The Ministry of Labor and Social Security is promoted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, through the bill entitled “Fair Work for All: Simplifying the Legislation-Conducting Employee-Protection in Practice”.

The bill incorporates arrangements that modernize the existing health and safety framework framework.

In a period of rapid changes in working conditions and the emergence of new professional risks, the Ministry of Labor is trying to meet the challenges of the New Age with targeted interventions for the effective protection of workers.

According to ministry sources, these provisions are part of the wider strategy for a modern and safe labor market, focusing on the employee.

Speaking to RES-EIA, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security, Costas Karagounis, states that, for decades, health and safety legislation had only undergone parametric changes. “With the bill, we are trying to face the new challenges, to streamline the current framework, to enhance the control of health and safety measures, and to use the capabilities provided by technology. The purpose of the Government and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security is to consolidate the prevention and protection culture in every workplace, “Mr Karagounis said.

According to the arrangements of the new bill, security technicians and labor doctors will be obliged to provide solely in writing their suggestions and advice to the employer.

Also, the suggestion book is digitized in the Labor Inspection Information System, with the aim of enhancing law security and facilitating the audit project.

The Occupational Physician must immediately and in writing inform the employer about the illnesses due to work. A copy of the information will be kept in the worker’s medical file.

After the consultation, it was added to the bill that provides for the simplification of the conditions for the expansion of the specialties that can perform the duties of a work physician in order to tackle the lack of work physicians.

By another provision, the threshold below which the employer can perform technical security duties is reduced from 50 to 20 employees.

Particular care is taken for safety in technical and building projects, where serious injuries and fatal accidents are often observed. In these projects, the presence of health and safety coordinators are mandatory, especially when more workshops undertake to execute sections of the project.

Strengthening the institution of security coordinators is expected to contribute to better coordination of workshops and the prevention of accidents.

The minimum working time of the coordinator is explicitly determined in the contract of assignment of his duties, depending on the type, volume, particularities and specific dangers of the project.

At the same time, workers’ readiness is enhanced in emergencies. Specifically, first aid courses, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPRA) and Haimlich, from businesses to employees, is instituted. First aid training has proven to be decisive in rescuing lives, as it allows for immediate intervention in critical situations.

The bill also includes the update of the National List of Vocational Diseases, based on European recommendations and the establishment of recognition criteria. It is also set time for the compulsory announcement of professional diseases by the employer to the Labor Inspectorate and the Insurance Agency.

In addition, it is envisaged to create the Integrated Information System “Iridanos”, which will interoperate with public sector information systems and aims to effectively monitor, analyze and prevent professional risk, central recording and data management, as well as transparency and access to information. At the same time, it aims to reduce bureaucracy and disseminate knowledge and good health and safety practices to employers and employees.

The bill is reinforced by the role of the Health and Safety Committees (EYAE) and the Internal Protection and Prevention Services (ESPP), while updating businesses into danger categories, as well as the specialties of security techniques. It is also possible for the necessary measurements to be entrusted directly to ELINYAE, to university and research institutions.

Finally, the Ministry of Labor is ratifying three international acts of the International Labor Organization, enhancing the country’s compliance with global health and safety standards.