Top10 NEWS June 2019 of health and safety, fire protection & environmental protection

Travelling safely by plane Airplane is one of the safest means of transport. According to statistics, about 37.8 million flights are made every year with the accident rate being merely one accident per 2.52 million flights! According to accident statistics – even walking is more dangerous than flying.

The safety of air travel is ensured by an entire team of experts, from mechanics, to flight controllers to qualified pilots. Dangerous situations can happen regardless of the means of transport one has chosen. Let us remind you about several important rules:          

Exercise special caution in crowded places; Never leave your luggage unattended – particularly handbags or suitcases; Only carry as much cash as necessary; Makes sure your luggage contains no dangerous items; Never accept any parcels or luggage from others; Read the safety instructions carefully and carefully listen to the instructions on how to behave safely and what to do in an emergency; Pay attention to where emergency exits are located; Should you notice any untypical behaviour or phenomenon, immediately inform the cabin crew; Place your hand luggage in proper places; In the event of emergency, strictly obey the instructions of the cabin crew.

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Hazards involved in working in the sun During waves of heat, employers are under additional legal obligations concerning the organisation of work. With temperatures rising above 28°C in the office and 25°C outside, employers should provide employees with access to adequate amounts of mineral-enriched drinks. They could also shorten the working hours.

Despite the steps taken in order to keep the effects of excessive heat to a minimum, working in open spaces in the sun could be an additional hazard resulting in thermal stress or even burns. What can and should employers do to mitigate the risk of such hazards?

Thermal stress. In addition to ensuring adequate amounts of water and drinks, employers should organise outdoor work so as to protect the employees against hazards caused by atmospheric conditions, such as high temperatures. Moreover, they should ensure proper indoor areas for breaks in which employees could rest and cool down every 45 minutes.

Sun burns. Under Art. 237(6) Labour Code, employers are required to provide their employees with work or protective clothing, which in addition to its standard functions should protect an employee's body against harmful effects of sunlight. That is – long-sleeved trousers, long sleeved-tops, hats, gloves and footwear. It is the employer’s duty to provide airy clothes. Unless the occupational risk assessment for a given position prescribes otherwise, employers are not under an obligation to ensure protective creams.

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GMO-free products to be labelled On 13 June of this year, the Sejm passed a bill regulating the labelling of GMO-free products. It also penalises providing false information. Now the bill has been passed on to the Senate.

Only those plant-based products will be allowed to be labelled as ‘GMO-free’ that has their genetically modified equivalents admitted to trade in the EU. Labelling any products would mislead consumers by falsely indicating that the food market is full of genetically-modified products whereas it is not the case.

What products will be labelled?

1. Animal-related foods derived from animals or animals fed during the grace period preceding its derivation with GMO-free feeds with the feeding process being documented.

2. Plant-related foods having counterparts being on the register of geneticallymodified foods and feeds.

3. Feeds containing, composed of or produced from organisms for which there are counterparts in the register of GMO foods and feeds, provided that the feed does not contain, is not composed of or was produced from GMO, even if contains feed additives or processing aids created from or with the help of GMO, as well as other feed materials that are unavailable in a different form.

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Motorcyclist safety and protective clothing A motorcyclist is not protected by a safety cage, controlled-compression zones or even safety belts. The only protection in the case of an accident is provided by the clothing and gear worn. Therefore, they should meet certain norms and requirements.

A motorcyclist’s jacket and trousers are not only supposed to protect against wind, sun or rain, but also against burning from heated motorcycle elements, being hit by stones cast by the wheels of other vehicles or by insects. However, motorcycle clothing is above all the only protection of the cyclist’s body in the event of falling off or impact of other vehicles or objects.

The authors of a review of the relevant literature entitled ‘Costs of Injuries Resulting from Motorcycle Crashes’ claim that there is correlation between using motorcycle clothing and mitigating the severity of injuries, particularly of the leg.

On account of being form of protective clothing, it should satisfy certain norms, viz.: PN-EN 1621-1:2013-06, PN-EN 1621-2:2014-03, PN-EN 1359:2017-11.

Currently in Poland there is no obligation to use specialist clothing while riding a motorcycle. Only the Law on Road Traffic requires motorcyclists to wear helmets satisfying certain safety standards.

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New post-accident report template already in force Since 25 June 2019, a new template for post-accident reports has been in force. The amendment aimed at adjusting the report to the new regulation on personal data protection.

On 25 June of this year a regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy on the work accident circumstances and causes investigation report template came into force introducing a new template.

The amended post-accident report no longer requires e.g. the employer’s common seal or REGON (Business Statistical Number). The following data have been removed: place of birth of the employee injured in a work-related accident, name of father and tax identification number of the injured.

What has been left is both the injured employee’s and employer’s PESEL number or ID number or number of another identity document, which will also allow for the identification of foreigners being either employees or employers.

The report forms already drawn up based on the hitherto binding post-accident templates can be used until their supplies run out, not longer, however, than until 31 December 2019.

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Fire safety requirements on company premises Each company should have certain fire safety requirements in place. It is a very important issue in the area of fire safety, which sets out the conditions to be met in order to eliminate, or at least reduce existing fire hazards.

