Certification of workplaces: general concepts and how often it is carried out

Legislation

In accordance with Article 212 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employer is obliged to carry out certification of workplaces according to working conditions. Certification is carried out on the basis of the Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 26, 2011 No. 342n “On approval of the Procedure for certification of workplaces based on working conditions.” Based on part two of Art. 212 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, all employers without exception are required to carry out workplace certification. The main goal and objective of this procedure is to improve working conditions, as well as to identify harmful and dangerous production factors. The certification process includes:

• hygienic assessment of workers' working conditions;
• assessment of injury safety at the enterprise;
• assessment of compliance with labor safety standards of the tools and equipment used at the enterprise;
• provision of employees of the organization with personal protective equipment.

Legislative regulation

Currently, in legislation, the generally accepted term “job certification” has been replaced by a new concept – SOUT (special assessment of working conditions) . The term is used in professional circles, but in practice the concept of “job certification” is still used.

The main legislative act regulating the issue of certification is No. 426-FZ “On the special assessment of working conditions”. According to this law, every employer must conduct systematic certification of workplaces in order to identify possible violations, dangerous and harmful factors.

Such inspections make it possible to increase the level of worker safety and improve their working conditions.

Art. 226 of the Labor Code states that employers are obliged to allocate a certain amount of money to ensure proper working conditions.

Art. 212 of the Labor Code determines that the employer’s responsibilities include certification of workplaces and certification of labor protection work.

The Resolution of the Ministry of Labor approved “Recommendations for planning occupational safety measures.”

Certification terms

The organization itself determines when it needs to conduct certification. However, according to the law, it must be carried out at least once every 5 years! It is important to know that if a new workplace appears at your enterprise or the production equipment of the workplace is changed, then it must be certified within 60 days.

Many employers confuse job certification with employee certification. It is important to understand that it is the workplace that is certified, not the employee! For example, your organization may employ 5 people, and there may be 2, 3 or even 8 jobs. Some employees may perform different tasks and occupy several jobs, each of which must be certified by the employer!

Nuances

An independent organization accredited to conduct inspections of this kind may refuse to cooperate with a specific employer .

The refusal may be received due to the employer’s unwillingness to provide the experts with the necessary regulatory documents , or due to the employer’s unwillingness or unwillingness to provide experts with appropriate conditions for carrying out measurements and assessments.

For how many years are certification results valid? Each workplace must be assessed at least once every 5 years . The moment of the last inspection is the date of completion of the last certification of this workplace. The start date of a new inspection is the day the employer issues an order to create a commission and approve the commission’s work schedule.

Thus, the validity period of certification documents is 5 years .

New jobs must be certified within 60 days from the date of their organization.

Certification of workplaces and fines

For violation of the procedure for certification of workplaces, various sanctions may be applied: from issuing orders to eliminate violations to bringing managers and officials to administrative responsibility. Both the prosecutor's office and the labor and employment inspectorate can check the certification of workplaces. A visit by these structures, as a rule, does not bode well.

Currently, the maximum fine for failure to certify workplaces is 50 thousand rubles. Or an administrative suspension of the activities of an enterprise or organization may be carried out for a period of up to 90 days (Article 5.27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). The fine for officials ranges from 1 to 5 thousand rubles. However, the plans of the Ministry of Health and Social Development are to increase this amount several times. The increase in fines will increase the degree of employer responsibility for the life and health of employees and will encourage many organizations to certify their workplaces.

Test results

At the end of the inspection, a final workplace certification report is drawn up. The following information is attached to the report:

• order for certification;
• list of jobs;
• accreditation of the certifying organization to conduct such inspections;
• workplace certification cards for working conditions;
• job lists;
• summary list of jobs;
• minutes of the commission meeting based on the results of the inspection;
• order to complete the procedure;
• action plan to improve working conditions in the organization.

A maximum of 30 working days after receiving the results of the inspection, the employer is obliged to announce the results to the staff and post the information in the public domain (for example, on the organization’s website).

