National OSH Strategy - Slovakia

Introduction

National strategies are vital policy instruments to enhance the effectiveness of an OSH system by defining the key priorities and actions for improving workers’ health and safety.

The Commission called on the Member States to update and draw up their national OSH strategies in line with the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027 - in cooperation with social partners - to ensure that the new measures are applied on the ground.

The state administrative bodies with responsibility in the field of labour inspection are the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, the National Labour Inspectorate, which has its seat in Košice, and eight Labour Inspectorates, which are situated and have jurisdiction over areas which correspond to the eight administrative regions of the Slovak Republic. Empowering provisions are made by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky – MPSVR SR) and the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky – MZ SR).

More information on the various OSH systems can be found in the relevant OSHwiki articles on national OSH systems.

Basic information

The current national strategy is not translated to English, all documents are available in the original language:

Stratégia bezpečnosti a ochrany zdravia pri práci Slovenskej republiky na roky 2021 až 2027 a program jej realizácie na roky 2021 – 2023 (Strategy of safety and health at work of the Republic of Slovakia for the years 2021 to 2027 and the programme for its implementation for the years 2021 – 2023)^[1].

Uznesenie vlády Slovenskej republik č. 790 zo 16. decembra 2020 k Stratégii bezpečnosti a ochrany zdravia pri práci Slovenskej republiky na roky 2021 až 2027 a programu jej realizácie na roky 2021 – 2023 (Resolution of the government of the Slovak Republic no. 790 of 16 December 2020 on the Strategy for Safety and Health at Work of the Slovak Republic for the years 2021 to 2027 and the programme of its implementation for the years 2021 - 2023)^[2].

Harmonogram realizácie Stratégie bezpečnosti a ochrany zdravia pri práci Slovenskej republiky na roky 2021 až 2027 a programu jej realizácie v podmienkach rezortu práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky v rokoch 2021 – 2023 (Timetable for the implementation of the Strategy for Safety and Health at Work of the Slovak Republic for the years 2021 to 2027 and the programme of its implementation in the conditions of the Department of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic in the years 2021 – 2023)^[3]

Former Strategies:

Stratégia bezpečnosti a ochrany zdravia pri práci v Slovenskej republike na roky 2016 až 2020 a program jej realizácie (Occupational Safety and Health Strategy (OSH) in the Slovak Republic for the period 2016 – 2020 and the programme of its implementation)^[4]

Occupational Safety and Health Protection Strategy in the Slovak Republic until 2020 and the programme of its implementation for the period of 2013 - 2015 with prospects until 2020 (Stratégia bezpečnosti a ochrany zdravia pri práci v Slovenskej republike do roku 2020 a program jejrealizácie naroky 2013 až 2015 s výhľadom do roku 2020)^[5]

Concept on Health and Safety at Work in the Slovak Republic from 2008 to 2012^[6]

Background and the perceived problem

The primary goal of the national strategy on health and safety at work is to adopt and enforce effective preventive measures at the level of the state as well as employers in order to create long-term sustainable, safe and healthy workplaces to ensure a low number of accidents at work, especially fatalities with a vision of zero accidents.

The national strategy is based on the evaluation of the former national strategy as well as on the EU Framework Strategy.

Main characteristics and objectives of the OSH strategy (activity plan)

Unofficial translation:

The primary goal of the OSH strategy is to adopt and enforce effective prevention measures at state level as well as employers in order to create long-term sustainable safe and healthy working conditions to maintain a low number of accidents at work, especially fatalities, with a vision of zero accidents, as well as minimising the causes of occupational diseases, promoting prevention, strengthening the importance of occupational safety culture and promoting health and safety awareness. At the same time, it is necessary to support the process of informatisation and digitisation of central state administration and labour inspection bodies and other bodies performing health and safety supervision and their interconnection, in order to ensure efficient performance of activities and also simplify communication with employers.

Details of the strategy and activity plan

Axis description

The health and safety strategy includes three main themes for the implementation programme:

A. Priorities for 2021 - 2023 with a view to 2027, which needs to be continued

B. Tasks for the years 2021 - 2023 with a view to the year 2027 and a focus on occupational health and safety activities

C. Other tasks important for process related technologies and materials

Theme A is accompanied by six priorities

Theme B is accompanied by nine tasks

Theme C is accompanied by four tasks

A. Priorities for 2021 - 2023 with a view to 2027, and tasks which needs to be continued

Priority 1: To mediate and organise activities in the field of occupational safety and health in the Slovak Republic and in the interest of positive media coverage of this issue to ensure the performances of its representatives in the means of media communication.

