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OSH legislative framework

The principles laying the groundwork for occupational safety and health regulations are written into the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997[1]. The OSH employer and employee rights and obligations are regulated by the Labour Code[2]. Its provisions establish measures for breaches of OSH regulations, define safe working conditions and OSH monitoring rules as well as occupational accidents and diseases procedures, including the respective employee compensation system. The majority of OSH related employer responsibilities are outlined in the Labour Code Section X “Health and Safety at Work", Section VIII “Employee Parenthood Rights", and Section IX “Employment of Young Adults". The Labour Code also includes legal delegations to issue administrative acts on OSH regulations. The Labour Code OSH regulations are directly binding for both parties (employer and employee) and cannot be modified by neither party, even though both parties would jointly agree to do so.

Article 207 of the Labour Code states that employers are obliged to comply with workplace health and safety regulations. Equally, according to Article 211 of the Labour Code, it is also the fundamental employee responsibility to observe the OSH rules at work.

Major OSH executive regulations include:

  1. Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 26 September 1997 on general provisions for safety and health at work (Journal of Laws of 2003, No 169, item 1650 amendments)[3];
  2. Regulation of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of 30 May 1996 on carrying out medical check-ups for employees, scope of preventative health care for employees as well as medical statements issued for purposes specified in the Labour Code (Journal of Laws of 2016, item 2067 with  amendments)[4];
  3. Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 1 July 2009 on establishing the circumstances and causes of occupational  accidents (Journal of Laws of 2009, No 105, item 870)[5];
  4. Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 30 June 2009 on occupational diseases (Journal of Laws of 2013, item 1367)[6];
  5. Regulation of the Minister of Health of 1 August 2002 on the procedure for drawing up documents on occupational diseases and their aftermaths (Journal of Laws of 2013, item 1397)[7];
  6. Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labour of 27 July 2004 on OSH training (Journal of Laws of 2004, No 180, item 1860 with amendments)[8];
  7. Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 2 September 1997 on OSH service (Journal of Laws of 1997, No 109, item 704 with amendments)[9];
  8. Regulation of the  Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 6 June 2014 on the maximum permissible concentration and intensity of agents harmful to health in the working environment (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 1348)[10];
  9. Regulation of the Minister of Health of 2 February 2011, on tests and measurements of agents harmful to health in the working environment (Journal of Laws of 2011, No 33, item 166)[11].

National strategy and programmes

In Poland, the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (Ministerstwo Rodziny, Pracy i Polityki Społecznej), formerly  the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy[1] is the main body that initiates, develops and coordinates the state policy on OSH. Since the 1990’s the OSH policy has been progressively reformulated to comply with the European Union legislation and standards. In 1994 the Council of Ministers adopted the National Strategic Programme entitled “Safety and Protection of Employee in the Workplace"[2]. The main objective of the Programme was “to create, within the State’s socio-economic policy, an effective system of safety and health protection of employee in the workplace in line with Poland’s EU accession plans." The detailed objectives included:

  • significant improvement of working conditions in Poland;
  • reduction of occupational accidents and diseases and other work-related hazards;
  • development of OSH risks identification and prevention methods complying with the EU standards.

The Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute (Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy - CIOP-PIB)[3], under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Ministry of Health (Ministerstwo Zdrowia)[15], was the main Programme coordinator, implemented in two phases: phase I: 1994-1997;  phase II: 1998-2001. The Programme covered numerous research projects and implementation tasks.

Since then several OSH programmes have been adopted. First, the Multiannual Programme on OSH - Adaptation of working conditions in Poland complying with European Union standards was adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2001. The strategic objective of the Programme was the development and promotion of legal, organisational and technical solutions enabling Polish employers to achieve a level of occupational safety and health that would meet the requirements of respective EU directives. The Programme was carried out in two phases: phase I: 2002-2004; phase II: 2005-2007.