After this, it is necessary to take appropriate measures aimed at eliminating identified violations, improving working conditions, reducing the level of hazards and dangers at work, assigning required compensation to employees, etc.

After approving the report (on paper or electronic media) and signing the order to complete the inspection, the employer a summary statement and information about the certifying organization to the territorial office of the state labor inspectorate within 10 calendar days .

In what case is a workplace recognized as certified:

• no harmful or dangerous working conditions;
• Injury safety requirements have been met;
• conditions meet hygienic standards.

Workplaces belonging to class 3 working conditions (harmful) are usually conditionally certified . At the same time, the class is indicated and proposals are made to improve the workplace.

A place is considered uncertified when it belongs to class 4 (hazardous) working conditions. This rate is subject to liquidation or complete restructuring.

Procedure for certification

The procedure for certification of workplaces includes:

1. Formation of an order for the organization, within the framework of which a special certification commission is created, which includes specialists from the certifying company and employees of the organization being certified.

2) A list of workplaces subject to certification is determined. Next, a list of dangerous and harmful production factors in the workplace is established and the cost of certification is calculated.

3) The process of certifying workplaces for working conditions, within the framework of which the degree of injury hazard of each workplace is assessed and determined:

• safety of the equipment used, tools and materials involved in the labor process;
• provision of personal protective equipment for workers and their compliance with the actual exposure to harmful or dangerous factors;
• level of awareness of each employee about measures to ensure occupational safety.

4) Registration of the results of certification of workplaces for working conditions, with the attachment of the corresponding package of documents:

• protocols of measurements taken;
• workplace certification cards at the enterprise;
• an action plan aimed at improving the sanitary and living conditions of workers;
• statements, applications and other documents.

5) After the certification, the employer sends its results to the state labor inspectorate. The documents received based on the certification results are used within the framework of:

• certification of production facilities confirming compliance with labor safety requirements;
• to calculate discounts and surcharges to the insurance tariff in the system of compulsory social insurance of workers against accidents at work;
• determining the terms of the employment contract and familiarizing the employee with the labor process;
• developing an action plan aimed at ensuring occupational safety;
• determining the procedure and amount of compensation to employees;
• identifying those responsible for violating labor protection requirements and making appropriate decisions.

Certification of workplaces for working conditions: rules and procedures, basic documents

Certification of workplaces based on working conditions is a mandatory procedure throughout the Russian Federation, so from time to time HR officers and company management have to be closely involved in this process. In order to carry out the certification correctly, you need to have information. Olga Minchenko’s article talks in detail about what rules need to be followed, in what sequence to organize the certification process, and what documents will be required.

Certification of workplaces for working conditions is currently a mandatory procedure for all workplaces in the Russian Federation. Certification is carried out by a certification commission created by the employer, with the involvement of a specialized accredited organization on a paid basis. The maximum frequency of workplace certification is established by law and is 5 years.

The need to carry out certification of workplaces according to working conditions is enshrined in Art. 209, Chapter 33, Section 5, Labor Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). The Labor Code defines certification as an assessment of working conditions in the workplace in order to identify harmful and (or) dangerous production factors and implement measures to bring working conditions into compliance with state regulatory requirements for labor protection and prescribes the establishment of a procedure for its implementation by the federal executive body exercising the functions of developing state policy and legal regulation in the field of labor. According to Art. 212 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employer is obliged to ensure certification of workplaces according to working conditions with subsequent certification of the organization of work on labor protection.

The certification procedure is established by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation and is currently undergoing changes. The previously valid version of the order (Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated August 31, 2007 No. 569 “On approval of the Procedure for certification of workplaces based on working conditions”) became invalid due to the entry into force of Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 26, 2011 No. 342n “On approval of the Procedure for certification jobs based on working conditions." The new version of the order establishing the procedure for providing public services came into force on September 1, 2011. Its effectiveness is still difficult to assess due to the relatively short period of time that has passed since its implementation.

