OHS training courses

It is not only employers but also workers who are responsible for occupational health and safety. Therefore, employers must provide not only appropriate working conditions but also training on safe behaviour for workers and instructions in this regard. Find out what employers’ obligations are in this regard.

Most important rules on training courses

Employers have many obligations relating to ensuring safe and healthy working conditions. These include:

holding regular OHS training courses for workers
familiarising workers with occupational health and safety provisions and rules relating to their work
issuing detailed instructions and guidelines on occupational health and safety at workstations
providing workers with free personal protective equipment and instructing them how to use it.

If a new worker is employed, you must:

provide OHS training for the worker before permitting that person to work. The worker confirms completion of general training and on-the-job training in writing in an initial training sheet, which is included in that person’s personal file

Important! Workers do not need to undergo training before being permitted to work if they will work for the employer concerned in the same position that they held directly before concluding another employment contract with that employer. Training courses are held during working hours and at employers’ expense. Workers must confirm in writing that they are familiar with OHS provisions and rules.

familiarise the worker with occupational risk assessment and rules of protection against hazards.

Please note!

Employers should undergo a training course on occupational health and safety to the extent necessary to fulfil their obligations.
Workers cannot be permitted to work if they do not have the required qualifications and skills and they are not familiar with OHS provisions and rules.
Initial and periodic OHS training courses are provided by employers.
Workers do not need to undergo training before being permitted to work if they will work for the employer concerned in the same position that they held directly before concluding another employment contract with that employer.
Training courses are held at employers’ expense and during working hours.
Failure to implement appropriate OHS rules at a company may be subject to a penalty from PLN 1 000 to PLN 30 000. The penalty will be imposed on those who fail to comply with occupational health and safety provisions or rules while being responsible for occupational health and safety or managing workers or other natural persons.
A serious breach of OHS provisions or rules by a worker may result in the contract being terminated with or without notice.
If, as an employer, you neglect OHS obligations, workers may terminate employment contracts with immediate effect (without notice).

Initial training courses

An initial training course is held before a worker is permitted to work in a specific position. It covers general training and on-the-job training.

The worker confirms completion of general training and on-the-job training in writing in an initial training sheet, which is included in that person’s personal file.

The model initial training sheet is set out in Annex 2 to the Regulation of the Minister for the Economy and Labour of 27 July 2004 on training courses on occupational health and safety.

The aim of general training is to familiarise workers with basic occupational health and safety provisions contained in:

the Labour Code and collective agreements
work rules
occupational health and safety provisions and rules applicable at establishments
first-aid procedures to be followed in the event of an accident.

The following persons must undergo general training before being permitted to work:

newly employed workers
students on internships
pupils undergoing practical vocational training.

The aim of on-the-job training is to familiarise workers with:

working environment factors (all the factors present at the workstation concerned which could lead to accidents at work or occupational diseases: hazardous, harmful, nuisance and psychosocial factors) present at workstations
occupational risks resulting from the work performed
means of protection against hazards which could be caused by these factors
safe working practices.

The following persons must undergo on-the-job training before being permitted to work:

workers employed in blue-collar positions and other positions where they are exposed to factors harmful to health, nuisance factors or hazardous factors
workers transferred to the positions referred to above
pupils undergoing practical vocational training and students on internships.

Employers who work at several workstations must undergo on-the-job training at each of them.

Periodic training courses

The aim of periodic training courses is to update and consolidate knowledge and skills relating to OHS and familiarise workers with new technical and organisational solutions in that area.

The following persons must undergo periodic training courses:

employers, managers, masters and foreworkers
workers in blue-collar positions
workers in engineering and technical positions, including designers of machines and other technical devices, and production technologists and organisers
occupational health and safety professionals and other persons performing these professionals’ tasks
workers in office administration positions
other workers who are exposed to factors harmful to health, nuisance factors or hazardous factors or who are responsible for OHS as part of their work.

Employers and other persons managing workers, especially managers, masters and foreworkers, should undergo the first periodic training course within 6 months after taking up these positions. Other workers should do this within 12 months after taking up the position concerned.

Periodic training courses may be organised and held by employers or, at their request, by organisational units providing training courses on occupational health and safety:

continuing education institutions, vocational training centres and post-primary schools
higher education and science institutions
associations whose statutory objective is to carry out occupational health and safety activities
undertakings providing training courses on occupational health and safety.

An examination is taken at the end of a periodic training course to verify whether a training participant has acquired the knowledge covered by the training programme and the skills needed to perform or organise work in accordance with occupational health and safety provisions and rules.

The training organiser issues a certificate to confirm that the training course has been successfully completed. A copy of the certificate is included in the training participant’s personal file.

Periodic training courses should be held:

at least once a year – for workers employed at workstations where particularly hazardous work is performed
once every 3 years – for workers employed in blue-collar positions
once every 5 years – for employers and other persons managing workers, especially managers, masters and foreworkers; workers in engineering and technical positions, including designers of machines and other technical devices, and production technologists and organisers; occupational health and safety professionals and other persons performing these professionals’ tasks; and workers who are exposed to factors harmful to health, nuisance factors or hazardous factors or who are responsible for OHS as part of their work
once every 6 years – for workers in office administration positions.

Periodic training courses need not be held for workers employed in office administration positions if the type of main business activities of an employer, within the meaning of the provisions on official statistics, is classified into a group of activities for which a risk category no higher than risk category 3 within the meaning of the provisions on social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases has been assigned, unless an occupational risk assessment prepared and documented by the employer indicates that this is necessary.

If the type of main business activities of an employer, within the meaning of the provisions on official statistics, is classified into a group of activities for which a risk category higher than risk category 3 within the meaning of the provisions on social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases has been assigned or an occupational risk assessment indicates that this is necessary, the employer must hold periodic OHS training courses for workers within 6 months from the date on which the higher risk category was assigned.

The following persons may be exempt from periodic training courses:

persons who submit a valid certificate of completion of the required periodic training course within the validity period of the last training course held by another employer
persons who underwent a periodic training course required for persons employed in positions classified into another group of positions within the deadline indicated above, if the thematic scope of the training programme for the previous position corresponds to the training programme for the new position.

Training programmes

Programmes for initial and periodic training courses, specifying the detailed subject matter, forms and duration of the training courses for individual groups of positions, are drawn up by employers or, in consultation with employers, organisational units providing training courses on occupational health and safety on the basis of framework training programmes.

Training programmes for workers are kept by employers.

Model framework training programmes are set out in Annex 1 to the Regulation of the Minister for the Economy and Labour of 27 July 2004 on training courses on occupational health and safety.