The State Labor Inspectorate demands to strengthen control over safety at housing and communal services enterprises in the Vitebsk region
The State Labor Inspectorate demands to increase control over the safety of workers at enterprises of housing and communal services and forestry of the Vitebsk region. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the first deputy head of the Vitebsk regional department of the State Labor Inspectorate Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Sergey Anufriev. According to him, this year the number of cases of industrial injuries to workers in these sectors has significantly increased in the region.
Thus, as of October 31, 2012, 8 cases of serious injuries were registered in housing and communal services organizations, which is 6 more cases compared to the same period in 2011. Their main causes were the failure of managers and specialists to fulfill their duties on labor protection (23.1% of all causes), violation of safety requirements during the operation of vehicles, machinery, mechanisms, equipment (23.1%), lack of organizational and technological documentation (15.4%), violation by the victims themselves of the requirements of labor protection instructions, labor and production discipline, as well as poor development of labor protection instructions (7.6% each). "In addition, the analysis of accidents showed that individual employers do not comply with the requirements of legislative and regulatory legal acts regulating safe working conditions for workers during earthworks, loading and unloading operations, work from mobile lifting platforms, as well as related to the operation and maintenance of road vehicles," noted Sergey Anufriev.
The situation is also not developing favorably in the organizations of the Ministry of Forestry located in the Vitebsk region. In January-October 2012, there were 3 workplace accidents with severe consequences, including 2 fatal and 1 severe, while in the same period of 2011, only one accident with a severe outcome was registered (there were no fatalities at work). "Of particular concern is the fact that, despite logging activities being classified as high-risk work, neither the officials of the organizations nor the workers themselves who perform the work pay due attention to the implementation of labor protection requirements of local regulations, including the development of technological processes and compliance with safe work procedures. Cases of employees being at work under the influence of alcohol have not been completely eliminated either," the interlocutor emphasized. Sergey Anufriev also added that this information has been brought to the attention of the heads of the relevant structures with a proposal to tighten control over the compliance of workers with labor, production, and performance discipline, to remove from work persons who are at the workplace under the influence of alcohol, and also to increase the responsibility of work supervisors for non-fulfillment of labor protection duties.
In January-October, a total of 15 workers died and 72 sustained severe injuries in organizations of the Vitebsk region, which is 44.4% and 1.3% less, respectively, compared to the same period last year. The districts of Gorodok, Dokshitsy, Dubrovno, Miory, Polotsk, Ushachi, and Sharkovshchina had no cases of severe injuries for 10 months. An increase in fatal accidents was noted in Vitebsk (by 7 cases compared to January-October 2011), Polotsk (by 2, respectively), Senno district (by 6), Vitebsk and Lepel districts (by 2), Beshenkovichi, Liozno, Orsha, and Shumilino districts (by 1 each). Fatalities at work were registered in Liozno, Senno, Chashniki, and Glubokoe districts (one each), in Polotsk, Postavy districts, and Polotsk (two each), and in Vitebsk (5). Overall, against the backdrop of a general decrease in industrial injuries in organizations of the Vitebsk region in January-October 2012, some districts of the region lack a positive trend in reducing industrial injuries. Moreover, an increase in both fatal and severe injuries is observed in Senno and Liozno districts and Polotsk, added Sergey Anufriev.