Priority 2: Actively participate in foreign events, expert groups, technical commissions, committees, projects, etc organised by European and international health and safety institutions.

Priority 3: Continue to provide advice, to organise seminars, conferences, publish manuals, information, and promotional materials for employers, including small and medium-sized enterprises, health and safety representatives, trade unions and workers.

Priority 4: Develop active OSH cooperation at the national level between national labour inspectorates, research and development, education and the social partners, to coordinate the supervisory activities and the fulfilment of employers’ legal responsibility for the safety and health of the workers.

Priority 5: Promoting a systemic approach for employers and OSH services to health and safety at workplaces, involving workers in solving all areas of health and safety and motivating them to actively participate in solving health and safety problems.

Priority 6: Organising working meetings of health and safety professionals, representatives of the MoLSAEO SR (for the MoLSAEO SR NIP, IP and IVPR) employee representatives, employers' representatives in order to increase their mutual cooperation.

B. Tasks for the years 2021 - 2023 with a view to the year 2027 with focus on occupational health and safety activities

Task 1: Focus on OSH activities, including research, on topics that are the subject of the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee - SLIC and EU-OSHA campaigns, in particular work-related musculoskeletal disorders, exposure to chemicals - factors such as hazardous substances, carcinogens, mutagens, etc.

Task 2: Focus on OSH activities, including research, on new risks related to new technologies and the application of the smart industry concept (digitization, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence), risks related to new forms of work and demographic developments, including the aging of the workforce, as well as psychosocial risks.

Task 3: Develop programmes and put in place mechanisms applicable to existing and emerging psychosocial risks aimed at early detection and assistance in the event of work-related mental and mental strain.

Task 4: Create space and promote the application of a uniform interpretation of health and safety rules, principles and procedures, with respect to the applicable legislative framework. Publish guidelines, rules of good practice, the correct use of which in practice can be considered to meet the minimum requirements for ensuring health and safety.

Task 5: Continue to support programmes such as Safe Company, Responsible Employer and the Healthy Workplaces campaign to reduce the burden and encourage employers to voluntarily verify their Occupational Health and Safety Management System through an independent audit under the Safe Company programme and STN ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.

Task 6: Participate in the preparation and promotion of the use of online tools (e.g. the OiRA interactive risk assessment tool), issue promotional materials, organise regular seminars to motivate and support employers to easier address occupational health, safety and security issues.

Task 7: no task

Task 8: Focus on the activities of labour inspection bodies and other state supervisory bodies on occupational safety and health on sectors and tasks with a high risk for occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

Task 9: In the field of occupational safety and health, give priority to preventive measures over repressive measures, where appropriate.

C. Other tasks important for process related technologies and materials

Task 1: Provide material, technical and personnel support for the effective functioning of labor inspection bodies and other supervisory bodies in the field of occupational safety and health, and ensure lifelong learning and raising the professional level

Task 2: Update legislation to ensure health and safety, including its simplification and minimization of administrative and financial burdens, with a guarantee of maintaining or increasing the achieved level of occupational safety and health.

Task 3: no task

Task 4: Ensure the financing of the health and safety strategy in the preparation of the draft budget chapter for the following year.

Actors and stakeholders

Labour inspection and other public institutions, social partners and professional associations.

The tasks resulting from the OSH strategy will be performed by the following ministries:

MPSVR SR, Ministerstvo práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic)

MZ SR, Ministerstvo zdravotníctva Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic)

MH SR, Ministerstvo hospodárstva Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic)

MDV SR, Ministerstvo dopravy a výstavby Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic)

MV SR, Ministerstvo vnútra Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic)

MO SR, Ministerstvo obrany Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic)

MS SR, SR Ministerstvo spravodlivosti Slovenskej republiky (Slovak Ministry of Justice)

MF SR, Ministerstvo financií Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic)

MŠVVaŠ SR Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky (Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic)

Resources and time frame

The implementation of OSH strategy tasks will be financed from budgetary and extra-budgetary sources.

Evaluation

The evaluation of the strategies of previous years was prepared by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia. The evaluation is performed regularly every year. The evaluation is based on the partial evaluations provided by the actors and stakeholders.

Ex ante indicators for the years 2012 to 2020

No quantitative indicators are mentioned in the national strategy of safety and health at work.

Relationship to EU Strategic Framework

The national strategy is based, inter alia, on the new EU strategic framework for health and safety at work