There are no machines or heights in an office, but people do fall, fires do start, and eyes, backs and nerves do suffer. That is why the rules on occupational health and safety (BHP, from bezpieczeństwo i higiena pracy) also cover administrative and office staff. This lesson shows which rules the whole course is based on and who is responsible for what.
The most important rules
- The Labour Code (Kodeks pracy), Division Ten "Occupational health and safety" (Article 207 and following).
- The regulation on BHP training of 27 July 2004.
- The regulation on BHP at workstations equipped with screen monitors of 1 December 1998, amended in 2023.
- The regulation on general BHP rules of 26 September 1997.
- The Act on social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases of 30 October 2002 (the accident insurance act, ustawa wypadkowa).
- The Fire Protection Act of 24 August 1991.
Compliance with BHP rules is monitored by the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP).
The employer's duties
Under Article 207 § 1 of the Labour Code, the employer is responsible for the state of BHP in the workplace. This responsibility is not removed by the fact that employees also have duties, nor by the fact that the employer has entrusted the tasks of the BHP service to specialists from outside the company.
Under Article 207 § 2, the employer protects the health and life of employees by providing safe and hygienic working conditions. Its tasks include, among other things:
- organising work in a safe and hygienic way,
- ensuring that the rules are observed and checking that instructions are carried out,
- responding to BHP needs and adapting protective measures to changing working conditions,
- pursuing a coherent policy of preventing accidents and work-related illness,
- taking into account, in preventive measures, the health of young workers, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with disabilities,
- complying with orders and instructions from the supervisory authorities.
The employer also assesses the occupational risk linked to the work (Article 226) and informs employees about that risk and about the rules of protection. Training and instruction are covered in the next lesson.
The employee's duties
Article 211 of the Labour Code obliges the employee to observe BHP rules. In particular, you should:
- know the BHP rules, take part in training and sit the required tests,
- carry out work in line with the rules and your supervisors' instructions,
- keep equipment in proper condition and your workstation tidy,
- use protective measures where required,
- undergo medical examinations: initial, periodic and follow-up,
- notify your supervisor without delay of any accident or hazard you notice, and warn your colleagues,
- cooperate with the employer on BHP matters.
An employee is not responsible for conditions they cannot influence. But they do have a duty to report what they notice: a damaged socket, a blocked escape route, a cable sticking out.
The right to stop work
If working conditions do not meet BHP rules and pose a direct danger to health or life, an employee may refrain from work. They must notify their supervisor immediately (Article 210 of the Labour Code). Being unhappy with a desk or chair is not such a danger. In that case, raise the matter with your supervisor or the BHP service.
Who is who in BHP
- The employer is responsible for working conditions and organises training.
- The supervisor gives instructions and sees that they are carried out safely.
- The employee follows the rules and reports hazards.
- The BHP service (or the person who performs its tasks) advises the employer and inspects working conditions.
- The National Labour Inspectorate inspects employers and can impose penalties.
What this course does not replace
The course describes the general rules for office work. It does not replace the risk assessment for a specific workstation, workstation instruction or training organised by the employer. It is the employer who decides what meets its obligations towards employees.
Summary
- The employer is responsible for the state of BHP (Article 207), but the employee has duties too (Article 211).
- Hazards and accidents you notice are reported without delay to your supervisor.
- In the case of a direct danger, you may stop work and notify your supervisor (Article 210).