Safety and Health at Work
Safety and health at work
‘Safety and health at work’ means all preventive measures designed to preserve the working, health and life of workers at work, which are used or planned at all stages of an undertaking’s activities in order to protect workers from occupational risks or to minimize them.
The Lithuanian legislation on safety and health at work is based on the principles of ensuring the safety and health of workers enshrined in Council Directive 89/391/EEC, transposes and implements the provisions of the European Union directives on safety and health at work.
Every employee must have safe and health-friendly working conditions, regardless of the type of activity of the enterprise, the type of employment contract, the number of employees, the company’s profitability, the place of work, the working environment, the nature of the work, the duration of the working day or shift, the worker’s citizenship, race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, social origin, political or religious beliefs. It is the employer’s duty to provide workers with safe and healthy working conditions in all aspects related to work. Safety and health at work measures are financed by the employer.
The state of safety and health at work in enterprises shall be assessed on the basis of how working measures, working conditions in the company and its departments comply with the requirements of safety and health at work laid down in legal acts. Occupational risk — the probability of injury or other damage to the health of the employee due to the harmful and/or dangerous factor (factors) of the working environment is identified in the assessment of the safety and health at work status.
Occupational risk must be assessed in each company. The procedure for the assessment of occupational risk in companies shall be laid down in the General Regulations on Occupational Risk Assessment. The occupational risk assessment shall be organised by the employer, the person representing it, or the person authorised by the employer for the safety and health of workers. Occupational risk assessment shall be carried out in the presence of workers or their representatives, workers’ representatives for safety and health. Occupational risk assessment is carried out by competent persons. Quantitative measurements of chemical, physical and biological risk factors shall be carried out by a laboratory of the company or a risk factor investigation institution. The risk to workers from each factor in the working environment (chemical, physical, biological, ergonomic, psychosocial, mechanical) must be assessed. When an occupational risk is identified, the risk assessment documents in the form chosen by the company are completed. Once the occupational risk has been assessed, the company must draw up and approve a plan of risk elimination and mitigation measures, in accordance with which risk prevention measures are implemented.
The main indicators of safety and health at work status are the number of accidents at work and the incidence of occupational diseases. Information on the state of health and safety of workers in the country can be found on the website of the State Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour.
Safety and health at work is regulated by the Labour Code, the Law on Safety and Health at Work, other laws, Government resolutions, orders of the Minister of Social Security and Labour or of this Minister with another (other) Minister (Ministers), orders of the Minister of Health, orders of the Chief State Labour Inspector.
In order to coordinate the interests of the State, workers and employers in the field of safety and health at work, the Commission on Safety and Health of the Republic of Lithuania was established by means of a tripartite principle of cooperation between the social partners (parties)
If the work equipment used in the establishment is a potentially dangerous equipment, the requirements of the legislation laying down the procedure for the supervision of potentially dangerous equipment must be complied with.
The State Labour Inspectorate shall carry out the monitoring of compliance with the provisions of the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, the laws regulating safety and health at work and labour relations and the prevention of infringements thereof, and the prevention of accidents at work and occupational diseases. The website of the State Labour Inspectorate provides information to employers and employees.
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work collects, analyses, and disseminates information on safety and health at work issues.
The laws:
Law on Safety and Health at Work
Law on the State Labour Inspectorate
Legislation implementing the Labour Code:
Description of the duration of special breaks per working day (shift) and the conditions for their determination approved by Resolution No 496 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 21 June 2017 ‘On the implementation of the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania’.
Legislation implementing the Law on Safety and Health at Work:
List of Occupational Diseasesapproved by Resolution No 1198 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 30 November 1994 ‘On the approval of the List of Occupational Diseases and the State Register of Occupational Diseases of the Republic of Lithuania and its Regulations’.
Regulations of the State Register of Occupational Diseases of the Republic of Lithuania approved by Resolution No 1198 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 30 November 1994 ‘On the approval of the List of Occupational Diseases and the State Register of Occupational Diseases of the Republic of Lithuania and its Regulations’.
Regulations of the Commission on Safety and Healthat Work of the Republic of Lithuania approved by Resolution No 13 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 9 January 2002 ‘On the approval of the Regulations of the Lithuanian Commission on Safety and Health at Work’.