In 2007 the Council of Ministers adopted the National Programme on OSH - Improvement of safety and working conditions. So far three phases of the Programme have been completed: phase I: 2008-2010; phase II: 2011-2013[4]; phase III: 2014-2016[5]. The current National Programme "Improvement of Safety and Working Conditions" phase IV: 2017 – 2019, was established by the resolution 203/2015 of the Council of Ministers on 26 October 2015[6] . Its implementation is supervised by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and coordinated by the Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute. The main objective of the Programme is to develop innovative technical and organisational solutions, aimed at reducing the number of workers exposed to harmful and dangerous factors, as well as prevent work-related accidents, occupational diseases and their socio-economic consequences by[18]:

  1. creating opportunities to meet the requirements of new strategic OSH documents and  EU directives;
  2. development and improvement of solutions aimed at maintaining a better work ability and preventing exclusion from the labour market, particularly of persons aged 50+ and persons with disabilities;
  3. development of methodology and tools to prevent and reduce occupational risks in the workplace, including new and emerging risks;
  4. enhancing the knowledge on the causes and consequences of work-related accidents and occupational diseases as well as demonstrating benefits of preventive action at both social and business level;
  5. development and promotion of safety culture by improving OSH management and developing a modern education system to inform the society on the importance of OSH standards.

Projected outcomes of the Programme include inter-alia:

  • increased efficiency of preventive measures aimed at reducing occupational hazards resulting from the exposure to prolonged working hours;
  • improved OSH management,including age management, at enterprise level across all sectors of economy;
  • a new approach to OSH and ergonomics in teaching curricula on all levels, contributing to improved,professional competences;
  • broadening the range of products manufactured by the Polish PPE industry and improving employee safety through new, technologically advanced products;
  • continued legislation and standardisation works to adapt the EU OSH standards and ensure the compliance of Polish OSH legal provisions with the EU OSH regulations;
  • development of national system to assess the conformity of products and services with the requirements of EU directives;
  • more efficient dissemination of OSH information and strengthening the role of the National Focal Point of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Phase IV of the Programme is being implemented by 11 partners including  universities, research institutes and the Polish Academy of Sciences. The Programme outcomes are disseminated and transferred to end users in cooperation with national authorities, social partners, regulatory bodies, social insurance institutions, organisations of enterprises as well as  OSH experts’ networks.  

Social dialogue

Poland has a system of social dialogue across all levels (national, sectoral and enterprise) and in different policy areas, including economic, social and OSH policy. The social dialogue forms part of the democratic decision-making process, defined in the Polish Constitution’s preamble as: “the basic law for the State, based on respect for freedom and justice, cooperation between the public powers, social dialogue as well as on the principle of aiding in the strengthening the powers of citizens and their communities". Article 20 of the Constitution indicates that among others, social dialogue and cooperation between social partners shall form the basis of the economic system of the Republic of Poland.

The aforementioned constitutional rights are established by the following Acts:

  • Trade Unions Act of 23 May 1991(Journal of Laws of 2015, item 1881 with amendments)[1];
  • Employer Organisations Act of 23 May 1991 (Journal of Laws of 2015, item 2029  with amendments)[2];
  • Resolution of Labour Disputes Act of 23 May 1991 (Journal of Laws of 2015, item 295 with amendments)[3];
  • Section XI of the Labour Code on collective bargaining agreements[2];
  • Social Dialogue Council and Social Dialogue Institutions Act of 25 July 2015 (Journal of Law 2015 item 1240)[4];
  • Assemblies Law Act of 25 July 2015 (Journal of Law 2015 item 1485)[5].

National level of social dialogue

The Social Dialogue Council  (Rada Dialogu Społecznego)[6] is the chief body of social dialogue in Poland. It replaced the Tripartite Commission for Socio-Economic Affairs established in 1994. The composition, organisational structure and responsibilities of the Social Dialogue Council are defined by the Social Dialogue Council and Other Social Dialogue Institutions Act of 25 July 2015[23]. Under the Act, the Social Dialogue Council s the main body of the national tripartite dialogue and constitutes a forum that reconciles the interests of employees, employers and the society as a whole.

The employees are represented by trade union delegates of the Independent Self-Governed Trade Union “Solidarność" (Niezależny Samorządny Zwiazek Zawodowy “Solidarność"), All-Polish Trade Union Alliance (Ogólnopolskie Porozumienie Związków Zawodowych) and Trade Union Forum (Forum Związków Zawodowych).

