THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT OF PROFESSIONAL RISKS

Pursuant to the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, the Law on Occupational Safety and Health, the Provisions on the Assessment of Professional risks, an employer has an obligation to make safe and healthy working conditions to employees, and implementing this obligation, since 1 January 2004, it has been  mandatory to carry out the assessment of professional risks – the procedures of the evaluation of the impact of existing and potential risk factors, during which the existing and potential risks are identified, risk researches are performed, risks are established and a decision, whether the risks are acceptable or not, is taken

The purpose of the assessment of professional risks is to establish and evaluate the existing and potential risks at work, to eliminate them, and in case if they are impossible to  eliminate, to implement preventive measures in order to protect the staff against risks and /or to minimise such risks as much as it is possible.

The assessment of professional risks shall be performed in the following stages:

1. Preparatory works;
2. The research of risk factors, the establishment of the size of risks, the taking of a decision concerning the acceptability of risks;
3. The elimination or minimising of risks;
4. Risk monitoring.

Having identified the risk factors, the cards of the identifying professional risks shall be completed.  Qualified specialists shall compare the findings of researches with the hygiene and technical standards applicable in the Republic of Lithuania, shall establish the acceptability or unacceptability of the risk factors, shall develop a plan for the minimising and/or elimination of risks.

Accredited institutions or institutions with certificates proving their certification for the research of respective risk factors shall perform the researches of professional risks in compliance with the provisions of the assessment of professional risks.

Having performed the assessment of professional risks, you will know:

• The real condition of work safety and working conditions in your enterprise;
• How to improve working conditions according to the presented conclusions of the assessment of professional risks;
• In which areas of work such risks are unacceptable, and  in which they are acceptable or tolerable;
• Where it is necessary to implement the measures of collective protection or provide the staff with personal protective equipment. 

THE MAIN LAW ACTS JUSTIFYING THE ASSESSMENT OF PROFESSIONAL RISKS:

1. Article 264 of the Labour Code. The Organising and Carrying Out of a Safe Work  (ratified on 04-06-2002, Order No IX-926);
2. Article 25 of the Law on Occupational Safety and Health. An Employer’s Obligations Making Safe and Healthy Working Conditions. (ratified on 01-07-2003 Order No  IX-1672) ;
3. The Provisions of the Assessment of Occupational Risks (ratified on 25-10- 2012, Order No  A1-457/V-961);
4. On the amendment of the Order No 301 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania dated 31 May 2000 “on preventive health examinations at health care institutions” (approved on 29 December 2009 by the Order No V-1072).