Instructions: preparing a plan to improve working conditions and safety

What is the program for?

The head of an enterprise or organization is obliged to create an optimal and safe working environment (Article 163 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
The occupational safety and health action plan for 2021 is a mandatory regulatory document for any organization if the costs of occupational safety and health are significant and there is an intention to reimburse them to the Social Insurance Fund. Having the document will allow you to reduce insurance premiums for occupational injuries in the Social Insurance Fund. A reduction is possible by the amount of funding for measures to improve conditions and reduce accidents at work. Every year, before August 1, a company can submit an application to the Social Insurance Fund in any form.
The procedure for reimbursement of costs for improving working conditions is regulated by the Rules for financial support of preventive measures to reduce industrial injuries and occupational diseases of workers and sanatorium and resort treatment of workers engaged in work with harmful or dangerous production factors (annex to the Order of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation dated December 10, 2012 No. 580n). The program for improving working conditions for the current year will be the main document for the return of contributions for injuries for the previous year. You can return up to 20% of the funds actually transferred. The list of additional documents is determined by the same Order depending on the activities for which the costs will be reimbursed.

What period is the plan for?

An occupational safety specialist can draw up:

• long-term work plan - for a year;
• current plan – for the quarter;
• schedule for inspection of enterprise divisions - for a month.

The work plans of the labor protection specialist are approved by the head of the enterprise in agreement with the trade union committee. It is better to approve the annual plan one month before the planned period, the quarterly plan 10 days before the start of the quarter, and the monthly schedule one week before the start of the month.

What legal acts establish the requirements?

The development of a plan for improving working conditions is regulated by the following laws and regulations:

1. Labor Code of the Russian Federation, Federal Law No. 197-FZ of December 30, 2001 (Articles 212, 226).
2. System of occupational safety standards. Occupational safety management systems - GOST 12.0.230.1-2015 (describes the occupational safety management system, planning and prevention).
3. A typical list of measures annually implemented by the employer to improve working conditions and safety and reduce occupational risks, approved. Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated March 1, 2012 No. 181n (contains a list of activities that can be included in the plan to improve working conditions).

In Art. 226 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation states that a manufacturing enterprise must spend at least 0.2% of production costs on improving working conditions and labor protection. The list of activities was approved by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation No. 181n dated March 1, 2012. The local annual plan of events determines what the funds will be spent on. This planning document is formed annually (or once every two to three years). The procedure for its development and approval is included in the labor protection regulations.

Good and safe conditions are ensured by:

• rational distribution of the load between the employee and the equipment;
• using reasonable standards of work and rest;
• improvement of technological processes and equipment;
• selection of professional personnel.

The most common mistakes when conducting SOUT

Violation of the special assessment procedure may lead to administrative punishment in the form of a fine from regulatory authorities in the field of labor protection. The most common errors are:

1. The report was approved by the head of the enterprise, and not by the chairman of the commission. These may be different people.
2. A copy of the report on the conducted special assessment was sent to the expert organization late.
3. Information about the special assessment that took place is not posted on the company’s website.
4. The declaration of conformity of working conditions was not sent to the State Transport Inspectorate.
5. The company's employees are not familiar with the results of the SOUT for signature.
6. The approved report is signed with a regular and not a qualified digital signature.

What measures can be taken to improve conditions?

The list of measures to improve working conditions is enshrined in Order No. 181n. Let's list some:

• special assessment of working conditions;
• equipment modernization;
• installation of equipment protection from external factors;
• improvement of alarm and warning systems;
• providing workers with special means of protection from negative factors (working clothing must be made in Russia and from Russian materials);
• labor safety training (we are talking about hazardous production facilities and mandatory training for employees in accordance with subparagraph “c”, paragraph 3 of the Rules, approved by Order No. 580n);
• standard lighting of workplaces;
• equipping with first aid stations;
• arrangement of recreation areas;
• installation of drinking water machines;
• carrying out mandatory preventive medical examinations.

The above list is not exhaustive. A full list of improvements can be found in the Order. It is advisory in nature and offers a classification into groups:

• organizational;
• sanitary;
• technical;
• are common;
• private;
• individual.

What can and should be improved

The typical list of activities contains 32 areas for creating a comfortable working environment. They can be divided into several categories:

• Technical. This includes updating equipment to improve operational safety. An example is replacing faulty equipment that could cause injury.
• Technological. This includes transformations of the work process itself to reduce labor costs. An example is the implementation of an automatic system.
• Sanitary and hygienic. They are not directly related to economic activity, but they also contribute to maintaining health. An example is the purchase of climate control equipment to maintain an optimal microclimate.
• Social. They create additional comfort and stimulate staff productivity and interest in what they do. An example is improving the content of work, providing opportunities for self-development and supporting initiatives.
• Aesthetic. This improvement of working conditions in production requires that employees enjoy their work place. Example - cosmetic repairs, room decor, creation of recreation areas.

How to make an event plan

Developing a plan to improve working conditions consists of several stages:

• a working group is being created that will formulate a list of areas for improving working conditions and labor protection;
• a special order is issued regulating the performance of work and identifying responsible persons;
• a draft action plan to improve occupational safety is being developed;
• the draft plan is being approved;
• acceptance and approval of the finished program and budget for its implementation.

