The protection of workers is of utmost importance to the government, which is why the authority will continue to act decisively in the future to eliminate irregular working conditions that put workers’ health and safety – and therefore the livelihoods of their families – at risk, the ministry announced in a statement on Friday. It was stressed that as a result of the targeted and wide-ranging investigation, the Occupational Safety and Health Authority
91.5% of companies using hazardous materials were found to have violated some occupational safety rules, and the number of employees affected by the violation approached ten thousand.
Among the most common omissions were incomplete information, inadequate air quality in the workplace, irregular storage of chemicals, and failure to undergo medical examinations.
NGM announced that the Labour Protection Authority had acted strictly and consistently, and in the case of 11 employers where shortcomings and violations in labour protection were revealed that put workers' lives, physical safety or health at serious risk, the Authority imposed a fine of over HUF 20 million.
Mandatory medical examination
The ministry stressed that the scheduled medical examinations ensure the long-term health of employees. For this reason, it is very important for the government, based on the new regulations on medical fitness tests, that the test remains mandatory in all jobs where the employee uses hazardous materials.
During the inspection, it was found that more than 100 employees had not undergone a medical examination, and in these cases the Occupational Safety and Health Authority immediately prevented the affected employees from working to preserve their health and safety.
The targeted inspection ordered by the Ministry of National Economy enhances the protection of employees’ health and safety, preserves their ability to earn, and thus ensures the livelihood of their families. In addition to all this, it makes employers aware of the inevitable consequences of non-compliance with occupational health and safety rules. In the interest of workers in companies that use hazardous materials, inspections will not end even after the spring targeted inspection, and will continue intensively until the end of the year in order to protect families, NGM promised.
Follow the index on Facebook too!