There are also a number of documents that are not directly related to the regulation of the provision of certification services. However, they are important from the point of view of the requirements for certification and the features of using certification results. When conducting certification of workplaces, the following documents are used as fundamental documents:

• GOST 12.4.011-89 “System of occupational safety standards. Protective equipment for workers. General requirements and classification" (approved by Decree of the USSR State Standard dated October 27, 1989 N 3222)
• GOST 12.1.005-88 “General sanitary and hygienic requirements for air in the working area”
• SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96 “Hygienic requirements for the microclimate of industrial premises”
• SanPiN 2.6.1.1202-03 “Hygienic requirements for the use of sealed radionuclide sources of ionizing radiation during geophysical work in drilling wells”
• SanPiN 2.2.4.1329-03 “Requirements for the protection of personnel from exposure to pulsed electromagnetic fields”
• SanPiN 2.2.4/2.1.8.055-96 “Electromagnetic radiation in the radio frequency range (RF EMR)”
• SanPiN 2.2 4.1294 03 “Sanitary and hygienic standards of permissible levels of air ionization”
• Guide R 2.2.2006-05 “Guide to the hygienic assessment of factors in the working environment and the labor process. Criteria and classification of working conditions" (approved by the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation on July 29, 2005), Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia dated June 1, 2009 N 290n "On approval of Inter-industry rules for providing workers with special clothing, special footwear and other personal protective equipment" (registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia on September 10, 2009 N 14742), as amended by Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia dated January 27, 2010 N 28n (registered with the Ministry of Justice of Russia on March 1, 2010 N 16530)
• Guide R 2.2.013-94 “Hygienic criteria for assessing working conditions in terms of harmfulness and danger of factors in the working environment, severity and intensity of the labor process”

Analysis of information about the certification carried out is carried out by the Federal Service for Labor and Employment of the Russian Federation.
The procedure for organizing the formation and analysis of information on the results of certification of workplaces is regulated by Order of the Federal Service for Labor and Employment of August 25, 2008 N 166 “On the organization of work to implement paragraph 46 of the Procedure for certification of workplaces for working conditions, approved by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated August 31, 2007 N 569" Accreditation of organizations involved by the employer in conducting certification is carried out by the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation on the basis of Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 1, 2010 No. 205n "On approval of the list of services in the field labor protection, the provision of which requires accreditation, and the Rules for accreditation of services in the field of labor protection.” Accreditation of an organization is carried out through a notification procedure and one of its principles, enshrined in the Order, is the inadmissibility of limiting competition and creating obstacles to accreditation. However, the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia has the right to refuse entry into the register of accredited organizations for a wide range of reasons. For organizations that involve certification of workplaces for working conditions, it is required to provide a wide range of different types of information about the activities of the organization, including information about the availability of relevant specialists from the certifying organization, their education and practical experience in conducting certification of workplaces for working conditions, information about availability of quality guidelines for measurement and evaluation work, information about the accredited testing laboratory of the certifying organization carrying out measurement and evaluation work. If an incomplete set of documents is submitted, the required information is not provided in full, or the organization’s parameters do not meet the requirements established by the Accreditation Rules, the organization may be denied accreditation.

According to the results of a survey conducted by the National Research University Higher School of Economics in 2011, as of November 1, 2011, about 600-700 organizations were accredited in Russia. Thus, on average, in each subject of the Russian Federation there are 8 organizations accredited for the right to conduct certification of workplaces.

At the same time, in large regions (Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc.) the number of organizations is significantly higher than the national average. At the same time, in other regions there is a shortage of accredited organizations.

Accreditation of organizations, which aims to improve the quality of services provided by establishing minimum requirements for organizations providing certification services, in fact only leads to an artificial limitation of competition in the market for the provision of certification services, and in some cases leads to monopolization of the market. These factors certainly influence the price of the services provided and lead to additional costs for service recipients. At the same time, the lack of clear mechanisms for the responsibility of organizations providing certification services does not allow achieving the initial goal - improving the quality of working conditions.