An important part of preparing an action plan to improve occupational safety for the next year will be a well-formed cost estimate. The amount spent will depend on:

• type of activity of the organization;
• the need to conduct workplace assessments;
• availability of regulations from regulatory authorities;
• ongoing modernization activities.

To determine the necessary activities and optimize their list, the formed working group needs to:

• conduct an analysis of the activities performed for the previous year and analyze expenses;
• draw up a plan of procedures;
• prepare cost estimates;
• coordinate and approve the estimate with the relevant departments of the enterprise.

Before planning begins, a more detailed analysis should be carried out:

• expenses for labor protection and production of products and services;
• cards for special assessment of working conditions;
• Section 8 of the accident investigation acts - “Measures to eliminate the causes of the accident”;
• existing regulations of supervisory authorities;
• existing contracts for the purchase of protective equipment, medical examinations, employee training, and special assessment of working conditions.

The analysis will allow you to assess upcoming costs and likely above-plan needs. They need to be taken into account in the estimate.

Technical stage

At this stage, SOTARM LLC informs the customer about when the company’s specialists will begin conducting the organization’s SOUTH. After their arrival, the customer's engineers will organize a joint safety induction for the personnel whose jobs will be assessed. Technical documentation is prepared for the equipment used, tools, fixtures, quality and compliance certificates for materials and raw materials.

Then the places where measurements or declarations will be carried out are determined. At the same time, it is important to organize the examination in the presence of the employee so that he has a clear understanding of why the staff SAS is being carried out. Patients are not allowed in medical institutions.

When conducting an occupational safety and health assessment system, a representative of the commission must take an active part. He should have a list of jobs with him, mark those checked and make notes on identified deficiencies. Experts from SOTARM LLC allow some shortcomings to be eliminated during the assessment. This can significantly improve the results of the examination.

To more accurately assess the conditions in which the customer company’s employees work, SOTARM LLC specialists use the following measuring instruments and laboratory equipment:

• chromatograph FGH 1-2
• lux meter TKA-Lux
• combined device TK-PKM
• spectrum analyzer "Ecophysics-110 A"
• sound level meter-vibration meter
• socket status indicator ISER-01
• non-selective radiometer "IR-meter"
• low-flow aspirator for air sampling BRIZ-2

After the measurements are completed, while the experts systematize the research results and draw up a report, the customer must prepare a declaration of conformity with working conditions. It confirms maximum compliance with labor law requirements in workplaces where there are no harmful or potentially dangerous working conditions. This document contains the following information:

• details of the customer company;
• details of SOTARM LLC;
• professional information about the expert who conducted the assessment;
• a list of inspected workplaces indicating the position and number of workers.
• the date when the document was drawn up and its validity period.

At the request of the customer, such a declaration can be drawn up by the assessment contractor. It is submitted to the territorial labor inspectorates.

The completed research report is submitted to the customer for discussion. SOUT maps, expert opinions and protocols are checked and analyzed. Identified errors in the names of structural units and workplaces are corrected. Changes cannot be made to the completed and approved assessment report.

Who develops the plan

At each enterprise, in accordance with the law, there are people responsible for occupational safety. The larger the enterprise, the more complex the OT service. Special unit, in accordance with Art. 217 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, is created if the number of employees exceeds 50 people.

Absolutely all managers and specialists of the organization are involved in the process of managing labor protection and industrial safety at the enterprise. There are three levels of system management:

• senior level - manager and his deputies, chief engineer, chief specialists;
• secondary - heads of structural units, mechanics and technologists;
• junior - foremen, foremen, foremen.

A working group that will develop a program to improve working conditions is formed from among them. The composition is approved by the head and recorded in the order.

Compliance with the approved plan will be under the control of government bodies, trade unions, parties to the collective agreement, and the labor protection service itself.

Plan requirements

Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development No. 181n offers a standard form. When developing a project to improve working conditions at an enterprise, one should be guided by the planning system adopted by the organization. The structure of the plan must take into account the requirements of Article 226 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and contain information on the financing of planned areas.

It must include information about the persons responsible for its implementation. As a rule, they will be heads of departments and specialists listed as responsible persons in the Labor Regulations.

An important part of the plan for improving working conditions is the timing of its implementation in general and its individual measures in particular.

IMPORTANT!

During scheduled inspections, GIT inspectors compare data on labor protection costs with statistical reporting for the previous year and accounting data. The numbers must match.

How to identify the right directions

In addition to the measures mentioned in Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development No. 181n, management has to implement other measures. But how to determine what a specific organization needs at a specific time. This will help:

• SOUT results. An independent examination gives an objective idea of ​​what needs to be changed;
• proposals for improving working conditions coming from the team. If employees ask you to install air conditioning or insulate wires, you should listen to them;
• personal observations. A competent leader will certainly notice what is missing in the territory entrusted to him for greater comfort;
• methodological recommendations for improving working conditions, developed for a specific area. They can be created by industry associations or specialized researchers.

How to approve a plan

The prepared and executed project is approved by all interested departments in the enterprise. Then an act is drawn up with the participation of the trade union organization. This stage is not mandatory, but is present in large enterprises.

Activities and upcoming costs for improvements are discussed in detail. Necessary changes are made.

The action plan can be drawn up as a section of a collective agreement or contract. All those responsible for its implementation are included in it. The plan is drawn up in a final document and signed by the manager. Then comes approval by order for the enterprise.