The basic fire safety requirements applicable to the workplace include:             

Separating rooms where there is risk of explosion; Use of fire alarm and extinguishing installations, as well as smoke dampers and fireprotection ventilation systems.

Ventilating installations and rooms in risk of explosion; Using gas detectors signalling alerts or threats; Removing dust from indoor areas or equipment in risk of dust explosion; Removing remains of combustive substances, and ventilating the equipment and installations intended for welding; Proper choice of electrical installations and equipment, including lighting equipment; Regular checks of electric installation insulation resistance: Checks of patency and draft of fume, smoke and ventilation ducts; Checks of gas installation tightness; Storing fire-dangerous materials in proper conditions; Securing facilities with lighting protection (by installing lightning rods); Regularly removing waste likely to self-ignite.

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Fight stress at work with music A report by HealthDesk expert has shown that over 80% of office workers work under stress. The efficiency of such persons’ work is lower than that of those who feel no stress. Music can prove a remedy to all kinds of conditions affecting both the body and mind. Music’s soothing sounds help reduce stress and support the work of the overloaded brain.

Although music in the workplace could seem an unnecessary distraction, research has shown that it has a positive influence not only on the moods of the staff, but also on their efficiency and effectiveness. This applies both to the music we listen in order to relax, e.g. in the chill-out rooms, and to that accompanying us while doing work.

Researchers, scientists and designers of modern technologies are constantly busy working out how to use music to improve the performance of our minds. Their cooperation has resulted in project such as Melomind and Braintellect.

Properly selected music can improve our efficiency, also while doing work.

Headphones delivering your favourite sounds cut you off from external stimuli and help concentrate on the task at hand. Soft sounds of nature or classical music help calm down, slow down and relax, e.g. after a stressful meeting. It is for this very reason that chill-out rooms in offices must not miss out on music – players, headphones and place for a musical siesta.

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Professional driver’s working hours – selected issues Road carriers and professional drivers are required to comply with certain regulations concerning the correct scheduling of working time. We address below several selected issues that every business-owner owning vehicles fitted with tachographs should know.

Driver’s working time. Driver’s working time includes the time from beginning to ending work, which includes all activities relating to provision of road transport. This includes the time when the driver remains at the position of a driver ready to perform work, in particular while waiting for loading or unloading, the duration of which is not known to the driver prior to departure or beginning of a given period.

Breaks from driving. After every 4.5 hours of driving a driver should take a minimum of 45-minute rest, unless beginning a period of (daily or weekly) rest. It can be replaced by a minimum of 15-minute break followed by a minimum of 30-minute break (the sequence is important).

Activities not counting as driver’s working time. A driver’s working time does not include: time of standby duty, if the driver did not work while on duty; unjustified stops during driving, which should be properly defined; continuous daily rest; breads from work referred to in Art. 16(1) on interrupted working time.

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GIS will ensure the safety of beauty salon customers ‘Do not pay for beauty with your health’ is an idea by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) and the Ministry of Health for improvement of customer safety in beauty, hairdresser, tattoo and spa salons. The campaign aims at educating both professional beauticians and their customers in hazards involved in failing to comply with safety standards.

As part of the campaign, the GIS will award special stickers with a frog image to those salons which make not only beauty, but also the health and hygiene of their customers their top priorities. Moreover, there will be educational campaigns, and the Health Ministry will implement special regulations specifying what tools can be used in salons.

The announced bill has entered the consultations stage. The bill provides that one will only be allowed to use “clean and technically efficient products and tools, to a degree providing protection against spreading of infections and infectious diseases”.

It will be necessary to decontaminate them in steam sterilisers on one’s own or by third parties. A sanitary inspector will be allowed to request the sterilisation-related documentation.

The Ministry also plans to regulate the aesthetic medicine market. According to the announcements, surgeries involving interference with the skin tissue will only be allowed by medical doctors, as members of a professional group that ensures a proper expertise and practical experience.

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The job of a groomer – work hazards The groomer, or colloquially – dog’s barber, encounters a number of job-specific hazards at work. Given the persons working in a groomer’s salon and also the unique type of client, the organisation of work should not differ from ‘human’ hairdressers’ or beauty salons in terms of sanitary, OHS, fire safety, ergonomics as well as environmental protection requirements.

There are a number of hazards facing a groomer at work that have direct impact upon his/her health. These include: work in a standing position, noise, sharp tools, slippery floor, possibility of being bit or scratched by an animal; fur, skin, mite and dust particles in the air that can cause allergy, and contact with infected animals.

Not only should the workplace protect an employee against risk of a mishap, but it should also be compliant with OHS regulations. In order to ensure that one should above all:       

Adjust the grooming table and bathing station to one’s height; Ensure comfortable footwear (non-slip soles, no heels); Change body position during work; Use tools with ergonomic handles and of ergonomic shapes; Regularly disinfect tools and the salon; Ensure that the clothes worn are made of fabric that will not collect the animal’s fur; Ensure a proper mask protecting against fur, skin and/or dust.

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