Sanctions provided for by law in case of violation of certification rules

The head of the organization (employer) is responsible for conducting certification. According to the Federal Law of March 30, 1999 N 52-FZ “On the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of the Population,” administrative liability is provided for managers, as well as the legal entity itself, for failure to comply with the requirements for working conditions (clause 4 of Article 55 of the law). The fine is from 20 to 30 minimum wages for a manager and from 200 to 300 minimum wages for an organization.

Article 5.27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation for failure to conduct certification provides for liability for violation of labor and labor protection legislation:

• violation of labor and labor protection legislation - entails the imposition of an administrative fine on officials in the amount of one thousand to five thousand rubles; for persons carrying out entrepreneurial activities without forming a legal entity - from one thousand to five thousand rubles or administrative suspension of activities for a period of up to ninety days; for legal entities - from thirty thousand to fifty thousand rubles or administrative suspension of activities for up to ninety days. (as amended by Federal Laws dated 05/09/2005 N 45-FZ, dated 04/20/2007 N 54-FZ, dated 06/22/2007 N 116-FZ)
• violation of labor and labor protection legislation by an official previously subjected to administrative punishment for a similar administrative offense - entails disqualification for a period of one to three years (as amended by Federal Law No. 45-FZ of 05/09/2005)

The responsibility of organizations providing certification services is not established by law.
The interaction between the employer and this organization occurs within the framework of a civil contract for the provision of services. At the same time, if government bodies subsequently identify violations by the employer (not identified by the involved organization during the certification process), responsibility falls entirely on the employer. Required documents

As part of the service for certification of workplaces based on working conditions, it is impossible to clearly identify the list of documents required from the applicant. It is advisable to submit several lists of documents required by the employer (applicant) for certification at different stages, as well as a list of documents accepted by the certification commission based on the results of certification. Analysis of the data provided by the companies receiving the service, as well as the regulatory framework regulating the certification procedure for workplaces, allows us to identify a number of basic documents necessary to receive the service.

To begin certification, the employer must have:

• employer's order to create a certification commission with the approved composition of the certification commission;
• schedule for certification work, approved by order of the employer;
• agreement between the employer and the certifying organization (the certifying organization must be an independent person in relation to the employer at whose workplaces the certification is carried out by this certifying organization).

During the certification process, the employer must provide the representative of the certifying organization with documentation related to the organization of work to ensure labor safety requirements for the employer at whose workplaces the certification is being carried out (the list of required documents is not established in the Procedure for Certification of Workplaces)
During the work process, the certification commission generates a report on certification, including:

• order on the creation of a certification commission and approval of the schedule for certification work;
• list of workplaces subject to certification for working conditions
• workplace certification cards for working conditions,
• summary statement of the results of certification of workplaces for working conditions,
• a summary table of classes of working conditions established based on the results of certification of workplaces for working conditions, compensation that must be established in this regard for employees,
• action plan to improve and improve working conditions
• minutes of the meeting of the certification commission based on the results of certification of workplaces for working conditions
• information about the certifying organization,
• minutes of meetings of the certification commission;
• conclusions based on the results of the state examination of working conditions (if any);
• instructions from officials regarding identified violations of the Procedure (if any).

Based on the results of the certification, the employer issues an Order to complete the certification and approve the certification report. In addition, based on the results of the certification, the employer must submit to the state labor inspectorate in the constituent entity of the Russian Federation:

• summary statement of the results of workplace certification for working conditions;
• information about the certifying organization to the state labor inspectorate in the constituent entity of the Russian Federation.

