A labour inspection: what they will ask for

A labour inspection: what they will ask for

A labour inspector does not have to announce the visit. Under Section 12 of Act No. 125/2006 Coll. on labour inspection they may enter the workplace, carry out checks and tests, request information and explanations, ask for documents and copies of them, take samples, order the removal of deficiencies and prohibit work that directly endangers life or health. Under Section 16 the employer must allow them to do so.

Inspections are both planned and unannounced. The inspectorate regularly runs nationwide campaigns focused on a particular sector, for example construction, the woodworking industry or agriculture. They will also come when they receive a complaint from an employee or when a workplace injury has occurred at your company.

What they ask for first

The order varies, the content does not. In our experience, during an occupational safety inspection these documents almost always come up:

• The occupational safety policy and the programme for its implementation
• The risk assessment and the list of work with increased danger
• Records of information given to employees and managers under Section 7 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll., with dates and signatures
• Documents on professional qualification for specific activities, for example operating a forklift, work at height, slinging loads, electrical qualification
• The list of personal protective equipment and the records of its issue
• Preventive medical examinations in relation to work and the contract with the occupational health service
• The register of workplace injuries and the records of registered injuries
• Inspection reports and documents on checks of dedicated technical equipment under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.
• Operating rules and operating manuals for the machines used at the workplace

During a fire protection inspection, fire documentation under Decree No. 121/2002 Coll. is added, along with records of preventive fire inspections, fire protection training and documents on checks of fire extinguishers and fire water mains.

Where companies usually fail

Not because they have nothing. They fail on details.

The documentation is old. The risk assessment fits a site that has looked different for two years. A new machine, a new line, a new hall appeared and they are not in the paperwork.

Signatures are missing. The training took place, but three people were on holiday at the time and nobody caught them up.

Deadlines have expired. A forklift operator's document, an equipment inspection, a fire extinguisher check. One missed date is enough.

Employees cannot answer. The inspector does not only ask you, they also ask the people at the machines. If an employee does not know where the first aid kit is or what to do in a fire, paper will not save them.

Agency and contractor workers. You are also responsible for their safety at your workplace and their documents must be in order just the same.

What it costs when something is missing

Under Section 19 of Act No. 125/2006 Coll. the inspectorate may impose a fine of up to EUR 100,000 on an employer for breaching the regulations. Where the breach resulted in a workplace injury causing grievous bodily harm, the fine is at least EUR 20,000, and at least EUR 33,000 for a fatal workplace injury.

The fine is usually not the most expensive item. A halted operation, a machine taken out of service and the downtime while deficiencies are fixed normally cost more.

How to be ready

It cannot be done over the weekend before an inspection. It can, however, be kept in order continuously.

Keep the documentation alive. When you change technology, layout or the range of work, rewrite the risk assessment straight away, not a year later.

Keep a calendar of deadlines. Training, medical examinations, inspections and checks all have their dates and all of them can be planned ahead.

Walk through your site the way an inspector would. Signage, escape routes, access to fire extinguishers, tidiness around machines, use of protective equipment.

And during the inspection itself, cooperate. The inspector makes a record and you may comment on it. If you do not have a document on the spot, say so straight away and agree a date for submitting it.

How we handle it

If we run your occupational safety or fire protection, we keep the documentation current and watch the deadlines for you. When an inspection comes, we are there with you and we present the documents.

If we are not your provider yet, we will walk through your site with you and tell you what is missing. Get in touch, just write what kind of operation it is and how many employees you have.