The employers are represented by employer organisations. These include: Employers of Poland (Pracodawcy RP, former Polish Employers’ Confederation), Polish Confederation Lewiatan (Konfederacja Lewiatan), Polish Craft Association (Związek Rzemiosła Polskiego) and Business Centre Club.

The representatives of the President of the Republic of Poland (Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) (Council of Ministers representatives, directly appointed by the Prime Minister of Poland), Central Statistical Office (Główny Urząd Statystyczny) and National Bank of Poland (Narodowy Bank Polski) have an advisory role in the Social Dialogue Council.

Enterprise level of social dialogue

Workers’ safety and health representative

According to Article 237 of the Labour Code[2] an employer is obliged to consult employees or their representatives on all OSH-related issues. The consultations include questions such as workplace changes, occupational risk assessment, trainings in OSH, personal protective equipment and enterprise OSH services. An employer who employs up to 250 employees decides on the form of consultations: either direct or through workers’ safety and health representatives. 

Workers’ safety and health representatives are appointed by trade unions or, in case of trade union absence, elected by the workforce in accordance with the enterprise’s practices. 

Commission for Safety and Health at Work

According to Article 237 of the Labour Code[2], an employer who employs more than 250 employees shall appoint a commission for safety and health at work (OSH commission) which acts as an advisory body. The OSH commission shall be composed of an equal number of employer representatives, including OSH service members and a physician responsible for the preventive health care of employees and workers’ representatives, including an employee labour inspector. The employer, or a person designated by the employer shall preside the commission, and the employee nominated inspector, or an employee representative shall act as its deputy chairperson.

The aim of the OSH commission is to review working conditions, make a periodic assessment of safety and health at work, advise on occupational accidents and diseases preventive measures as implemented by the employer, suggest measures to improve working conditions, and cooperate with the employer in the OSH area.

Sessions of the OSH commission shall be held during working hours, at least once every quarter. An employee shall retain his/her right to remuneration for the time not spent at work in relation with his/her participation in the sessions of the commission. When performing its tasks, the commission shall consult external expert reports or opinions, as agreed with the employer and at the employer's expense.

Employee control over working conditions

Based on the Trade Unions Act of 23 May 1991, trade unions have a right to oversee the occupational health and safety conditions in Poland[19]. The scope of trade union activity covers exercising control over observance of  Labour Code provisions in the enterprise, in particular OSH regulations, employee labour inspection service relationship management and cooperation with the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy)[25].

The employee labour inspection service (społeczna inspekcja pracy) operates on the basis of the Employee Labour Inspection Service Act of 24 June 1983[7] (with amendments) and is subject to trade union presence in the enterprise. It is a direct, employee established and run service that monitors the enterprise’s compliance with Labour Code provisions on: occupational health and safety; working time and leaves; protection of women, young adults and persons with disabilities at work; occupational accidents and diseases compensation system. The employee labour inspection service is composed of the following bodies:

  • enterprise level employee labour inspectors;
  • branch/division/plant level employee labour inspectors;
  • department level employee labour inspectors.

Employee labour inspector should be a professionally experienced member of staff and demonstrate a substantial knowledge of employee labour inspection issues. The employee labour inspector is entitled to audit workplaces, demand data and information from the administration staff and other employees, as well as notify the employer of any breaches of labour protection regulations.

Employee labour inspectors cooperate with the National Labour Inspectorate and other bodies overseeing and inspecting working conditions. They also have the right to assist during enterprise audits conducted by the National Labour Inspectorate representatives.

Labour protection syste

The main OSH-related institutions of the labour protection system in Poland and their main relationships are presented in Figure 1.

National competent bodies

Figure 1: Main organisational components of labour protection system in Poland
Figure 1: Main organisational components of labour protection system in Poland

OSH authorities and Inspection services

The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy occupies a key role in the labour protection system in Poland. The Ministry is the main body responsible for the development and implementation of OSH national strategy and policies.

The institutions overseeing enterprise compliance with the OSH regulations include the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy), the State Sanitary Inspection (Państwowa Inspekcja Sanitarna), the Office of Technical Inspection (Urząd Dozoru Technicznego), and the State Mining Authority (Wyższy Urząd Górniczy).

