Misją Instytutu jest dzialalność naukowo-badawcza prowadząca do nowych rozwiązań technicznych i organizacyjnych użytecznych w kształtowaniu warunków pracy zgodnych z zasadami bezpieczeństwa pracy i ergonomii oraz ustalanie podstaw naukowych do właściwego ukierunkowywania polityki społeczno-ekonomicznej państwa w tym zakresie.
The basic duties of the employer in the area of occupational health and safety are set out in the Labor Code and in the Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labor of 26 September 1997 on general health and safety at work (Journal of Laws 1997, No. 129, item 844, consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2003, No. 169, item 1650, as amended). The employer's obligations in the scope of protection against noise are given in the Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labor of August 5, 2005 on occupational health and safety in works related to noise exposure or mechanical vibrations (Journal of Laws of 2005, No. 157, item. 1318). Under this regulation, the employer is required to:
1. Measure the quantities characterizing noise in the work environment and compare their results with the action and limit values. The mode and frequency of these measurements are regulated by the Regulation of the Minister of Health and Social Care of February 2, 2011 on the testing and measurement of agents harmful to health in the work environment (Journal of Laws 2011, No. 33, item 166). According to this regulation, noise measurements should be carried out:
No noise measurements shall be carried out if the results of the two most recent measurements of quantities describing the noise made at the interval of 2 years showed that none of them exceeds 0.2 of the NDN value. The employer is obliged to immediately inform employees about the results of noise measurements.
The employer keeps an up-to-date register of factors harmful to health occurring at the workplace, called the 'register'. In the event of liquidation of the workplace, the employer immediately transfers the register and card to the competent local sanitary inspector
The employer constantly records the results of tests and measurements of the harmful factor for health to the test and measurement card.
2.Assess the occupational risk related to workers exposure to noise resulting from the characteristics of the workplace and the measures or work processes applied in specific conditions, with particular regard to:
The occupational risk assessment should be documented and made whenever there are changes in the conditions of work performance or if such necessity is demonstrated by the results of preventive medical examinations.
3. Eliminate the occupational risk associated with exposure to noise at the source or limit it to the lowest possible level, taking into account available technical solutions and scientific and technical progress. After exceeding the limit value for noise, the employer is required to draw up and implement a program of organizational and technical measures aimed at limiting the exposure to noise consisting of:
4. If it is not possible to avoid or eliminate occupational risk resulting from exposure to noise by organizational and technical means:
5. Mark with workplace safety signs in which the quantities characterizing noise exceed the limit values, and isolate zones with such places and restrict access to them, if it is feasible and the risk resulting from exposure to noise justifies such separation.
6. In case of individual exposure to noise exceeding the limit value:
7.Employees exposed to noise provide information and training regarding the results of occupational risk assessment, in particular regarding:
The employer is also obliged to refer the employee to preliminary, periodic and control medical examinations as well as to cover the costs of these examinations. These responsibilities are set out in Regulation of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of 30 May 1996 on the conduct of medical examinations of employees, the scope of preventive health care over employees and medical certificates issued for purposes provided for in the Labor Code (consolidated text, ournal of Laws of 2016. item 2067).