Ensuring a safe and healthy workplace is a fundamental requirement for businesses operating in Greece. The country has established a comprehensive legal framework governing occupational health and safety, designed to protect employees from risks associated with their work environment and activities. Adherence to these regulations is not only a legal obligation but also crucial for fostering a productive and ethical work culture.
Compliance involves understanding the specific duties placed upon employers and employees, implementing preventative measures, conducting necessary assessments, and maintaining proper documentation. Navigating these requirements effectively is key to successful operations and employee well-being within the Greek jurisdiction.
Health and Safety Laws and Regulatory Framework
The primary legislation governing occupational health and safety in Greece is Law 3850/2010, which incorporates European Union directives into national law. This law establishes the general principles for preventing occupational risks, protecting health and safety, eliminating risk and accident factors, informing, consulting, participating, and training workers and their representatives.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is the main governmental body responsible for setting policy and overseeing occupational health and safety. The Labour Inspectorate (SEPE - Body of Labour Inspectors) is the enforcement authority, responsible for conducting inspections, investigating accidents, and ensuring compliance with the law.
Key aspects of the framework include:
- General Duty of Care: Employers have a general duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees in every aspect related to the work.
- Risk Prevention: Emphasis is placed on preventing risks at their source and adapting work to the individual.
- Worker Participation: Employees and their representatives have rights regarding consultation and participation in health and safety matters.
Occupational Health and Safety Standards and Practices
Implementing effective health and safety standards involves several core practices mandated by Greek law. These practices are designed to proactively identify, assess, and control workplace hazards.
Risk Assessment
Employers are required to conduct a thorough risk assessment of all workplace activities and environments. This involves identifying potential hazards, evaluating the risks they pose, and determining appropriate control measures. The assessment must be documented and updated regularly, especially when there are changes in work processes, equipment, or materials.
Prevention Plan
Based on the risk assessment, employers must develop and implement a written prevention plan. This plan outlines the measures to be taken to eliminate or reduce risks, including technical, organizational, and procedural controls.
Safety Technician and Occupational Physician
Depending on the size and nature of the business, employers are required to employ or contract the services of a safety technician and/or an occupational physician. These professionals provide expert advice on risk assessment, prevention measures, health surveillance, and compliance.
Safety Committees
In workplaces employing a certain number of employees (thresholds vary based on legislation), the establishment of a Safety and Health Committee is mandatory. This committee comprises employer and employee representatives and plays a crucial role in consulting on health and safety matters, monitoring conditions, and proposing improvements.
Training Requirements
Employers must provide adequate and appropriate health and safety training to all employees, especially upon recruitment, transfer, introduction of new work equipment or technology, and changes in work processes. Training should cover specific risks related to their job, preventative measures, emergency procedures, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Documentation Obligations
Maintaining comprehensive documentation is a key requirement. This includes:
- Written risk assessment
- Prevention plan
- Records of safety technician and occupational physician services
- Training records
- Records of workplace accidents and incidents
- Maintenance records for equipment and safety systems
Workplace Inspection Processes and Requirements
The Labour Inspectorate (SEPE) is responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation through workplace inspections. Inspectors have the authority to enter workplaces at any time, without prior notice, to check compliance.
Inspections may cover:
- Verification of risk assessment and prevention plan implementation.
- Assessment of working conditions, machinery, and equipment safety.
- Checking the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Reviewing documentation (training records, accident reports, etc.).
- Interviewing employers, employees, and safety representatives.
If non-compliance is found, inspectors can issue warnings, improvement notices requiring corrective actions within a specified timeframe, or impose administrative fines. In cases of imminent danger, they can order the suspension of work.
Workplace Accident Protocols and Reporting
In the event of a workplace accident or occupational disease, specific protocols must be followed.
Immediate Actions
- Provide first aid and ensure the injured person receives necessary medical attention.
- Secure the accident scene to prevent further incidents and preserve evidence for investigation.
- Investigate the cause of the accident to identify contributing factors and prevent recurrence.
Reporting Requirements
Workplace accidents resulting in death or serious injury must be reported immediately to the Labour Inspectorate and the competent social security institution (e.g., EFKA). Accidents resulting in absence from work for more than three working days must also be reported within a specified timeframe (typically within three working days of the employee's return to work or the employer's knowledge of the absence).
Reporting typically involves submitting a detailed report form providing information about the employee, the employer, the circumstances of the accident, the nature of the injury, and witnesses.
Employer and Employee Responsibilities for Workplace Safety
Both employers and employees have distinct but complementary responsibilities for ensuring a safe working environment.
Employer Responsibilities
Employers bear the primary responsibility for health and safety. Their duties include:
- Taking all necessary measures to protect the health and safety of employees.
- Conducting risk assessments and implementing preventative measures.
- Providing necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision.
- Ensuring the workplace, machinery, and equipment are safe.
- Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) free of charge.
- Consulting with employees and their representatives on health and safety matters.
- Maintaining required documentation.
- Reporting accidents and occupational diseases.
Employee Responsibilities
Employees also have duties to contribute to their own safety and the safety of others:
- Cooperating with the employer to comply with health and safety requirements.
- Using machinery, equipment, substances, and other means of production correctly.
- Using personal protective equipment (PPE) properly as instructed.
- Reporting immediately to the employer or safety representative any work situation they reasonably believe presents a serious and immediate danger.
- Reporting any shortcomings in the health and safety arrangements.
- Not disconnecting, changing, or removing safety devices.