Labour Protection Council of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Rada Ochrony Pracy, ROP)[1]is an institution of the Lower Chamber of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) that oversees general working conditions in Poland and the National Labour Inspectorate’s operations. Its major responsibilities include: assessing the National Labour Inspectorate’s activities, reviewing labour protection legal acts drafts and analysis of labour protection issues at national level.

National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP) is subordinate to the Lower Chamber of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) and supervised by the Labour Protection Council whose role it to evaluate the Inspectorate’ programmes, tasks and activities, and analyse labour protection issues at national level. The Inspectorate is formed of the Chief Labour Inspectorate and District Labour Inspectorates and presided by the Chief Labour Inspector. A District Labour Inspectorate covers one or more provinces. Sub-district offices may be established within the structure of District Labour Inspectorates.

The main responsibilities of the National Labour Inspectorate’s include[2]:

  • supervision and inspection of enterprise compliance with labour law;
  • OSH regulations compliance audit of refurbished and modernised workplaces, machinery, technical devices and other technologies;
  • legal employment and other paid work inspection (including employment of foreign workers);
  • OSH standards compliance audit of sold PPE merchandise as governed by separate regulations;
  • undertaking steps to reduce health related work-hazards;
  • cooperation with environmental protection agencies on auditing regulations aimed at countering industry environmental hazards;
  • reviewing labour law acts drafts.

State Sanitary Inspectorate Inspection (Państwowa Inspekcja Sanitarna, PIS)[29] is subordinate to the Ministry of Health and presided by the Chief Sanitary Inspector. The State Sanitary Inspectorate is the primary institution responsible for the public health protection. It focuses particularly on infectious disease control, food and nutrition safety, environmental hygiene, health promotion and other public health related issues. The State Sanitary Inspectorate realises its goals through the following steps:

  • conducting a sustained and preventive sanitary supervision;
  • preparing epidemiological analysis, studies and assessments;
  • overseeing working conditions in various workplaces, focusing on harmful factors such as dust, noise, vibration, chemical agents and their levels;
  • supervision of environmental hygiene and food safety,
  • promotion of public health, dissemination of proper hygiene habits and disease prevention methods.

Office of Technical Inspection (Urząd Dozoru Technicznego, UDT)[30] is a Polish inspection body established in order to ensure safety of technical devices and installations. The Office's main goal is to assess the conformity of technical equipment with relevant regulations and specifications in the product design, manufacture and service process. Its duties also include technical safety & failure analysis as well as dissemination of information on technical safety and related issues. The Office of Technical Inspection is a non-profit organisation, independent at both financial and operational level.

State Mining Authority (Wyższy Urząd Górniczy, WUG)[31] was established by the Geological and Mining Law Act[3] and is presided by the President of the State Mining Authority who is subordinate to the Minister of Energy (Minister Energii). The main responsibility of the State Mining Authority is to perform control and supervision over work safety and health; fire protection; mine rescue; management of mineral deposits in the extraction process; environmental protection, including damage prevention; mining plant construction and closure, including land reclamation and post mining area rehabilitation.

The mission of the State Mining Authority is to:

  • improve work safety in mines;
  • protect miners’ health;
  • ensure efficient and sustainable management of mineral deposits;
  • reduce the negative impact of the extractive industry on the environment

Compensation and insurance bodies

Social Insurance Institution (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych ,ZUS[33] collects social and health insurance contributions of citizens and distributes benefits (e.g. pensions, sickness allowance, maternity allowance, etc.). The Social Insurance Institution is the disposer of the Social Insurance Fund (Fundusz Ubezpieczeń Społecznych, FUS; SIF) established on 1 January 1999 by virtue of the Social Insurance System Act, to perform social insurance related tasks[4]. The following funds are distinguished within SIF:

  • old-age pension fund, established to finance old-age pensions and public deficit  expenditure in order to guarantee the pay out of funded pensions;
  • pension fund established to finance, among others: incapacity benefit, training benefit, survivors’ pensions, supplements to survivors’ pensions for complete orphans, nursing allowance, funeral grants, etc.;
  • sickness fund, established to finance sickness, maternity, care, compensatory allowances, rehabilitation benefits;
  • accident fund, established to finance occupational accident pensions and allowances, lump-sum compensations, incapacity benefit as a direct result of occupational accident or disease.

