Czech OHS Specialist Exam cheat sheet

Core statutes: Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.) governs employment relations and employee protection duties; OHS Act (Act No. 309/2006 Coll.) sets further requirements for health and safety at work; Act No. 251/2005 Coll. (labour inspection) covers state supervision and sanctions.

OHS Act No. 309/2006 Coll. applies to employers and employees in employment and similar relations plus self-employed persons working on a workplace; it is implemented by Government Regulation No. 361/2007 Coll. (work environment hygiene limits) and Government Regulation No. 378/2001 Coll. (safe operation of machinery).

Labour Code §101 imposes a general preventive duty: the employer must ensure safety and health protection of employees at work, including prevention of risks, and must not shift costs of OHS measures onto employees.

Labour Code §106 lets the employer transfer performance of OHS tasks to a professionally competent person; that person must have the qualifications set by the OHS Act and the employer remains liable for compliance.

Labour Code §105 requires consultation with the trade union or works council and cooperation with employees on OHS measures, including allowing employee participation in risk prevention.

Labour Code §103 requires the employer to inform employees about OHS rules, risks, and the identity of the OHS professional and occupational health provider, and to keep this information accessible.

Government Regulation No. 361/2007 Coll. sets binding limits: occupational exposure limits (PEL/NPK-P) for chemical agents, noise limits, microclimate categories, and minimum illumination values.

Penalties: the State Labour Inspection Office (SUIP) may impose fines under Act No. 251/2005 Coll. for breaches of OHS duties; the Labour Code also allows employee refusal to work under §106(2) when serious and imminent danger exists.

Employer core duties (Labour Code §102): ensure safety and health protection of employees, prevent risks, provide PPE and protective equipment free of charge, provide first aid and emergency access, and keep records of accidents.

Employer must not assign work to an employee that exceeds their capabilities or that is not appropriate to their health capacity; §103 requires informing employees of risks and OHS measures before work starts.

Employee duties (Labour Code §106): follow OHS instructions, use PPE and safety devices correctly, undergo medical examinations and training, report accidents and hazards, and refrain from alcohol or other addictive substances at work.

Employee right to refuse work: under §106(2) an employee may refuse work that poses serious and imminent danger to life or health and must inform the supervisor; the employer must not require performance until the danger is removed.

OHS professional (bezpečnostní technik) competence: OHS Act No. 309/2006 Coll. §10 sets qualification requirements (education plus practice), and the employer must ensure periodic professional development.

OHS professional duties: identify hazards, propose risk prevention measures, participate in risk assessment, investigate accidents, maintain OHS documentation, and advise the employer and supervisors.

Authorized safety technician (autorizovaný bezpečnostní technik) is a state-authorized role under Act No. 309/2006 Coll. for specified high-risk activities (e.g., work at height, confined spaces, demolition); the authorization is granted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Supervisors (vedoucí zaměstnanci) are directly responsible for OHS in their units: they must create safe conditions, enforce OHS rules, and ensure employees are trained and equipped.

Risk assessment is a legal obligation under Labour Code §102(3): the employer must systematically search for hazards, assess risks, and adopt measures to eliminate or minimize them, and review the assessment regularly.

Risk = combination of probability of harm and severity of harm; risk assessment must consider all work activities, machinery, substances, work environment, and the workforce including vulnerable groups.

Hierarchy of prevention: eliminate the hazard, substitute with less hazardous process or substance, use engineering controls (guarding, ventilation, enclosures), then administrative controls (procedures, training), then PPE as last resort.

Risk assessment must be documented, kept available to employees and inspectors, and updated when processes, equipment, substances, or personnel change, or after an accident or near miss.

Collective protection takes priority over personal protection; PPE is used only where risks cannot be controlled by collective or organizational measures.

Residual risk must be communicated to employees and reflected in operating procedures, permits to work, and training content.

Risk register should record hazard, affected persons, existing controls, risk rating, required measures, responsible person, and deadline, with a review date.

Government Regulation No. 361/2007 Coll. sets occupational exposure limits (PEL) for chemical agents and specifies factors: noise, vibration, microclimate, lighting, dust, and physical load.

Microclimate is classified into categories (I to IV) based on metabolic heat production; employers must keep workplace microclimate within the applicable category limits.

Noise limits: the exposure limit for noise is 85 dB(A) for an 8-hour shift; peak sound pressure limit is 140 dB(C); above 85 dB(A) the employer must provide hearing protection and health surveillance.

Lighting: minimum illumination values depend on the visual task class; Regulation 361/2007 Coll. sets values for tasks from orientation (about 50 lx) up to demanding precision work.

Chemical agents: employers must maintain a register of hazardous chemicals, obtain safety data sheets, and apply OELs; carcinogens and mutagens require specific records and exposure controls.

Workplace layout requirements: minimum floor area and free space per worker, adequate ventilation, drinking water supply, sanitation facilities, and rest areas are set by Regulation 361/2007 Coll. and related regulations.

Occupational hygiene monitoring (měření) must be performed by an accredited laboratory when required, and results must be kept and made available to employees and the OHS inspectorate.

