Risk Assessment

In accordance with the authorization from the Ministry of Labor and Veterans' Protection of the Republic of Srpska, the Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska conducts risk assessments in the workplace and working environment for legal entities. The risk assessment is carried out based on the Occupational Safety Law and the Rulebook on Risk Assessment in the Workplace and Working Environment.

Risk assessment is the process of determining the level of risk of work-related injuries, occupational diseases, or work-related illnesses at the workplace and in the working environment of a legal entity, as well as identifying disturbances in the work process that could pose hazards and harmful consequences for worker protection and health.

Based on the assessed risks in the workplace and working environment, the employer determines the methods and measures to prevent, eliminate, or reduce risks to the lowest possible level through planned activities:

• Preventive measures that can be used to reduce risks,
• Maintenance and inspection of work equipment to ensure it remains in proper condition,
• Ensuring prescribed conditions for safe and healthy work in the workplace,
• Establishing methodology and training programs for workers' safe work for all positions, in accordance with the specifics of the workplace and the risks at individual workstations,
• Training employees for safe and healthy work,
• Determining the means and equipment for personal protection at work at the workplace,
• Ensuring the availability, maintenance, and inspection of personal protective equipment at work,
• Ensuring special health conditions that employees must meet to perform certain tasks at the workplace or to use specific personal protective equipment, based on the assessment by occupational medicine services,
• Determining the deadlines for periodic checks of employees' fitness for safe and healthy work at high-risk workplaces,
• Referring employees to pre-employment and periodic medical exams in accordance with the assessment by occupational medicine services and relevant regulations,
• Stopping any type of work that poses an immediate danger to the life or health of employees.

The risk assessment document is subject to subsequent revisions, including:

• In the case of a fatal workplace injury or serious injury at work,
• When a new hazard or risk arises, or when there is a change in the risk level during the work process,
• When the measures established to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the risk are inadequate or do not match the assessed condition,
• When the assessment is based on outdated data,
• When there are opportunities or methods for improving or supplementing the assessed risks,
• After a period of three years from the date of the previous assessment,
• Based on a measure imposed by the labor inspector.

The primary goal of creating a risk assessment document for the workplace and work environment is to protect the health and safety of employees, improve working conditions, and prevent work-related injuries, occupational diseases, and work-related illnesses. Based on the assessed risks, specific preventive measures are implemented to eliminate and reduce risks to the lowest possible level, which is essentially the risk management process.

Directive 89/391/EEC on Occupational Health and Safety contains general principles regarding the prevention of workplace risks, implementing health and safety measures at work, eliminating risks that may cause accidents, and principles for information sharing, consultation, and balanced participation in accordance with national law. It also includes principles for training employees and their representatives for independent work and general guidelines for applying these principles. Risk assessment at the workplace, as an obligation for EU member states, was introduced by this Directive. The 1996 Risk Assessment Guidelines provide detailed instructions for application in national conditions.

In the Republic of Srpska, the Occupational Safety and Health Law governs the system of occupational health and safety. This law began the process of aligning national legislation with EU regulations. The new legislative approach to occupational health and safety introduced the principle of preventing work-related injuries, occupational diseases, and work-related illnesses.

The law is based on the obligations and responsibilities of the employer. The employer is required to provide a workplace and work environment where, based on risk assessment, safety and health measures are implemented. In this sense, the employer must ensure preventive measures before the employee starts work, during work, and whenever there is a change in technological processes, in accordance with regulations on occupational health and safety, labor law, technological processes and standards, health care regulations, occupational hygiene, health, pension and disability insurance, and other forms of protection.

According to the Law, the risk assessment document is the primary document used to identify potential hazards and harmful factors in all workplaces and work environments. It assesses the risk of work-related injuries and health damage to employees. It is defined as a document that contains a description of the work process, an assessment of the risk of injury and/or health damage at the workplace and in the work environment, and a proposal for measures to eliminate or reduce the risks.

According to the Regulation, risk assessment involves considering the organization of work, workstations, work equipment, materials used, personal protective equipment, and other elements that may pose a risk of injury, health damage, or illness to the employee, or may cause risks to health and safety at work. Consequently, it is essential to assess the danger, the inherent properties of the working materials and equipment, as well as the working methods, which may potentially cause injury, the likelihood of such incidents occurring, the severity of potential injuries, and the assessment of the risk involved.