Governmental Agreement No. 57-2022, which amends the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation -SSO-, becomes effective today. This amendment was published on March 3, 2022 in the Official Gazette. The following is a summary of the most relevant reforms:
1. Bipartite OHS Committee: OHS committees, minute books and OHS monitors may be registered and authorized electronically by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security -MINTRAB- and the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security -IGSS-.
2. Occupational Health and Safety Plans. The content of each of the plans is detailed, according to the number of employees per workplace, which must be registered with the MINTRAB or the IGSS:
a. Occupational Risk Prevention Plan. Applies to workplaces with less than 10 employees.
b. Occupational Health and Safety Plan. Applies to workplaces with more than 10 employees and must be composed of two parts:
Part I: referring to occupational health, elaborated by competent Physician in the matter and registered in MINTRAB.
Part II: concerning occupational safety, prepared by a person competent in the matter and registered in MINTRAB.
3. OHS Monitor: The profiles of the Monitor are modified and it is defined that it must be a competent person in the matter designated by the Employer, whose profile must be defined according to the economic activity of the workplace and the risks of the work positions. The Monitor must be a member of the Bipartite OHS Committee representing the employer.
4. Levels of medical care: Levels of medical care in workplaces are reduced. Periodic laboratories and immunizations are eliminated.
5. First aid kits: They must have general use medicines such as analgesics, antihistamines, oral rehydration salts or similar, and the content of the minimum supplies or products they must contain is reduced.
6. Manual handling of loads: The maximum weight limits for manual handling of loads for men and women according to their ages are modified.
7. Licenses for persons who promote and train occupational risk management systems: MINTRAB is in charge of issuing licenses for individuals or legal entities that wish to promote, train and implement occupational risk prevention management systems.
For a complete summary of the reform or more information, please contact the following e-mail address: csandoval@consortiumlegal.com.