According to current legislation, all employer workplaces are subject to certification.
Responsibilities for ensuring certification are assigned to the employer. The law establishes the frequency of certification of any jobs - no more than 5 years; for newly created jobs, the certification period should not exceed 60 days. The certification procedure is regulated by the Procedure for certification of workplaces for working conditions, approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation. Certification can be carried out both scheduled and unscheduled. The triggering factor for the planned certification procedure is the arrival of the certification period established by the employer based on the fact that each workplace must be certified at least once every 5 years. When this period arrives, the employer contacts an accredited certification organization independent of the employer and enters into a civil contract with it for the provision of services, after which the employer creates a certification commission headed by a representative of the employer and including a specialist performing labor protection functions, representatives of the elected body of the primary trade union organization and representatives of the selected certifying organization. Information about accreditation is contained in the register of accredited organizations providing services in the field of labor protection, posted on the website https://rao.rosminzdrav.ru/ . Information on this site is received within ten days from the date of the decision on accreditation of the certifying organization.

The composition of the commission and its work schedule are approved by order of the employer. Certification includes assessing the compliance of working conditions with state labor protection standards in three areas:

• for compliance of working conditions with hygienic standards;
• on workplace hazards;
• to provide employees with special footwear, clothing and other personal protective equipment;

The order of assessment is carried out in the same order in which they are listed above.
This norm is established by the Procedure. For each of the listed areas, the assessment is carried out by representatives of the certifying organization through instrumental measurements and assessments of the level of factors in the production environment, as well as analysis of documentation.

The requirements verified as part of workplace certification are established in various sanitary and hygienic rules approved by Rospotrebnadzor. For example, measuring the levels of factors in the working environment and the labor process is carried out in accordance with Guideline R 2.2.2006-05 “Guide to the hygienic assessment of factors in the working environment and the labor process. Criteria and classification of working conditions" (approved by Rospotrebnadzor on July 29, 2005).

This Guide is used for the purposes of:

• monitoring the state of the employee’s working conditions for compliance with current sanitary rules and regulations, hygienic standards and obtaining a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion;
• prioritizing the implementation of preventive measures and assessing their effectiveness;
• creating a data bank on working conditions at the level of organization, industry, etc.;
• certification of workplaces according to working conditions and certification of work on labor protection in the organization;
• drawing up sanitary and hygienic characteristics of the employee’s working conditions;
• analysis of the connection between changes in the employee’s health status and his working conditions (during periodic medical examinations, special examinations to clarify the diagnosis);
• investigation of cases of occupational diseases, poisonings and other work-related health problems.

Based on the degree of deviation of the levels of factors in the working environment and the labor process from hygienic standards, working conditions according to the degree of harmfulness and danger are conventionally divided into 4 classes: optimal, acceptable, harmful and dangerous.
For each class, chemical and biological indicators, noise and microclimate requirements are established. Therefore, depending on the type of production (chemical plant, office, etc.), different indicators are established. There is a set of parameters measured at all workplaces without exception (for example, air temperature, humidity, etc.), as well as a list of parameters measured at specific industries (for example, chemical production).

In this regard, the scope of work carried out by an accredited organization within the framework of workplace certification varies. Therefore, for each category of workplace, different prices for the provision of certification services are established.

Based on the assessments, the specialists of the certifying organization determine the class (subclass) of working conditions according to hygienic standards for the risk of injury, as well as the provision of workers with personal protective equipment. In terms of checking a number of parameters, there is overlap with the functions of Rospotrebnadzor. For example, as part of the certification of workplaces for working conditions, temperature, humidity and air speed in the workplace are measured to assess hygienic parameters. These measurements for each workplace must be made in accordance with SanPiN 2.2.4.548-96. At the same time, these microclimate parameters can be checked by territorial bodies of Rospotrebnadzor during scheduled and unscheduled inspections.

Based on the results of the assessment of all areas, a comprehensive assessment of the state of working conditions in the workplace is carried out. If all three factors of working conditions meet a positive assessment (workplaces comply with hygienic standards, are not hazardous and all workers are provided with PPE), the workplace is recognized as certified with a comprehensive assessment of working conditions “complies with state regulatory requirements for labor protection.” If working conditions are identified as not meeting the requirements for one of the factors, the workplace is recognized as certified with a comprehensive assessment of working conditions “does not comply with state regulatory labor protection requirements.” When working conditions in the workplace are classified as hazardous working conditions, the employer immediately develops and implements a set of measures aimed at reducing the level of exposure to hazardous factors in the working environment and the labor process or reducing the time of their exposure.