Compulsory occupational accident insurance covers persons subject to pension insurance, for example: employees, freelancers (contractors), members of agricultural production cooperatives, persons running an agriculture related business and their contractors.

A percentage rate of the occupational accident insurance contribution is differentiated for individual contribution payers and depends on the occupational risk category as well as the number of persons covered by the work accident insurance[5].

The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (Kasa Rolniczego Ubezpieczenia Społecznego, KRUS)[36] has been established as a unique, social insurance institution, fully dedicated to rural areas. The purpose of creating such a separate, independent social insurance body was to ensure an efficient administration of the agricultural social insurance funds as well as undertake entirely new responsibilities resulting from the particular needs of rural communities

OSH-related services

Occupational safety and health service

Employers have a primary responsibility to provide safe working conditions. Under the Labour Code[2] provisions an employer who employs more than 100 employees shall establish an OSH service with an OSH advisory and inspection role. An employer who completed the required training to perform the OSH service tasks can be the direct OSH service provider if the enterprise employs up to 10 employees, or up to 20 employees and is classified in a risk category lower than rank three, as specified by the social insurance provisions on occupational accidents and diseases[35].

An employer who employs up to 100 employees may delegate the OSH service tasks to external providers or to a regular employee, as well as may be ordered by a labour inspector to establish an OSH service in case of an increased occupational hazard risk in the workplace[2].

OSH service tasks include the following:

  • inspecting working conditions and preforming audits of OSH regulations and principles present in the workplace;
  • notifying the employer of identified occupational risks on an ongoing basis;
  • maintaining an up-to-date, appropriate OSH documentation;
  • identifying circumstances and causes of occupational accidents and performing risk assessment;
  • organising OSH trainings;
  • initiating and creating various forms of OSH standards dissemination.

The detailed scope of OSH professionals’ work, organisation and competences is regulated by the Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 2 September 1997 on occupational safety and health[9].

Occupational medicine services

The occupational medicine services are aimed at protecting employee health against the impact of adverse work environment conditions, exercising preventive health care and employee health monitoring activities. The provision of occupational medicine services has been delegated to local occupational health practices and medical centres, which constitute basic organisational units in the occupational medicine services administrative structure.

Other OSH-related bodies

Professional associations

Professional associations build member networks, protect members’ interests in discussions on regulatory measures and contribute to a sustained development of their professions. For details on the associations please refer to “Key professional associations" section in Table 1.

OSH service employees’ associations play an advisory role on OSH regulations drafts, disseminate information on OSH provisions and facilitate the development of professional competences through training and knowledge sharing.

Associations of Manufacturers of Personal Protective Equipment (Polskie Zrzeszenie Producentów i Dystrybutorów Środków Ochrony Indywidualnej ) provide assistance to Polish manufacturers and distributors in the process of introducing PPE merchandise to the market, promoting safe PEE, ensuring its compliance with EU directives and work on relationship building with OSH domestic and international organisations.

Education and training and raising awareness

Legally required training for OSH specialists

Occupational safety and health professionals must meet the relevant education and professional experience requirements and can be employed, depending on education (vocational college or university) and work experience, as: inspectors, senior inspectors, specialists, senior and chief specialists in occupational health and safety[9][37].

According to the law in force[9] an OSH professional employed in a single-person OSH department should meet at least the senior OSH inspector requirements. An OSH expert supervising two- or more-person OSH department should meet at least the OSH specialist requirements.

Education in the occupational safety and health field is part of the educational system in Poland and can be provided by professional colleges and universities, both private and public ones.

Other vocational training

The first periodic training for OSH inspectors and professionals must take place within the first 12 months from being employed as an OSH professional. Further periodic training should take place within the next 5 years. The aim of the trainings is to ensure that OSH professionals gain an up-to-date knowledge, and an adequate support in solving OSH related problems. The scope of the training includes: legal requirements in OSH, identification and analyses of occupational risks and methods of developing safe and healthy working conditions[8].

