Periodic Health and Safety Training

Periodic Health and Safety Training

Periodic training should be conducted in the course of employment. It is necessary to continue the exercise of the employee's responsibilities on their respective positions. Periodic training aims to familiarize the employee with the new regulations in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH). It also allows the employee to supplement their knowledge and skills in the field of safety and health. The training should take place during working hours. The employee should receive a certificate indicating the successful completion of training.

Training in occupational safety and health

The employer must not allow their employee to perform activities with respect to which the latter does not have the required qualifications or skills, or the sufficient knowledge of the rules and principles of occupational safety and hygiene. Therefore, in accordance with Art. 2373 § 2 of the Labor Code, the employer, before allowing their employees to work, work should provide them training in the field of occupational safety and health, and also conduct periodic training in this field.

According to the Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labor of 27 July 2004 on training in the field of occupational safety and health (Journal of Laws No. 180, item. 1860, as amended), the training should be conducted as follows:
  introductory traning
 period training

The introductory training should comprise:
  general briefing
  job-specific briefing

Before being admitted to work, every employee must undergo the introductory training that consists general and job-specific briefing.
As part of the general briefing (within the general introductory training), the employee should be familiar with the basic rules of safety and health contained in the Labor Code, collective agreements and work regulations, the rules and principles of occupational safety and health, as well as fire protection regulations applicable in the workplace, including first aid rules. The briefing should be mandatorily attended by all new employees, interns and students in the workplace, prior to being allowed to work on the assigned job position.
The briefing is conducted by the OSH service workers or a person performing this task at the employer’s workplace, or an employee designated by the employer, who possess the knowledge and skills to ensure proper implementation of the briefing agenda.
The goal of the job-specific briefing is to familiarize employees with the hazards existing on a specific workstation, and also the ways to protect against the hazards and methods of safe work at that position.

The job-specific briefing is conducted by a local manager designated by the employer, who is sufficiently qualified and has the sufficient professional experience and training in the field of briefing implementation. The briefing should be completed upon testing the knowledge and skills related to job performance in accordance with the OSH, and only then the employee should be allowed to work independently.
The completion by the employee of the general and job-specific briefing should be confirmed by the employee in the introductory training card and kept in their personal files.

Periodic training:
Periodic training is conducted in order to update and reinforce the knowledge and skills in the field of OSH acquired by the employees in previous training, and to familiarize them with the new technical and organizational solutions in this respect.
The frequency and duration of the training is determined by the employer, in consultation with the local trade union or other employee representatives, where:
  the training of manual workers should be carried out at least once every 3 years, while for the positions of particular health hazards – at least once a year;
  the training of employers and other persons managing employees – at least once every 5 years;
  the training of engineering and technical employees - at least once every 5 years;
 the training of administration and office employees – at least once every 6 years.

Periodic training should be completed upon testing the participants’ knowledge of the training messages covered by the training agenda, and their ability to perform or organize work in accordance with the provisions and principles of OSH. The examination should be conducted by the training organizer, who should also award a certificate of its completion upon passing the examination A copy of the certificate should be kept in the personal files of the employee.