Low level of compliance with screen safety regulations

In 2005, the National Labour Inspectorate carried out a nationwide survey to investigate compliance with regulations on the use of visual display units in the workplace and provide guidelines in relation to this. The results have since been published and reveal an unsatisfactory level of compliance with the minimum safety and health requirements for work with computer screens, despite significant efforts to improve health and safety in this area.

In 2005, the Slovakian National Labour Inspectorate (NA¡rodnA½ inÅ¡pektorA¡t prA¡ce, NIP) instigated a nationwide survey aimed at investigating the present situation in relation to working with visual display units (VDUs). Such equipment is used in virtually all economic sectors. NIP has published warnings about the health risks involved when working with VDUs, in order to make all users aware of the dangers. Moreover, the inspectorate has highlighted strategies for risk prevention and employersaeuroTM obligations to create suitable working conditions in line with the current legislation.

Nature of inspection

The inspection had the following objectives:

• to assess overall compliance with the provisions of the legislation on working conditions for work with VDUs pursuant to the Act No. 330/1996 Coll. (in Slovakian) on occupational safety and health and, as amended later, to the Ordinance of the Slovakian Government No. 247/2001 Coll. (in Slovakian) on the minimum safety and health requirements for work with display screen equipment (transposing Council Directive 90/270/EEC);

• to provide advice and encourage employers to adhere to the obligations specified in the relevant legislation. The inspectors distributed a CD entitled Workplace with a computer, as part of the information material series, Rules of good practice;

• to use the information and knowledge obtained during the inspection for planning further inspection activities and their goals.

NIP carried out inspections in 271 legal entities and checked a total of 3,414 work stations with VDUs. Regarding the profile of the companies, the inspections took place in the following establishments: 75 very small enterprises, employing one to nine workers; 105 small enterprises, with 10 to 49 employees; 69 medium-sized companies, employing 50 to 249 staff; and 22 large companies.

At the time of the inspection, organisations surveyed employed a total of 26,575 employees, of whom 15,304 were women. More than one third of the workers inspected, amounting to 8,035 persons, worked regularly with VDUs.

Results of inspection

Health protection

Overall, 89 infringements were found in relation to the health protection of employees. Such protection covers the employeesaeuroTM rights to a relevant eyesight examination, provision of a complex ophthalmologic examination, provision of special corrective tools, and access to a professional examination of the kinetic and neurotic systems in cases where health problems could have been caused by work with a VDU.

Working environment

Some 319 violations pertained to the following aspects:

• parameters for equipment such as the screen, keyboard, working table and work seating aeuro" for example, screens were not located on a separate stand, no protection was provided against mirroring and light reflection causing eyesight discomfort for the employee, or adjustable work seating was missing;

• requirements in the working environment aeuro" infringements were found in the layout of the workplace, unsuitable or insufficient shading of windows against daylight, and insufficient thermal comfort at the workplace.

The largest number of breaches of the regulations were detected in enterprises which had installed the display technology before the governmental ordinance entered into force, and in entities which were established by municipalities or self-governing units, such as budgetary and contributory organisations, with low financial resources for their equipment. Budgetary organisations are completely financed by the state, while contributory organisations combine funding from the state budget, or from community budgets, with other contributions.

Conversely, a highly favourable situation was reported in banking and financial institutions, travel agencies and large companies, where substantial financial resources were invested in modernising work stations with display units. This had a direct impact on improving the working conditions of the employees. The same situation was also found in publishing and advertising companies, design businesses and enterprises developing special software, where the employers equip the workplace with the latest technology and high resolution liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors with eye protection.

Commentary

In general, the results of the NIP inspections have shown that the level of compliance with the minimum safety and health requirements for work with VDUs remains unsatisfactory in Slovakia (SK0311103F). The information and knowledge obtained during the inspections will be used to plan further labour inspection activities.

On a positive note, the employers appreciated the inspections and the CD instruction that they received as a form of consultancy. Moreover, employees welcomed the inspections because employers, after receiving the information from the labour inspectors, started to change their attitude towards the occupational safety and health of their employees and made efforts to optimise the working environment.

Beata PerichtovA¡, Institute for Labour and Family Research