Awareness raising networks

The Focal Point of the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work is hosted by the Central Institute for Labour protection – National Research Institute. The Focal Point coordinates and manages the national OSH network.

The National CIS Centre is coordinated by the Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute. The National CIS Centre collects, stores, and distributes information materials issued by the International Labour Office, the International CIS Centre and the National Centres. These include magazines and bulletins, databases, project and activity programme information, latest publications as well as course and conference schedules.

Network of OSH Experts certified by the Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute (Sieć Ekspertów ds. BHP certyfikowanych przez CIOP-PIB) gathers 46 expert members who provide OSH advice and services to SMEs, facilitating an easy access to a professional information and services aimed at the improvement of working conditions in SMEs[38].

Network of Regional OSH Centres (Regionalne Ośrodki BHP) comprises 16 regional training, consulting and promotional centres located throughout Poland whose tasks are to support the OSH service in evaluating occupational risk and meeting the legal requirements in OSH[39].

Safe Work Leaders Forum (Forum Liderów Bezpiecznej Pracy) at the Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute gathers over 130 Polish enterprises with achievements in contributing to safe and ergonomic working conditions. The aim of the Forum is to enhance the co-operation between its members as well as promote knowledge and good practices sharing on OSH related topics amongst industries represented by the Forum members and their partners[40].

Specialized technical, medical and scientific institutions

Research institutes

Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute (Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, CIOP-PIB)[14] is the main scientific research institution in Poland that employs a comprehensive approach to improvement of working conditions according to human psychophysical abilities. The Institute’s main activity constitute research and development works, leading to new technical and organisational solutions in the area of labour protection, occupational safety, health and ergonomics as well as other tasks essential for reaching the goals of the socio-economic policy in the field. The Institute is a legally, organisationally, economically and financially independent state body.

Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. Prof. J. Nofera, IMP)[41] is a scientific research centre that has been active for over fifty years on all aspects of occupational medicine, public health and environmental health. The scope of its activity has evolved over time, in line with national and global standards as well as the Institute’s goal of providing highest quality recommendations, contributing to the improvement of life and working conditions. The Institute is also the country’s leading medical training centre offering training courses to medical professionals.  

Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health (Instytut Medycyny Pracy i Zdrowia Środowiskowego, IMPiZŚ)[6] is a scientific research centre focused on occupational medicine and environmental health research as well as study, implementation, training, diagnostic and treatment activities. The Institute has been engaged in promoting public health and disease prevention awareness campaigns.

Central Mining Institute (Główny Instytut Górnictwa, GIG)[43] is a scientific research and development organisation dedicated to the mining industry as well as other types of SMEs, national and local administration institutions and international partners.

Institute of Rural Health (Instytut Medycyny Wsi, IMW)[44] is a scientific research and treatment services institution dedicated to a wide range of rural public health and environment health issues. The Institute’s activities cover the following areas:

  • assessment of public health risks in rural areas;
  • assessment of environmental and working conditions in rural areas;
  • influencing the rural health care policy.

Standardization agencies

The Polish Committee for Standardization (Polski Komitet Normalizacyjny, PKN)[45] is a national standards body responsible for the organisation of standardisation activities. The PKN is not a government agency but a body governed by public law. The basis for its operations constitutes the Polish Standardization Act of 12 September 2002[7], defining the principal goals and responsibilities of the Committee. PKN is a legally authorised body to represent the interests of Poland in the international standardisation arena.

