Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection: training and knowledge testing on labor protection issues

Continuous and cyclical in nature, occupational safety training and the knowledge gained from it are key elements of production efficiency and an effective mechanism for exercising workers' constitutional rights.

In the structure of causes of accidents, allowing an injured person to work without training and knowledge testing on occupational safety accounted for 4% in 2019, 7.7% in 2020, and 12% in the first 6 months of 2021.

The level of worker training in occupational safety plays a special role in organizing and conducting work with increased hazards, which requires high coordination of actions during their execution.

In order to implement the norms of the Law of the Republic of Belarus of June 23, 2008 No. 356-Z "On Occupational Safety" and the Resolution of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus of November 28, 2008 No. 175 "Instruction on the Procedure for Training, Internships, Briefings and Knowledge Testing of Workers on Occupational Safety", managers and specialists, no later than one month from the date of appointment to their position and periodically in accordance with the requirements of regulatory legal acts, but at least once every three years, undergo knowledge testing on occupational safety in the relevant commissions for testing knowledge on occupational safety (Resolution of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus of December 30, 2008 No. 210 "On Commissions for Testing Knowledge on Occupational Safety").

In the Vitebsk region, the following commissions are engaged in testing knowledge on occupational safety: the commission under the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the relevant commissions under district and city executive committees, and administrations of districts in the city of Vitebsk.

Heads of organizations, their deputies responsible for organizing occupational safety, chief specialists, heads (specialists) of occupational safety services, and members of commissions of organizations that are not subordinate to a republican government body, another state organization subordinate to the Government of the Republic of Belarus, or another organization, undergo knowledge testing on occupational safety in the commission of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

Heads of enterprises and organizations who have not passed the knowledge test on labor protection may be brought to administrative responsibility.

The Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee has concluded cooperation agreements on the organization and conduct of training (seminars, conferences, professional development, retraining, and other forms of training), and knowledge testing of managers, specialists, and workers (employees) of organizations in the Vitebsk region on labor protection issues.

Improving the effectiveness and quality of labor protection training for certain categories of employees is carried out at educational institutions: "Vitebsk State Technological University", "Polotsk State University", Educational Institution of Additional Adult Education "Vitebsk Regional Center for Professional Development of Managers and Specialists in Housing and Communal Services", Department of Organization of On-site Labor Protection Training "Republican Institute of Higher School", State Educational Institution of Additional Education "Vitebsk Regional Institute for the Development of Education", followed by certification in the regional commission for testing knowledge on labor protection issues under the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.

A labor protection specialist must improve their qualifications at least once every 3 years (previously, it was at least once every 5 years). This requirement is established by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated December 30, 2019, No. 938, which amended the "Regulations on Continuous Professional Education of Managers and Specialists" approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated July 15, 2011, No. 954.

For the knowledge test on labor protection, managers, specialists, and other persons subject to the knowledge test are admitted to the audience upon presentation of an identity document and using personal protective equipment (masks, gloves).

SCHEDULE

of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Commission

for checking knowledge on labor protection issues in the IV quarter of 2021

Managers, specialists, and other persons who have passed the knowledge test on labor protection shall be issued a labor protection certificate of the established sample.