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In accordance with the provisions of the Safety and Health at Work Laws of 2015 to 2020 and the Management of Safety and Health Issues at Work Regulations of 2021 (R.A.A 158/2021) and if an employer (Company / Organization) employs on average during each year, more than two hundred persons, he must appoint a Safety Officer who will deal exclusively and full-time with occupational safety and health issues. The Safety Officer is part of the Internal Protection and Prevention Service (ESYPP), which is mandatory for the employer to engage in protection and risk prevention activities in his facility, premises and / or business.
The employer must also ensure that the Safety Officer has sufficient knowledge and experience to be able to control and manage any issues relating to the safety and health of persons at work, facilities or premises where the activities of the employer are carried out, to carry out inspections and prepare reports, to make recommendations, to organize courses and to train persons at work on occupational safety and health issues.
The duties of the Safety Officer include:
- the preparation of the Written Risk Assessment,
- the implementation of the Risk Management System,
- participation in the activities of the Safety Committee,
- conducting inspections in the workplace for risk identification,
- the organization of training programs and the training of staff,
- submitting recommendations and suggestions to the employer to improve safety and health levels in the workplace,
- monitoring the implementation of preventive and protective measures,
- the investigation of accidents at work and dangerous incidents and the preparation of relevant reports,
- keeping the safety and health records,
- the Inspector's escort.
In the absence of the Safety Officer, safety and health issues will be handled by the Deputy Safety Officer who must be designated internally in the Company / Organization by the employer (his / her approval is not required by the Chief Inspector) and who, however, must have appropriate and adequate training and knowledge on safety and health at work issues.
The appointment of the Safety Officer by the Employer must be approved by the Chief Inspector.
In order to be approved, the employer of the candidate Safety Officer must complete the relevant Application Form and send it together with the necessary documents to the Head Office of the Department of Labor Inspection.
Based on the Management of Safety and Health Issues at Work (Training of Employees, Self-employees, Members of ESYPP and Members of Safety Committees) Order of 2021, (R.A.A 238/2021) the minimum training of the Safety Officer is 130 hours, which cover 20 different topics.
In the event that, for any reason, the employment of the Safety Officer is terminated, the employer must inform the Chief Inspector in writing and repeat without delay the approval process for the appointment of a new Safety Officer.
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