Institutions and organisations

Key social partners in the Polish OSH field Independent Self-Governed Trade Union “Solidarność" (NSZZ “Solidarność") https://www.solidarnosc.org.pl/ All-Polish Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ) https://opzz.org.pl/ Trade Union Forum (FZZ) https://www.fzz.org.pl/ Trade Union Forum (FZZ) https://www.fzz.org.pl/ Employers of Poland https://www.pracodawcyrp.pl/ Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP) https://pkpplewiatan.pl/ Polish Craft Association (ZRP) https://www.zrp.pl/ Business Centre Club https://www.bcc.org.pl/
OSH authorities and inspection services Labour Protection Council of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (ROP) https://www.sejm.gov.pl National Labour Inspectorate https://www.pip.gov.pl State Sanitary Inspection (PIS) https://www.gis.gov.pl Office of Technical Inspection (UDT) https://www.udt.gov.pl State Mining Authority (WUG) https://www.wug.gov.pl/
State insurance body Social Insurance Institution (ZUS): https://www.zus.pl/ Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS) https://www.krus.gov.pl/
Key professional associations Ogolnopolskie Stowarzyszenie Pracowników Służby BHP https://www.ospsbhp.com.pl/' Polskie 'Stowarzyszenie Pracowników Służby BHP https://www.pspsbhp.org.pl/ Polskie Stowarzyszenie Rzeczoznawców Bhp https://sites.google.com/site/psrbhp/ Polskie Zrzeszenie Producentów i Dystrybutorów Środków Ochrony Indywidualnej https://www.zrzeszenie-bhp.org/
Normalisation actor The Polish Committee for Standardization (PKN): https://www.pkn.pl
Key research institutes Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB): https://www.ciop.pl' Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (IMP) https://www.lodz.pl Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health (IMPiZŚ) https://www.imp.sosnowiec.pl/ Central Mining Institute (GIG) https://www.gig.eu/pl' The Institute of Rural Health (IMW) https://www.imw.lublin.pl/

Links for additional reading

Economic incentives to improve occupational safety and health: a review from the European perspective. European Agency for Safety and health at Work 2010,https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/economic_incentives_TE3109255ENC

Mainstreaming OSH into business management European perspective. European Agency for Safety and health at Work, 2010, https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/mainstreaming_osh_business

Labour inspectorates’ strategic planning on safety and health at work, European Agency for Safety and health at Work, 2009, https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/TE-80-09-641-EN-N_labour_inspectorates

References

[1] Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997, Journal of Laws of 1997 No 78, item 483. Available at: http://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/kon1.htm

[2] Labour Code of 26 June 1974, Journal of Laws of 2018 item 108. Available at: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/DetailsServlet?id=WDU19740240141

[3] Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 26 September 1997 on general provisions for safety and health at work, Journal of Laws of 2003, No 169, item 1650 with amendments. Available at : http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20031691650

[4] Regulation of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare  of 30 May 1996 on carrying out medical check-ups of employees, scope of preventative health care for employees as well as medical statements issued for purposes specified in the Labour Code, Journal of Laws of 2016, item 2067 with amendments). Available at:  http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20160002067

[5] Ordinance of the  Council of Ministers of 1 July 2009 on establishing the circumstances and causes of work accidents, Journal of Laws of 2009, No 105, item 870). Available at: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU20091050870&type=2.

[6] Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 1 July 2009 on occupational diseases, Journal of Laws of 2013, item 1367. Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20130001367

[7] Regulation of the  Minister of Health  of 1 August 2002 on the procedure of drawing up documents concerning occupational diseases and their effects, Journal of Laws of 2013, item 1397. Available at:  http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20130001379

[8] Regulation of the  Minister of Economy and Labour of 27 July 2004 on occupational safety and health training, Journal of Laws of 2004, No 180, item 1860 with amendments. Available at: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU20041801860&type=2

[9] Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 2 September 1997 on occupational safety and health service, Journal of Laws of 1997, No 109, item 704 with amendments). Available at: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU19971090704&type=2

[10] Regulation of the  Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 6 June 2014 on maximum permissible concentration and intensity of agents harmful to health in the working environment, (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 1348). Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20140000817/O/D20140817.pdf

[11] Regulation of the  Minister of Health of 2 February 2011, on tests and measurements of agents harmful to health in the working environment (Journal of Laws of 2011, No 33, item 166. Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20110330166

[12] Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy https://www.mpips.gov.pl/

[13] Sprawozdanie z realizacji I etapu strategicznego programu rządowego (SPR – 1) "Bezpieczeństwo i ochrona zdrowia człowieka w miejscu pracy", CIOP, Warszawa 1998.

