Here is the ergonomics legislation from
Austria
The information here was collated from publicly available online sources by Ergo Global ergonomist, Fiona Tan. Some parts may have been edited for clarity or layout.
The Duties of
The Employer
All employers covered under the OSH Act must ensure that workers are protected from recognized hazards that may cause dealth or serious physical harm, which includes ergonomics hazards.
To protect their workers, OSHA recommends that employers implement an ergonomics process with the following elements:
- Section 4: Hazard Identification and Determination of Measures - Employers are obliged to identify and assess the risks of the safety and health of employees.
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Section 7: Principles of Hazard Prevention - Employers must implement the following general principles of risk prevention in the design of workplaces, workplaces and work processes, in the selection and use of work equipment and materials, in the deployment of employees and in all measures for the protection of employees:
1. Avoidance of risks.
2. Assessment of unavoidable risks.
3. Combating hazards at source.
4. Taking into account the human factor at work, in particular in the design of workplaces and in the selection of work equipment and work and production processes, in particular with a view to facilitating monotonous work and machine-driven work rhythms and mitigating their harmful effects on health.
4a. Taking into account the design of work tasks and the type of activities, the working environment, work processes and work organisation.
5. Taking into account the state of the art.
6. Elimination or reduction of dangerous moments. 7. Planning of risk prevention with the aim of achieving a coherent link between technology, activities and tasks, work organisation, work processes, working conditions, working environment, social relations and the influence of the environment on the workplace.
8. Priority of collective hazard protection over individual hazard protection.
9. Giving appropriate instructions to workers. -
Section 14: Instruction - Employers are obliged to ensure that employees are adequately informed about safety and health. The instruction must take place during working hours. The instruction must be demonstrable. If necessary, suitable experts must be consulted for the instruction. In any case, instruction must be given:
1. Before commencing work.
2. In the event of a transfer or change in the area of responsibility.
3. In the case of the introduction or modification of work equipment.
4. When new agents are introduced.
5. In the event of the introduction or modification of working procedures.
6. After accidents or events that almost led to an accident, provided that this appears useful for the prevention of further accidents.
The training must be geared to the workplace and the employee's area of responsibility. It must be adapted to the development of the moments of danger and to the emergence of new dangers. The instruction must also include the measures to be taken in the event of foreseeable operational disruptions. If necessary, the instruction shall be repeated at regular intervals, at least if this is stipulated in accordance with Section 4 as a measure for the prevention of risks or in an ordinance accompanying this Federal Act.
The training must be adapted to the level of experience of the employees and must be given in an intelligible form. In the case of employees who do not have a sufficient command of the German language, instruction must be given in their mother tongue or in another language that they understand. Employers must ensure that employees have understood the instruction.
The instruction can also be given in writing. If necessary, written operating instructions and other instructions must be made available to employees. These instructions must be posted at the workplace if necessary. The second and third sentences of paragraph 4 shall also apply to written instructions. -
Section 68: Special measures for Screen Work - In the case of the employment of employees who use a VDU for a not insignificant part of their normal work, the following applies:
1. Employers must organize the activity in such a way that the daily work at VDU equipment is regularly interrupted by breaks or by other activities that reduce the burden of VDU work.
2. Employees have the right to have their eyes and vision examined before starting work, as well as at regular intervals thereafter, and also in the event of visual problems that can be attributed to screen work.
3. Employees have the right to an ophthalmological examination if this proves necessary on the basis of the results of the examination pursuant to subsection (2).
4. Workers shall be provided with special visual aids if the results of the examinations referred to in points 2 and 3 show that they are necessary.
The Duties of
The Employee
- Avoidance of hazards - Workers must apply the necessary safety measures, in accordance with the instruction and instructions of employers. They must behave in such a way that a hazard is avoided as far as possible. They must not put themselves in a state of danger through alcohol, medicines or narcotics in which they can endanger themselves or other people.
- Duty to report, duty to warn - Any accident at work, any event that almost led to an accident, any imminent hazard or any defect found in the protective systems must be reported immediately to the competent supervisor or other persons responsible for it. If, in the event of an imminent serious danger, they are unable to reach the competent superiors or other competent persons, workers must themselves take the absolutely necessary measures that are reasonable for them, in accordance with the provisions of the safety and health protection documents (evaluation), their information and instruction as well as the technical means available, in order to protect the other workers. To warn employees and avert disadvantages for life or health.
- Use of personal protective equipment and protective devices - Employees are obliged to use personal protective equipment (e.g. helmets, safety goggles, safety shoes) as intended and then store them in the designated place. The use of personal protective equipment is for your own protection! Anyone who does not use personal protective equipment at all or does not use it for its intended purpose is harming itself! Employees may not remove, deactivate, arbitrarily change or rearrange protective equipment unless this is absolutely necessary for work-related reasons, e.g. to carry out adjustment, repair or maintenance work. They are obliged to use the protective equipment properly in accordance with their instruction and the instructions of the employers.
- Use of work equipment - When using work equipment, incorrect behaviour by employees can cause dangers both for themselves and for others (colleagues, customers, etc.). Employees must therefore use work equipment and its protective devices properly in accordance with the instruction and instructions of the employers.
- Cooperation with employers, SVP, preventive services - Employees must work together with employers, safety representatives (SVPs) and preventive services (safety specialists, occupational physicians) to ensure that the safety measures provided for are complied with and that employers ensure that the working environment and working conditions are safe.
- Employee participation - If employee bodies have been appointed (e.g. works council), they have rights of participation in occupational health and safety issues (e.g. participation in decisions, inspection of documents). If there are no employee bodies, the safety representatives must in any case be involved in these matters. If there are no safety representatives or employee bodies in the company, all employees must be involved. Irrespective of this, all employees always have the right to be heard in matters of safety and health protection at work.
Penalties
Employer is fined for violating provisions governing occupational health and safety:
Up to €16,695
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