The certification results are documented by the certification commission in the form of a certification report. Upon completion of the certification, the employer issues an order to complete the certification and approve the certification report and introduces the employee, against signature, to the results of the certification of his workplace.

Based on the results of the certification, the employer develops an action plan to bring working conditions into compliance with state regulatory requirements for labor protection. After certification (within 10 days), the employer sends a summary statement of the results of certification of workplaces on working conditions, as well as information about the certifying organization to the state labor inspectorate in the constituent entity of the Russian Federation.

The assessment of harmful and (or) hazardous production factors at supposed similar and analogous workplaces is carried out on the basis of data obtained during certification of 20% of such workplaces for working conditions from the total number of workplaces (but not less than two). If at least one workplace is identified that does not fall under the criteria of similarity of similar workplaces determined by the certification commission, 100% of these workplaces are assessed.

Jobs that are characterized by a combination of the following characteristics can be considered as similar workplaces:

• profession or position of the same name; performing the same professional duties while conducting the same type of technological process in the same operating mode;
• use of the same type of production equipment, tools, devices, materials and raw materials;
• work in one or more similar rooms or outdoors;
• use of the same type of ventilation, air conditioning, heating and lighting systems; as a rule, the same arrangement of objects (production equipment, vehicles, etc.) in the workplace;
• the same set of harmful and (or) hazardous production factors of the same class and degree.

The timing of certification of workplaces in an organization is established on the basis that each workplace must be subject to certification at least once every five years.
Based on the results of workplace certification, the accredited organization carries out the following procedures:

• preparation of a workplace certification card for working conditions with protocols for measurements and assessments of working conditions;
• preparation of a list of departments’ workplaces and the results of their certification of workplaces according to working conditions;
• preparation of a summary statement of the organization’s workplaces and the results of their certification for working conditions;
• preparation of an action plan to improve and improve working conditions in the organization.

About the author: Born in 1986 in the city of Pskov. In 2008, she graduated from the Faculty of State and Municipal Administration of the Higher School of Economics. From 2006 to the present, he has been working as a research fellow at the Institute of State and Municipal Administration of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Specializes in the provision of public services at the federal and regional levels and public service. In recent years, she has taken part in more than 20 scientific projects together with the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, as well as with the executive authorities of the city of Moscow.

List of sources used:

1. Labor Code of the Russian Federation
2. Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation
3. Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated August 31, 2007 No. 569 “On approval of the Procedure for certification of workplaces for working conditions”
4. Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 26, 2011 No. 342n “On approval of the Procedure for certification of workplaces for working conditions”
5. Order of the Federal Service for Labor and Employment dated August 25, 2008 N 166 “On the organization of work to implement clause 46 of the Procedure for certification of workplaces for working conditions, approved by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated August 31, 2007 N 569”
6. Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 1, 2010 No. 205n “On approval of the list of services in the field of labor protection, the provision of which requires accreditation, and the Rules for accreditation of services in the field of labor protection.”

___________________
1. According to clause 6, Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated April 26, 2011 N 342n “On approval of the Procedure for certification of workplaces for working conditions,” the certifying organization must be an independent person in relation to the employer in whose workplaces this certification organization is carried out by the certifying organization. However, it is very difficult to verify in practice whether the involved organization is independent.

Source: https://www.hr-journal.ru/articles/tz/tz_934.html

Organization of SOUT

You need to make a list of jobs.

For all organizations, the requirements for the need to carry out this work are mandatory, and it does not matter whether it is a state-owned enterprise or a private one.

