Surveillance of the working environment

• Pages: 152-154

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Annex II

Surveillance of the working environment

(according to the Occupational Health Services

Recommendation, 1985 (No. 171))

1. The surveillance of the working environment should in-

clude:

(a) identification and evaluation of the hazards and risks which

may affect the workers’ safety and health;

(b) assessment of conditions of occupational hygiene and factors

in the organization of work which may give rise to hazards or

risks to the safety and health of workers;

(c) assessment of collective and PPE;

(d) assessment where appropriate of exposure of workers to haz-

ardous agents by valid and generally accepted monitoring

methods;

(e) assessment of control systems designed to eliminate or reduce

exposure.

Annex II

2. Such surveillance should be carried out in liaison with the

other technical services of the undertaking and in cooperation with

the workers concerned and their representatives in the undertak-

ing and/or the safety and health committee, where they exist.

3. In accordance with national law and practice, data resulting

from the surveillance of the working environment should be re-

corded in an appropriate manner and be available to the employer,

the workers and their representatives in the undertaking con-

cerned or the safety and health committee, where they exist.

4. These data should be used on a confidential basis and solely

to provide guidance and advice on measures to improve the work-

ing environment and the safety and health of workers.

5. The competent authority should have access to these data.

They may only be communicated to others with the agreement of