Description of the working conditions of pregnant workers, workers who have recently given birth and breastfeeding workers approved by Resolution No 469 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 21 June 2017 ‘On the approval of the Description of the working conditions of pregnant workers, workers who have recently given birth and breastfeeding workers’.
Procedure for the organisation of employment, work and vocational training of persons under the age of eighteen, the description of the conditions of employment of children approved by Resolution No 518 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 28 June 2017 ‘On the approval of the procedure for the organisation of recruitment, work and vocational training of persons under the age of 18, and the description of the conditions of employment of children’.
Procedure for establishment and setting up regional and municipal Safety and health at work commissions approved byOrder No A1-183/V-687 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 November 2003 ‘On the approval of the Procedure for setting up and setting up regional and municipal safety and health at work commissions’.
List of special first aid measures acute health disorders caused by hazardous substances and preparations and biological substances approved by Order No V-769 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 December 2003 ‘On the approval of the List of special first aid measures acute health disorders caused by hazardous substances and preparations and biological substances’.
Competence requirements for risk factor investigation institutionsapproved by Order No A1-224/V-796 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 31 December 2003 ‘On the approval of the Competence requirements for risk factor investigation institutions’.
Procedure for training and checking knowledge of construction safety and health coordinators approved by Order No D1-1/A1-5 of the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 7 January 2004 ‘On the approval of the Procedure for training and checking knowledge of construction safety and health coordinators’.
Criteria and procedure for determining the duration of shortened working time according to the factors of the working environment approved by Order No V-196 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 6 April 2004 ‘On the approval of the criteria for the determination of shortened working time according to the factors in the working environment’.
Regulations on the Investigation and Accounting of Occupational Diseases approved by Resolution No 487 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 28 April 2004 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the Investigation and Accounting of Occupational Diseases’.
Regulations on the Investigation and Accounting of Accidents atWork approved by Resolution No 1118 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 2 September 2004 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the Investigation and Accounting of Accidents at Work’.
List of occupations and posts of employees who are vaccinated at the expense of the employer approved by Order No V-716 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 14 October 2004 ‘On the approval of the List of occupations and posts of employees who are vaccinated at the expense of the employer’.
Methodological Instructions for the Investigation of Ergonomic Risk Factorsapproved by Order No V-592/A1-210 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister for Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 15 July 2005 ‘On the approval of the Methodological instructions for the investigation of ergonomic risk factors’.
Methodological Instructions for the Investigation of Psychosocial Risk Factors approved by Order No V-699/A1-241 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister for Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 August 2005 ‘On the approval of the Methodological Instructions for the Investigation of Psychosocial Risk Factors’.
Order No A1-60 of the Minister for Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 1 February 2016 ‘On the establishment of qualification requirements for safety and health at work specialists, safety and health at work service specialists, safety and health at work specialists of a legal person or natural persons performing the functions of the Safety and health at work service or part thereof’.
Description of the Procedure for the submission of information to the State Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania by legal and natural persons performing the functions of safety and health at work services or part thereof under agreements with employers approved by Order No A1-39 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 27 January 2011 ‘On the approval of the Description of the Procedure for the submission of information to the State Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania by legal and natural persons performing the functions of safety and health at work services or part thereof under agreements with employers’.
Model Regulations for Enterprise Safety and health at work Servicesapproved by Order No A1-266/V-575 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 2 June 2011 ‘On the approval of the Model Regulations for Enterprise Safety and Health at Work Services’.
General Regulations on Training and the Verification of Knowledge on Safety and Health at Work approved by Order No A1-276 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 5 June 2017 ‘On the approval of the General Regulations on Training and the Verification of Knowledge on Safety and Health at Work’.
Lithuanian Hygiene Norm HN 23:2011 Occupational Exposure Limits for Chemical Substances. General requirements for measurement and impact assessment approved by Order No V-824/A1-389 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 1 September 2011 ‘On the approval of Lithuanian Hygiene Norm HN 23:2011 ‘Occupational Exposure Limits for Chemical Substances. General requirements for measurement and impact assessment’.
