Here is the ergonomics legislation from
Czech Republic
The information here was collated from publicly available online sources by Ergo Global ergonomist, Shrushti Patel. Some parts may have been edited for clarity or layout.
The Duties of
The Employer
Czech Republic follows the EU directives on DSE:
- A risk assessment of the work with visual screen equipment must be carried out.
- The work with visual screen equipment carried out by the employees as a regular part of their working activities must be interrupted by breaks or changes of the working activity.
- Visual screen workstations must comply with the minimum design and installation requirements of § 50 of Regulation No. 361/2007 Coll.
- Monotonous works and works at enforced pace must be interrupted after each 2 hours of continuous work for 5-10 minutes of breaks or alternating works are provided for.
- Training must contain the information and instructions about the health and safety during the work carried out, the risks which the employees can face, the results of a risk assessment, and the measures adopted to eliminate the risks, all appropriate to the work.
- Additionally, the employer must train the employees about the legal and other acts related to health and safety at the workplace, which are related to the work they carry out and to the risks they can meet at the workplace.
- The information must be always provided upon recruitment, at their re-assignment, transfer or change of the work conditions, change of the work environment, introduction or change of the work equipment, technology or work processes, and in case which have or may have a major impact on the health and safety at work.
- The employer is required to set the content and frequency of the training, the way of testing the knowledge and the way of keeping records on the training.
Czech Republic also follows the Czech Labour Code:
- The employee’s work is performed at the employer’s expense. Therefore, employers are obliged to provide all employees with the required working equipment and supplies (typically IT and office equipment) regardless of the employee’s place of work.
- Employers are still responsible for ensuring occupational health and safety and can be held liable in the event of an injury while working from home.
- Employers must consider the nature of remote work and adjust their practice accordingly. For example, employees who work from home should receive instructions on how to correctly set up a workstation and health and safety training related to work from home.
The Duties of
The Employee
According to Part Five Safety and Health at Work- Labour Code:
- The employee has the right to safety and health, information about the risks of his work and information on measures to protect against their effects, and information must be understandable to employees.
- The employee is entitled to refuse to perform work, on which it is reasonably considered that the immediate and serious threat to his life or health, or life or health of other individuals, such a refusal can not be viewed as infringement employees.
- The employee has the right and obligation to participate in creating a safe and healthy working environment, especially the application and the employer provided the measures taken and their participation in tackling health and safety at work.
-
Each employee is obliged to make his for his own safety, their health and safety and health of individuals, which directly affects his actions or omissions at work. Knowledge of the basic obligations arising from laws, regulations and other requirements of employers to ensure the safety and health at work is an integral and permanent part of employee qualifications. The employee shall:a) participate in training provided by the employer aimed at health and safety at work, including verification of their knowledge,
b) to undergo preventive examinations, testing or vaccination determined by special legal regulations 32),
c) comply with legal and other regulations and guidelines employers to ensure the safety and health at work, with whom he was well acquainted, and follow the principles of safe behavior in the workplace and the information the employer,
d) comply with the work provided workflows, using established working tools, vehicles, personal protective equipment and protective equipment and is not to change arbitrarily and refrain from disconnecting from service,
e) not to drink alcoholic beverages and other addictive substances abuse 35) in the workplace the employer, and working hours and outside the workplace, not to enter under their influence on the employer's workplace and smoking in workplaces and other areas where the effects of smoking are also exposed to non-smokers. Prohibition on consumption of alcoholic beverages shall not apply to employees who work in unfavorable microclimatic conditions if enjoying a beer with reduced alcohol
content, and the staff, where consumption of these drinks is included in the course of work or carrying out those tasks normally associated,
f) notify its employees of the superior head of the shortcomings and deficiencies in the workplace, which endanger or which directly and seriously detrimental to the safety or health of workers at work, in particular the emergence of an impending emergency or lack of organizational measures, technical failure or malfunction of equipment and protective systems intended for avoid them,
g) with respect to the type of work performed by him according to their capabilities to participate in the elimination of deficiencies identified during inspection bodies to whom the execution of control pursuant to special regulations 36),
h) promptly notify their supervisor manager your employees work-related injury unless his health permits, and other employee work-related accident or injury of another individual, which he witnessed, and cooperate in the investigation of its causes,
i) submit to the legitimate head of instruction specified in writing by the employer to determine whether or not under the influence of alcohol or other addictive substances, 33), 35).
Penalties
In cases of breaches of health and safety regulations, an inspector may impose a penalty of up to 10,000 koruna (CZK) on the spot.
Higher penalties, up to 2 million CZK may be imposed on the inspectorate level which also acts as a first instance administrative authority.
Looking for professional
Compliance Advice?
Ergonomics legislation can make your head spin. Let our compliance officer create a personalised journey and guide your company every step of the way.
