Slovakia: new workplace health and safety requirements

New rules for work with display screen equipment have come into force from 1 July 2006, implementing EU minimum health and safety requirements.

The new rules apply to computer monitors and similar display screen equipment used to display letters, numbers or graphics (regardless of the display method). Some display screens are not affected, such as those on typewriters, cash registers and calculators.

The new rules require employers to:

• analyse working conditions for those using display screen equipment, avoiding physical strain to their eyes, skeletons and locomotive systems in particular
• provide training both before assigning employees work tasks with display screen equipment, and when introducing any major change at the workplace or work organisation
• co-operate with employees and employee representatives on health and safety issues
• ensure workers using display screen equipment take breaks every fours (the nature and length of the break is not specified)
• provide health assessments before assigning employees work tasks with display screen equipment, at regular intervals thereafter (the intervals differ for different categories of worker) and whenever employees experience problems with their eyesight which could be due to working with display screen equipment
• where required by an employee as a result of the health assessment, provide and pay for:
• • a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination
  • glasses or other corrective devices for using display screen equipment, or
  • a medical examination of their skeletal, locomotive and nervous system

Law: regulation no. 276/2006 Coll implementing EU Directive 90/270/EEC