The employer must not allow a worker to work if he does have the appropriate qualifications or required skills to perform this work, and also if he is not familiar with the rules and regulations of occupational safety and health.

The employer is obliged to provide training to the worker on occupational safety and health before allowing him to work and to hold periodic training in this area.

Training of a worker before allowing him to work is not required in the event of him commencing work at the same work post as he held with the given employer immediately before entering into another employment contract with this employer.

Training takes place during working hours and at the cost of the employer.  

The detailed principles of training in the area of OSH are defined by the resolution of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of 28 May 1996, Journal of Laws no. 62, item 285.

types of training: for the employer - for the workers preliminary - periodic

Preliminary training includes:

1) General instruction whom does it encompass (before allowing any work to be performed):   all newly employed workers, and also trainees and students who are on internships or who are practically learning the trade, scope: general instruction should familiarise the workers with the basic regulations on occupational safety and health, as contained in the Labour Code and in the work regulations, as well as the OSH rules and regulations in force in a given enterprise, as well as with the principles of administering first aid. who conducts it?   Employers or Workers designated by the employers, who have undergone courses on occupational safety and health or (workers from the OSH service – if such a service has been established in a given enterprise) document confirming the fact of having been trained:   (written) confirmation by the worker of having received general instruction 2) instruction specific to the work post whom does it encompass? workers employed at posts in positions where work is related directly to production or production control or there is exposure to hazardous, harmful or arduous agents, workers transferred to these positions in the event of changes in technical and organisational conditions, trainees and students who are on internships or who are practically learning the trade. scope: instruction specific to the work post should familiarise the workers with the threats of hazardous, harmful and arduous agents that are present at a given work post, the method of protection against these threats and methods of safely performing the work at a given work post who conducts it:   a person nominated by the employer who manages the workers, who has the appropriate qualifications and professional experience and has been trained on methods of conducting such instruction. document confirming the fact of having been trained:   examination of the knowledge and skills in performing the work in accordance with the occupational safety and health regulations, (written) confirmation by the worker of having received instruction specific to the work post 3) basic training whom does it encompass?   employers, people managing workers, workers employed in manual positions, technical and engineering staff workers whose nature of work is related to exposure to hazardous, harmful and arduous agents or workers with responsibility for OSH. scope: it should provide the workers with knowledge and skills required to perform or organise work in accordance with the rules and regulations on occupational safety and health who conducts it:   employers organisational entities authorised to hold training on OSH document confirming the fact of having been trained:   examination training certificate issued by the training organiser

The general rule is that training should be conducted within a period of no longer than 6 months from commencing work at the given work post. However, in manual positions, where there is a particularly large threat to health and a threat of accidents (the list of these work posts is defined by the employer), basic training should be conducted before starting work at these work posts.

Periodic training: whom does it encompass? people subject to basic training scope: update and consolidation of knowledge and skills of workers in the area of OSH that has been acquired during the preliminary training, and also their familiarisation with new technical and organisational solutions in this area who conducts it: employers organisational units authorised to conduct training in OSH document confirming the fact of having been trained:   examination training certificate issued by the training organiser

Workers employed in manual positions undergo periodic training (in the form of instruction) no less frequently than once every 3 years, and in work posts where there is a large threat to health and a threat of accidents - no less frequently than one a year.  Others – no less frequently than once every 6 years.

In addition to the knowledge of safe work, a condition for permitting a worker to work is his possession of additional qualifications, which could refer to workers employed in the positions of: electrician, crane and hoist operators or driver of engine powered forklift trucks.  It should also be noted that some of the qualifications must be periodically updated, e.g. authorisation to operate, maintain and repair electrical devices and installations - every 5 years.