicles. Accidents happen: an employee crashes, suffers an occupational injury, and suddenly there is a problem. Even experienced drivers will benefit from revisiting the basic rules and discussing with an expert how to respond to accidents and other unusual situations.

Training records

For each training session, you must be able to provide inspectors with:

  • The training syllabus
  • An attendance sheet stating who delivered the training, when and where, including the trainer’s name and signature and the signatures of the attendees.
  • Remember that the employer must also verify employees’ acquired knowledge, for example with a test. Verification is a condition for proper performance of the employee’s role—if they fail the test, they are not qualified to do the work.
Protective equipment

An employer is always required to provide employees with all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) – clothing, footwear, safety glasses, gloves, etc. This equipment must always be of sufficient quality to protect employees adequately. It is advisable to draw up an internal policy listing the protective equipment. Once the employer specifies, describes and purchases it, they record it as an expense and deduct VAT. Interesting examples include glasses with a protective filter for computer work or UV protection for driving a company car.

It also goes without saying that you should provide suitable ergonomic workplace equipment, including a first aid kit, suitable desks, chairs, footrests, wrist supports, lamps, etc.

How it works in practice

All of the above must be provided at the employer’s own expense. If an employer asks an employee to pay even part of the cost, unpleasant fines may follow. If an accident and associated occupational injury occur at the company, and the employer has not ensured workplace safety as required, they should rightly be concerned about possible penalties.

Workplace safety is handled by specialist companies, which now also provide online training. They can help with both training and the relevant records.

I am no expert on this subject, but I consulted the content of this article with a specialist who works professionally in occupational safety. With this article, I wanted to outline the further duties associated with being an employer and what to watch out for. If you are unsure, do not hesitate to get in touch and we can look at it together. 🙂