27.09.2023

OCCUPATIONAL MEDICAL SERVICE FOR WORKERS AND EMPLOYEES

The Health and Safety at Work Act requires the employer to provide service from a registered occupational health service to all workers and employees. The activity of the occupational medicine services and their main functions are defined in Ordinance No. 3 of 25.01.2008 on the terms and conditions for carrying out the activities of the occupational medicine services of the Minister of Health and the Minister of Labor and Social Policy (SG, issue 14 of 2008).

The Occupational Medicine Service performs preventive functions. It advises and assists employers, committees and groups on working conditions in planning, organizing and fulfilling their obligations to ensure healthy and safe working conditions and to take measures to strengthen the health and working capacity of workers in relation to their work.

The main functions of occupational medicine services are:

- participation in the evaluation of the risk for the health and safety of workers;

- development of proposals for measures to prevent, eliminate or reduce the identified risk;

- development of recommendations for the employer on the restructuring of the workplace, the organization of work and the workload of workers who need special protection;

- development and participation in the implementation of training programs for management personnel, workers and their representatives on the rules for ensuring health and safety at work and compliance with the requirements for safe work practice;

- organizing and conducting the training of workers on the rules of first aid, self-help and mutual aid in relation to the specific dangers in the workplace;

- provision of information to workers about the health risks related to the work and about the results of the conducted medical examinations and tests, incl. and giving individual advice to workers in relation to health and safety at work;

- participation in the implementation of programs for the promotion of the health of workers at the workplace, removal of lifestyle risk factors, protection and strengthening of working capacity and overcoming stress at work;

- assisting employers in the development of rules, norms and instructions in enterprises to ensure health and safety at work and providing advice to workers on their correct application;

- consulting and assisting the committees and groups on working conditions in carrying out their activities.

Occupational medicine services carry out monitoring, analysis and assessment of the health status in relation to the working conditions of all workers served, including those with increased sensitivity and reduced resistance, such as:

1. consult and assist the employer in organizing the mandatory medical examinations of workers and employees as defined by the Labor Code;
2. provide information to the medical specialists performing periodic medical examinations regarding the identified hazards and the established risk to the health and safety of workers;
3. notify the selected general practitioner of illness or deviations in the employee's physiological indicators that require diagnostic clarification or treatment;
4. prepare a conclusion on the suitability of the employee to perform a given type of work;
5. analyze the health status of workers and its relationship with working conditions.

Every employer is obliged to provide for the workers and employees employed by him service from an occupational medicine service.

Occupational medicine services are registered by the Ministry of Health. You can get up-to-date information on the registered occupational medicine services on the website of the Ministry of Health in the "Registries" section.