What violations were identified during the Month of Ensuring Safety, Working Conditions, and Labor Protection in the Real Economy Sector?

During the period of the Month of Ensuring Safety, Working Conditions and Labor Protection in the Real Sector of the Economy, from September 19, 2022, to October 14, 2022, the Vitebsk Regional Department of the State Labor Inspectorate, as part of mobile groups, inspected 117 organizations of various forms of ownership, examining 232 facilities and identifying 980 violations.

In the recommendations for eliminating the identified violations, the heads of organizations were instructed to remove from work 112 employees who had not undergone training, instruction, knowledge testing, or who were not using or were not provided with personal protective equipment. Based on the results of the mobile groups' work during this period, the recommendations included the suspension of 62 units of equipment that did not comply with safety requirements, the prohibition of 9 types of work, and the suspension of operations in one section.

During the inspections, 3 violations were identified concerning the improper organization of pre-shift medical examinations.

During the work of the mobile groups, the following typical violations were identified and recommended for elimination.

In a number of organizations, instances were found where employees did not use the personal protective equipment issued to them, as well as inadequate provision of personal protective equipment.

Individual violations were identified related to the maintenance of the organization's territory and the operation of buildings and structures, storage of material assets, equipment, territory marking, etc.

- The roof is leaking in the production areas;

- The gates (arch type) in the production premises lack devices to fix the gates in the open position;

- Violations of the procedure for collecting and temporarily storing bulky waste are identified on the organization's territory;

- Containers used in production are operated with labeling violations (without registration number, permissible load capacity, and own weight);

- Platforms for equipment maintenance, located at height in production premises, do not comply with the established requirements for guardrail design (longitudinal

elements and solid side railings in its lower part);

- finished product storage areas and dangerous equipment installation sites are not marked with safety and warning signs (no markings).

State inspectors identified typical violations related to non-compliance with the safety requirements for operation, repair, maintenance, etc. of machinery, mechanisms, equipment and other technology:

- repair of motor vehicles and agricultural machinery is carried out in violation of safety requirements. When repairing tractors, agricultural units, and vehicles, random objects are placed under the lifted parts of the equipment;

- when performing vehicle repairs, anti-roll chocks are not installed under the wheels;

- the sides of operated dump trucks do not have indelible paint inscriptions "Do not operate without a support under the raised body!";

- when performing vehicle repairs, a sign "Do not start the engine! People are working!" is not hung on the steering wheel;

- if work needs to be performed under a vehicle outside of an inspection pit, lift, or ramp, workers are not provided with creepers.

Violations related to the organization and conduct of medical examinations (pre-shift, periodic, initial) and the provision of first medical aid were identified.

- pre-shift examinations to detect alcohol, drug, or toxic intoxication for the relevant category of workers are not organized;

- certain categories of workers are allowed to work independently without undergoing periodic medical examinations.

In a number of organizations, violations related to the non-conduct of training and knowledge testing on labor protection issues were identified. Workers are allowed to perform work without training, instruction (internship) on labor protection, and knowledge testing for the type of work performed.

During inspections of construction sites, a number of violations were identified regarding the organization of work at height, permitting and operation of scaffolding and staging, and poor project development.

of work, etc.

Taking into account the analysis of the identified violations, business entities must ensure control over the unconditional compliance by employees with the requirements of the Labor Protection Rules, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus of 01.07.2021 N 53, the Labor Protection Rules for Construction Work, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Architecture and Construction of the Republic of Belarus of 31.05.2019 N 24/33, the Resolution of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus of 28.11.2008 N 175 (as amended on 14.07.2022) "On the procedure for training, internships, instruction and knowledge testing of employees on labor protection issues", with the mandatory elimination of identified violations and the conduct of systematic work in organizations to ensure high-quality periodic control over the state of labor protection at workplaces in accordance with the requirements of the Instruction on the procedure for controlling the compliance by employees with labor protection requirements in the organization and structural divisions, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus of 15.05.2020 No. 51.