The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has adopted the “Roadmap” that contains a plan for the revision of a number of statutory instruments containing occupational health and safety requirements.
List of harmful and/or hazardous conditions and works requiring preliminary and regular medical examinations
The List is currently being revised and the adoption of the revised List is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018. The main issue that is now being discussed among the legislators is whether employers are to be required to approve internal lists of workers (workplaces) that are subject to medical examinations with the authorities (RosPotrebNadzor). The requirement to have such lists approved is likely to result in a huge administrative burden on the employers.
Occupational health and safety training
The revised Regulation governing occupational health and safety training and examination is also scheduled for adoption in the second quarter of 2018. Public discussion of the draft Regulation has ended on 8 September 2018. Draft Regulation proposed to train workers once every five years (instead of three, as it is now) and to remove the name of the current employer from all OHS training certificates. This will allow employers to save on OHS training for newly employed workers if the validity of their previous OHS training has not expired.
Other planned amendments will relate to the system of prevention of occupational injuries, issue of workers with rinsing and washing products, etc.
The plan also includes certain fundamental changes to the Labour Code of the Russian Federation. For example, organisations would have to keep records of all micro-injuries sustained by employees if such micro-injuries have resulted in a partial restriction of their ability to work. There is currently no law that regulates actions of employers and employees in case of micro-injuries.