[14] Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB)  https://www.ciop.pl/

[15] Ministry of Health http://www.mz.gov.pl/

[16] Program wieloletni „Poprawa bezpieczeństwa i warunków pracy" II etap, okres realizacji: lata 2011-2013 (Third National Programme on OSH - Improvement of safety and working conditions. Available at:  http://archiwum.ciop.pl/27421.html

[17] National programme "Improvement of safety and working conditions" phase III (2014 – 2016). Available at: https://www.ciop.pl/CIOPPortalWAR/appmanager/ciop/pl?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=P26800385591408696399667&html_tresc_root_id=21639&html_tresc_id=252&html_klucz=21639&html_klucz_spis=

[18] National programme "Improvement of safety and working conditions" phase IV (2017 – 2019). Available at:  https://www.ciop.pl/CIOPPortalWAR/appmanager/ciop/en?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=P26400121511406886174136

[19] Trade Unions Act of 23 May 1991, Journal of Laws of 2015, item 1881 with amendments. Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU19910550234&type=3

[20] Employer Organisations Act of 23 May 1991, Journal of Laws of 2015, item 2029  with amendments Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU19910550235&type=3

[21] Resolution of Labour Disputes Act of 23 May 1991, Journal of Laws of 2015, item 295 with amendments. Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU19910550236&type=3

[22] Social Dialogue Council and Social Dialogue Institutions Act of 25 July 2015, (Journal of Law 2015 item 1240) Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20150001240

[23] Assemblies Law Act of 25 July 2015, (Journal of Law 2015 item 1485). Available at: http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20150001485

[24] Social Dialogue Council  (Rada Dialogu Społecznego ) Retrieved 20 December 2017, from  http://www.dialog.gov.pl/

[25] National Labour Inspectorate http://www.pip.gov.pl/

[26] Act of 24 June 1983 on Social Labour Inspectorate, Journal of Laws of 2015, item 567. Available at: http:isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU19830350163&type=3

[27] Labour Protection Council of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (ROP) http://rop.sejm.gov.pl/

[28] National Labour Inspectorate Act of 13 April 2007, (Journal of Laws 2017 item 786). Available at http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20070890589

[29] State Sanitary Inspection (PIS) http://www.gis.gov.pl/

[30] Office of Technical Inspection (UDT) http://www.udt.gov.pl/

[31] State Mining Authority (WUG) http://www.wug.gov.pl/

[32] Geological and Mining Law Act of 9 June 2011, Journal of Laws of 2017, item 2126. Available at: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU20111630981&type=2

[33] Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) http://www.zus.pl/

[34] Social Insurance System Act of 13 October 1998, Journal of Laws of 2017, item 1778. Available at: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU19981370887&type=3

[35] Social Insurance against Occupational Accidents and Diseases Act of 30 October 2002 Journal of Laws of 20017, item 1773. Available at http://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20021991673

[36] Agricultural Social Insurance Fund http://www.krus.gov.pl/

[37] Network of Regional OSH Centres https://www.ciop.pl/CIOPPortalWAR/appmanager/ciop/pl?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=P1400137871334834387178&html_tresc_root_id=17198&html_tresc_id=300002305&html_klucz=17198&html_klucz_spis=

[38] Network of OSH Experts certified by the Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute www.ciop.pl/Eksperci

[39] Network of Regional OSH Centres https://www.ciop.pl/CIOPPortalWAR/appmanager/ciop/pl?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=P1400137871334834387178&html_tresc_root_id=17198&html_tresc_id=300002305&html_klucz=17198&html_klucz_spis=

[40] Safe Work Leaders Forum ''www.ciop.pl/FL'' 

[41] Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine http://www.imp.lodz.pl/

[42] Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health (IMPiZŚ) http://www.imp.sosnowiec.pl/

[43] Central Mining Institute (GIG) http://www.gig.eu/pl

[44] Institute of Rural Health (IMW) http://www.imw.lublin.pl/

[45] Polish Committee for Standardization (PKN) http://www.pkn.pl/

[46] Act of 12 September 2002 on Standardization, Journal of Laws of 2015, item 1483. Available at: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download?id=WDU20021691386&type=3

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Grazyna Bartkowiak

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