Deadline for workplace risk assessments is approaching

Do your company have at least one employee? If so, you may have recently received a reminder from the Estonian Labour Inspectorate that you will have to file a risk assessment of the working environment by 1 September 2021. Companies who fail to comply may be at the risk of fines.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers must compile a risk assessment of the working environment. It is mandatory for employers who have at least one employee (security institutions excluded). The obligation to file a risk assessment to the Labour Inspectorate stems from an amendment passed this spring. There are two options for doing so:

1. a) upload a previously prepared risk assessment in the Labour Inspectorate’s self-service environment
2. b) if the company lacks a risk assessment, it can be filled in via the Working Life information system (TEIS).

Employers who were listed in the employment register as having at least one employee as of 27 July 2021 received a notification. However, differences occur in the case of one-man companies, which employ only a management board member. If the board member received remuneration on the basis of an employment contract, they qualify as an employee and are subject to the requirement of filing a risk assessment. If the board member only carries out the management board member’s duties, a risk assessment is not required.

The Labour Inspectorate will perform supervision with regard to companies who are under the obligation to prepare a risk assessment but fail to do so. This could lead to a fine being meted out if the company still fails to file a risk assessment in the course of supervision proceedings.

Grant Thornton Baltic’s specialists are at your service to answer any questions you may have and if necessary, to help you to prepare a risk assessment of the working environment. Feel free to contact us via email at info@ee.gt.com.