New Measures for Prevention of Coronavirus in Workplace
Newsletter 121
A Rulebook introducing a set of new obligations for all employers and employees has been adopted with the aim of preventing the spread of infectious disease and ensuring safe working conditions. All employers are required to adopt a Plan for the implementation of measures to prevent the outbreak and spread of the infectious disease epidemic (Preventive Action Plan) by no later than August 10.
The Rules on preventive measures for safe and healthy work and prevention of outbreak and spread of the infectious disease will enter into force on 11 July 2020 (RS Official Gazette No. 94/20 Rules) and will be applied in all workplaces, except in case of work in the field and work from home.
WHAT ARE EMPLOYERS’ OBLIGATIONS?
All employers are required to adopt a Preventive Action Plan, which is a part of the risk assessment document in terms of the rules on safety and health at work. The Preventive Action Plan must include:
- preventive measures and activities to prevent the outbreak of the infectious disease epidemic,
- tasks for the implementation and control of implementation of preventive measures and activities;
- measures and activities in case of outbreak of the infectious disease epidemic.
Preventive measures include a number of acts and actions the employer is required to undertake, and cover not only the written instructions and guidelines for observing measures, and ensuring additional hygienic measures in business premises, but also the issues of organising work by redistributing working hours and introducing shift work with a smaller number of employees.
Under the Rules, the control of implementation of prescribed measures is exercised by the person in charge of safety and health at work.
Furthermore, the Rules provide for the obligations of employees related to prevention of the spread of infectious disease. All employees are required to comply with the prescribed preventive measures in workplace, and to immediately report to the employer any suspicious symptoms of the infectious disease they may feel or detect in their co-workers or family members.
An employer who fails to adopt the mandatory Preventive Action Plan within the prescribed deadline may face a misdemeanour fine between 800.000 and 1.000.000 RSD in accordance with the penal provisions of the Law on Safety and Health at Work (RS Official Gazette Nos 101/2005, 91/2015 and 113/2017 – another law).