Government Regulation No. 378/2001 Coll. sets requirements for safe operation of machinery, technical equipment, and tools; the employer must ensure machinery is used only for its intended purpose and by trained persons.

Machinery must undergo prescribed inspections and tests (revize, kontroly, zkoušky) at intervals set by the manufacturer or by Czech technical standards (ČSN); records of these inspections must be kept.

Selected technical equipment (vyhrazená technická zařízení) - pressure vessels, lifting equipment, electrical equipment, gas equipment - is governed by Act No. 174/1968 Coll. and requires inspections by authorized persons.

Lifting equipment: before first use and periodically thereafter, lifting equipment and its attachments must be inspected by an authorized person; load capacity must be clearly marked.

Electrical equipment: Act No. 250/2021 Coll. (effective 2022) regulates electrical installations and equipment, and requires professional competence (vyhláška No. 194/2022 Coll.) for work on electrical equipment.

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is implemented in Czech law (Government Regulation No. 176/2008 Coll. as amended); CE marking and declaration of conformity are required before placing machinery on the market.

Work at height: Regulation No. 362/2005 Coll. requires fall protection, safe access, and use of collective fall protection before personal fall arrest systems.

Occupational health services (závodní preventivní péče / pracovnělékařské služby) are regulated by Act No. 373/2011 Coll. and Government Regulation No. 79/2013 Coll.

Types of medical examinations: entry (vstupní), periodic (periodická), extraordinary (mimořádná), and exit (výstupní) examinations; the employer arranges and pays for them.

Periodic examination intervals depend on risk category: work in Category 4 (high risk) requires examinations at least every year, Category 3 at least every 2 years, and Category 2 at least every 3 years unless the provider sets otherwise.

Work is classified into four categories: Category 1 (no risk), Category 2 (risk not exceeding limits), Category 3 (risk exceeding limits), and Category 4 (high risk of occupational disease).

The employer must keep a list of employees in risk categories, ensure they undergo examinations, and act on the provider's fitness conclusions (e.g., transfer to suitable work).

Occupational diseases (nemoci z povolání) are reported to the relevant health authority and the employer; the employer must investigate the cause and adopt preventive measures.

Health records must be kept confidential; only the fitness conclusion is communicated to the employer, not the medical details.

Work accident (pracovní úraz) is an injury or death caused to an employee during work or in direct connection with it; the employer must record and investigate it under Labour Code §105 and Government Regulation No. 201/2010 Coll.

The employer must investigate every work accident, determine its cause, and adopt measures to prevent recurrence; the employee must report the accident without undue delay.

A written accident record (záznam o úrazu) must be made for accidents requiring medical treatment beyond first aid or resulting in incapacity for work; the record must be provided to the employee and the relevant authorities.

Reporting to the State Labour Inspection Office and the health insurer is required within 5 working days for accidents that result in incapacity for work of more than 3 calendar days, or death.

Serious accidents (smrtelný, těžký úraz) must be reported immediately to the police and the State Labour Inspection Office; the scene must be preserved unless rescue requires otherwise.

The employer must keep accident records for at least 5 years from the date of the accident; records of serious accidents must be kept longer.

Employees have the right to compensation for work accidents under Labour Code §366 et seq., including lost earnings, pain and suffering, and reduced social prospects.

Required OHS documentation includes: risk assessment, operating procedures, OHS instructions, training records, PPE register, accident records, inspection records, and medical examination records.

Training must be documented with the date, content, trainer, and employee signature; entry training, periodic training, and training for specific risks (e.g., work at height, electrical work) are required.

Periodic OHS training must be repeated at intervals set by the employer, at least once every 2 years for standard employees, and annually for high-risk roles unless the employer sets shorter intervals.

The employer must keep documentation available for employees and for inspection by the State Labour Inspection Office; documentation must be current and reflect actual conditions.

Records of selected technical equipment inspections, medical examinations, and accident records have statutory retention periods; the employer must not discard them early.

Training records for managers and OHS professionals must demonstrate competence in risk assessment, accident investigation, and emergency procedures.

Documentation must be in Czech or accompanied by a Czech translation for employees and inspectors.

Fire safety is regulated by Act No. 133/1985 Coll. on fire protection and Decree No. 246/2001 Coll.; the employer must ensure fire prevention measures, fire safety documentation, and fire safety training.

The employer must designate a fire safety officer (preventista požární ochrany) and a fire protection officer (bezpečnostní technik požární ochrany) depending on the fire risk category of the premises.

Fire safety documentation includes fire safety regulations, fire evacuation plan, fire alarm procedures, and fire safety training records; it must be reviewed regularly.

The employer must provide and maintain fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment, ensure escape routes are unobstructed, and conduct periodic fire drills.

First aid: the employer must provide first aid equipment, trained first aiders, and access to emergency medical services; first aid training must be part of OHS training.

Emergency procedures must cover fire, chemical release, medical emergency, and evacuation; employees must be trained on them and on the location of first aid kits and emergency contacts.

Emergency contact numbers in the Czech Republic: 112 (integrated emergency), 150 (fire), 155 (ambulance), 158 (police).