The Description of the Procedure for drawing up of safety and health at work instructions and for the instruction of workers who, by agreement of the employers, have been sent to an undertaking from anotherundertaking approved by Order No V-240 of the Chief Labour Inspector of the Republic of Lithuania of 10 August 2012 ‘On the approval of the Description of the Procedure for drawing up of Safety and health at work instructions and the procedure for instructing workers who, by agreement of the employers, have sent temporary work to the enterprise from another undertaking’.
General Regulations on Occupational Risk Assessment approved by Order No A1-457/V-961 of 25 October 2012 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania ‘On the approval on General Regulations on Occupational Risk Assessment’.
The Procedure for the Indication of Safety and health at work Expertise for the Investigation of Accidents at work and Occupational Diseasesapproved by Order No V-290 of the Chief Labour Inspector of the Republic of Lithuania of 1 October 2015 ‘On the approval of the Procedure for Approval of Safety and health at work Expertise for the Investigation of Accidents at work and Occupational Diseases’.
General Regulations of the Safety and Health at Work Committees approved by Order No A1-502 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 9 September 2013 ‘On the approval of the General Regulations of the Safety and Health at Work Committees’.
Description of the procedure for the provision (declaration) of information on the safety status of workers and the compliance of workplaces with the requirements of normative legislation on safety and health at work to the State Labour Inspectorate approved by Order No V-356 of the Chief Labour Inspector of the Republic of Lithuania of 11 September 2013 ‘On the approval of the Description of the procedure for the provision (declaration) of information on the safety status of workers and the compliance of workplaces with the requirements of normative legislation on Safety and health at work to the State Labour Inspectorate’.
Requirements for the qualification or for special knowledge and skills of employees entrusted with the supervision or modification of potentially dangerous equipment and of managers of work with potentially dangerous equipment approved by Order No A1-333 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 29 June 2017 ‘On the approval of Requirements for the qualifications or for special knowledge and skills of employees entrusted with the supervision or modification of potentially dangerous equipment and of managers of work with potentially dangerous equipment’.
Description of Requirements for the Installation of Domestic, Sanitary and Hygienic Premises approved by Order No V-959/A1-650 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 3 October 2024 ‘On the approval of the Description of Requirements for the Installation of Domestic, Sanitary and Hygienic Premises’.
Safety and health at work legislation covering individual areas of safety and health at work:
General Regulations on the Installation of Workplaces approved by Order No 85/233 of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 5 May 1998 ‘On the approval of the General Regulations on the Installation of Workplaces’.
Regulations on the provision of personal protective equipment for workersapproved by Order No A1-331 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 26 November 2007 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the provision of personal protective equipment for workers’.
Regulations on the installation of workplaces on construction sites approved by Order No A1-22/D1-34 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister for the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania of 15 January 2008 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the installation of workplaces on construction sites’.
General Regulations for safe and healthy working conditions on fishing vessels approved by Order No 55/262/285 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, the Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania of 29 June 1999 ‘On the approval of the General Regulations on safe and healthy working conditions on fishing vessels’.
Regulations on the use of safety and health signs inworkplaces approved by Order No 95 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 November 1999 ‘On the approval of Regulations on the use of safety and health signs in the workplace’.
General Regulations on the Use of Work Equipment approved by Order No 102 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 22 December 1999 ‘On the approval of General Regulations on the Use of Work Equipment.
Regulations on the protection of workers against exposure to biological occupational risk agents atwork approved by Order No 80/353 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 21 June 2001 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the protection of workers against exposure to biological occupational risk agents at work’.
Regulations on the protection of workers from chemical agents at work approved by Order No 97/406 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 July 2001 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the protection of workers from chemical agents at work and on the protection of workers from exposure to carcinogens and mutagens at work’.
Regulations on the protection of workers from exposure to carcinogens and mutagens atwork approved by Order No 97/406 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 July 2001 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the protection of workers from chemical agents at work and on the protection of workers from exposure to carcinogens and mutagens at work’.
Lithuanian Hygiene Standard HN 32:2004 ‘Working with video terminals. Safety and health requirements’ approved by Order No V-65 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 12 February 2004 ‘On the approval of Lithuanian Hygiene Standard HN 32:2004 ‘Working with video terminals. Safety and health requirements’’.
