MEASURES FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTECTION IN THE SO CALLED “CONFINED ENVIRONMENTS”

The Council of Ministers approved the Decree of the President of the Republic of July 28th, 2011 which introduces measures in order to enlarge the health and safety protection of employees who perform the working activity in workplaces entailing risks concerning the evolvement of highly injurious substances or of gases, such as silos, cisterns, wells (so called “confined environments”).

The provision has been shared by Regions and trade unions as a necessary measure to prevent serious accidents – too frequent in recent years – and provides that the firms and employees who could work in the mentioned contexts are only those with professional skills, training and information adequate for the risk of the activities to be performed, as well as with knowledge of safety procedures to be applied and with complete information about the workplace.

The Decree will become effective after the relevant publication in the Official Gazette.