On the results of the month-long campaign to ensure safety, working conditions, and labor protection in agricultural organizations

During the Month of Ensuring Safety, Working Conditions, and Labor Protection in the region's organizations from 26.07.2021 to 30.08.2021, state labor inspectors of the Vitebsk Regional Department of the State Labor Inspectorate, as part of mobile groups of district executive committees, conducted 137 inspections of agricultural organizations, during which 259 facilities were inspected and 1637 violations were identified.

In the recommendations for eliminating the identified violations, organization heads were instructed to remove 185 workers from work who had not undergone training, instruction, knowledge testing, or who were not using or were not provided with personal protective equipment (PPE). Based on the results of the mobile groups' work during this period, the recommendations included the suspension of 137 units of equipment (machines, mechanisms) that did not comply with safety requirements and the prohibition of 14 types of work. During this period, 80 pieces of information were promptly sent to district executive committees and 24 pieces of information to prosecutor's offices.

During the inspections, 13 instances of violations were identified regarding the non-organization (non-conduct) of pre-shift medical examinations (medical assessments).

Information on the results of the conducted inspections, highlighting relevant characteristic violations, was promptly published in the media (41 media appearances were published).

During the work of the mobile groups for the period of the month, characteristic violations were identified and recommended for elimination:

- workers are not fully provided with personal protective equipment;

- issued PPE and workwear are not used by workers and officials;

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

- agricultural machinery is repaired in violation of safety requirements. For example, when repairing tractors, agricultural units, and vehicles, random objects (boards, wooden blocks, etc.) are placed under the suspended parts of the equipment;

- anti-roll chocks are not used during repair work;

- stands used during equipment repair

not tested, not registered in the log (special plates (tags) or inscriptions on the tested items are missing);

- unused inspection pits are not covered with shields;

- there is no traffic flow scheme on the territory;

- routes for moving agricultural machinery and units to the place of work have not been developed;

- faulty (non-compliant) agricultural machinery is allowed for operation (grain harvesters lack protective guards for the cutting apparatus drive, cardan shafts on agricultural machinery are not guarded, etc.);

- grain harvesters move on public roads with the header attached;

Violations related to the maintenance of the organization's territory, storage (keeping) of material assets have been identified:

- order has not been established in the workshop and auxiliary rooms, materials, spare parts, etc. are not stored on special racks.

Violations of safety requirements at grain drying complexes have been identified:

- belt drives on the grain cleaner are not covered by guards;

- operation of the grain dryer fan of the grain drying chamber without a protective drive guard;

- hatches, manholes of grain storage bins, receiving pits at grain drying complexes are in an open position (not covered with gratings, the elevator is not guarded);

- chain and belt drives on the equipment of the grain drying complex lack protective guards (seed treater, grain loader without protective guards).

- portable ladders are used at the grain drying complex without testing, not meeting safety requirements.

Violations related to the breach of safe operation requirements for electric and gas welding equipment and lifting mechanisms are identified:

- a homemade electrode holder is used for welding;

- oxygen cylinders are operated with faulty pressure gauges.

- the crane beam's load hook

equipped with a safety lock that prevents the lifting device from accidentally falling out;

Violations were identified in a number of organizations related to the failure to conduct internships, briefings, and knowledge testing on labor protection issues. Employees were allowed to perform work without undergoing training, briefing (internship) on labor protection and knowledge testing on the type of work performed:

- the labor protection briefing registration log does not confirm the conduct of labor protection briefings with the signatures of individuals for all employees who underwent the briefing;

- employees of the "crop production" department have not undergone knowledge testing;

- employees of the grain drying complex are allowed to perform work without undergoing special training, without an internship and knowledge testing on labor protection issues (grain drying complex operator).

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

- the employer has not organized pre-shift examinations (medical examinations) of employees for alcohol intoxication;

- employees were allowed to work without undergoing periodic medical examinations;

- tractor drivers-machinists are allowed on the line without undergoing pre-trip medical examinations;

- medical kits are not equipped.

In some agricultural organizations, violations were identified regarding the lack of organization of periodic control on labor protection issues and the provision of working and resting conditions for employees:

- the organization does not conduct periodic control (daily, monthly, quarterly) for compliance with labor protection requirements;

- rest areas are not equipped in the harvested fields.

It should be noted that the majority of violations identified during the raids by mobile groups were rectified promptly.

During the month-long campaign in the region's agricultural organizations, no fatal accidents or injuries resulting in severe industrial trauma were registered during the harvesting operations.

In order to ensure preventive work in agricultural organizations, analytical information on the results of the month has been sent to the Committee for Agriculture and Food with proposals to inform the agricultural departments of district executive committees about the thematic nature of typical violations committed in organizations, and to take the necessary measures to organize preventive work in subordinate organizations to prevent similar violations.

Vitebsk Regional Department of the State Labor Inspectorate Department.