Regulations for the protection of workers against the risk of vibration approved by Order No A1-55/V-91 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 2 March 2004 ‘On the approval of the Regulations for the Protection of Workers against risk of vibration’.
Regulations on work with asbestosapproved by Order No A1-184/V-546 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 16 July 2004 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on work with asbestos’.
Regulations for the protection of workers against the risk of noise, approved by Order No A1-003/V-265 of the Minister for Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister for Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 15 April 2005 ‘On the approval of the Regulations for the protection of workers against the risks of noise’.
Description of competence requirements for companies carrying out demolition of constructions structures of which contain asbestos, removal of such constructions or of asbestos approved by Order No A1-199 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 12 July 2005 ‘On the approval of the Description of competence requirements for companies carrying out demolition of constructions structures of which contain asbestos, removal of such constructions or of asbestos’.
Minimum requirements for the provision of medical assistance on board vessels, approved by Order No V-656/3-358/A1-226 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, the Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 16 August 2005 ‘On the approval of Minimum requirements for the provision of medical assistance on board vessels’.
Regulations on the safety of workers working in potentially explosive atmospheres approved by Order No A1-262 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 30 September 2005 ‘On the approval of the Regulations on the safety of workers working in potentially explosive atmospheres’.
Requirements for the safe organisation of work and the installation of workplaces in mineral-extracting industries through drilling approved by Order No A1-004/D186 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania of 12 April 2006 ‘On the approval of the requirements for the organisation of safe work and the installation of workplaces in mineral-extracting industries through drilling’.
Requirements for the safe organisation of work and the installation of workplaces in surface and underground mineral extracting industries approved by Order No A1-004/D186 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania of 12 April 2006 ‘On the approval of the Requirements for the safe organisation of work and the installation of workplaces in surface and underground mineral extracting industries’.
Safety and health at work requirements for manual handling of loads are approved by Order No A1-293/V-869 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 23 October 2006 ‘On the approval of the safety and health at work requirements for manual handling of loads’.
Regulations on the protection of workers against the risks arising from artificial optical radiation, approved by Order No A1-366/V-1025 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister for Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 14 December 2007 ‘On the approval of the Regulations for the protection of workers against the risks arising from artificial optical radiation’.
Regulations on the prevention of sharp injuries in health care institutions approved by Order No A1-157/V-210/V-501 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania of 16 March 2012 ‘On the approval of the Regulations for the prevention of sharp injuries in health care institutions’.
Regulations for the protection of workers against the risks arising from electromagnetic fields, approved by Order No A1-614 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 30 October 2015 ‘On the approval of the Regulations for the protection of workers against the risks arising from electromagnetic fields’.
Safety requirements for blasting works approved by Order No A1-216 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 24 December 2003 ‘On the approval of safety requirements for blasting works’.
Safety and health at work Action Plan for 2022-2027, approved by Order No A1-251/V-693 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania of 5 April 2022 ‘On the approval of the Safety and Health at Work Action Plan for 2022-2027’.
Commission on Safety and Health at Work of the Republic of Lithuania
The Commission on Safety and Health at Work of the Republic of Lithuania was established in accordance with Article 6 of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Safety and Health at Work. The purpose of the Commission is to balance the interests of the State, employers and workers in the field of safety and health at work by means of a tripartite principle of cooperation between the social partners (parties).
The functions, rights, composition and organisation of the work of the Commission is laid down in the Regulations of the Commission on Safety and Health at Work approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
The Commission is made up of an equal number of representatives from parties (state institutions and bodies, employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations) (5 representatives per party).
The party of state institutions and bodies is composed of representatives of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Ministry of the Environment and the State Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour on a proposal from their heads to the Commission and is appointed by the Minister for Social Security and Labour.
Employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations (trade unions) which delegate their representatives to the Commission are determined by the Tripartite Council. Employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations (trade unions) delegate representatives to the Commission by decisions of their governing bodies.
The Secretary of the Commission: Rasa Šidagytė, Senior Advisor to the Working Environment Unit, tel. +370 656 79 662, e-mail [email protected].
Last updated: 20-11-2024