24 mobile groups are engaged in injury prevention during the harvesting campaign in the Vitebsk region

August 26, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. 24 mobile teams of specialists are engaged in the prevention of industrial injuries during the harvest in the Vitebsk region, the Vitebsk regional department of the State Labor Inspectorate of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection informed a BELTA correspondent.

For the second year in a row, 24 mobile teams have been created by decisions of district executive committees to provide practical and methodological assistance to employers in ensuring compliance with labor protection legislation, and promptly identifying and suppressing violations of labor protection requirements. The practice of mobile teams functioning during mass grain harvesting has proven effective: over the past two years, mass grain harvesting operations in the Vitebsk region have been carried out without injuries or fatalities among workers.

At the same time, in some agricultural organizations of the region, inspections organized during the safety month from July 18 to August 18 revealed gross violations of labor protection legislation. The main shortcomings and violations are repeated from year to year and are often caused by the so-called "human factor," when employer officials fail to fulfill their duties to ensure labor safety and the safe organization of the labor process, which indicates low labor and executive discipline in organizations.

In many agricultural organizations, organizational and technical measures for labor safety are not developed when organizing and conducting harvesting operations, and officials responsible for compliance with labor protection rules and norms are not appointed. Shortcomings in training employees in safe working methods and techniques have been noted. It is not uncommon for workers without professional training and appropriate qualifications to be allowed to perform hazardous work. Pre-trip and post-trip medical examinations of drivers and machine operators were not organized in all farms of the region.

Inspectors are concerned about the technical condition of machines and mechanisms permitted to perform harvesting operations. Cases have been identified where technically faulty tractors, trailers, and complex agricultural machinery that have not passed the annual technical inspection were allowed into operation.

During the month-long campaign, the operation of 181 units of machinery, mechanisms, and equipment that did not meet safety requirements or pass technical inspections was prohibited. For the violations identified, labor inspectors sent 24 officials for an unscheduled inspection of knowledge on labor protection issues. During the month-long campaign, 68 officials were brought to administrative responsibility for violating labor protection rules and norms. The total amount of fines imposed on them amounted to Br23.8 million. 38 legal entities were fined more than Br26 million. -0-