Work organization process:

• it is necessary to conclude an agreement with a specialized organization that has the right to engage in such activities. You may have to go to auction to find out which companies can carry out high-quality work and for less money;
• The HR department or the manager draws up a list of all jobs subject to inspection. Afterwards, it is agreed upon with the head of the enterprise and transferred to the organization engaged in SOUT;
• the responsible manager, as a rule, carries out preparatory work before experts begin to evaluate jobs. At the same time, an administrative document is prepared, in which members of the commission and a chairman are appointed to carry out this work, and the deadlines for certification are established;
• All persons whose names appear in the order must be familiarized with the document against signature.

Preparations for assessing the conditions of the labor process have been completed, and further work can be carried out.

Procedure for certification

Some parameters are measured.

The sequence of carrying out the OSMS is as follows:

1. Experts conduct a conversation with the employee on the topic of his work activity, that is, the labor process is fully described, how much time is required, how the work is carried out;
2. The workplace is visually inspected; if there are violations in the safety area, the information is reflected in the map;
3. What instructions are given to the employee, and what instructions are used are also taken into account;
4. Instrumental measurements are carried out for the presence of substances harmful to health, and the level of lighting, temperature and humidity conditions are also measured;
5. Physical overload and emotional stress during the work shift are assessed;
6. Based on laboratory tests, an assessment is made for the presence of excess harmful components affecting the employee and a class of working conditions is established;
7. The cards are signed on the one hand by members of the commission, and on the other hand by the employee. If disagreements arise regarding the establishment of benefits and compensation, the frequency of medical examinations, the issuance of special clothing and shoes, meetings are held as usual;
8. Based on the results of the certification, an order is issued and a protocol is drawn up. If there are comments in the field of labor protection and industrial safety, an action plan is drawn up to eliminate deficiencies.

SOUT cards are an important document for the employer.

Who can carry out certification

According to the requirements of regulatory documentation, only certified experts can carry out SOUT. But the enterprise has a labor protection service on staff, and it would seem easier and cheaper to entrust engineers with carrying out this work.

But this will not be the right decision; only SOUT carried out by third-party organizations will give a positive result.

It is equally important that devices for carrying out instrumental measurements are timely verified and that the workers involved in measurements are certified.

The organization engaged in occupational safety and health management must be accredited; in the absence of instruments, it is possible to enter into contractual obligations with other specialized enterprises.

Frequency of certification

SOUT is carried out once every five years.

A special assessment is organized once every 5 years, but this is the main indicator. Life does not stand in one place, and production is constantly evolving, as a result of which jobs appear or are eliminated.

The latter are not of interest to the OT service, but the new ones should be of interest, since they also need to be evaluated.

Certification is carried out:

• at all workplaces without exception;
• when updating the technological process or equipping with new equipment;
• in order to identify newly emerging hazards;
• if the employee’s position is assigned to class 4 according to the results of the SOUT and there are controversial issues;
• based on the results of an investigation into an accident or occupational disease;
• according to the requirements of inspectors from higher authorities;
• if there are doubts about the legality of the established benefits;
• other motives.

A certification card must be issued for any workplace, thus there will be no violations of the legislative framework, and the convenience of the work of the labor protection service will be ensured.

General concepts about certification

What is workplace certification?

Certification of workplaces or, starting from 2014, a special assessment of working conditions, is carried out with the aim of:

1. Safety assessments of the equipment used. For this purpose, devices used in the technological process are examined for compliance with the requirements of rules and regulations. For example, the presence of blocking devices and their design, whether there is grounding, what supports are provided for the worker’s feet;
2. It is also assessed whether the employee has special clothing and personal protective equipment, whether they comply with the required standards, and whether the employee uses them;
3. Conducting briefings of all types is also a reason for checking, including what instructions they are carried out according to and whether these local regulatory documents are outdated;
4. Using verified instruments, the air in the work area is measured to determine the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances, as well as gas contamination;
5. The employee is surveyed about what functions he performs and what part of his working time he spends.

Based on the work done, a SOUT card is drawn up, which is a document for the employee and the employer.