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Przegląd Pożarniczy (Fire Review) 2020/02

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Category: Przegląd Pożarniczy
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  • From abroad
    • Cataclysm on Antipodes (12)
      The deaths of thirty-three people, the destruction of thousands of homes and the burning of nearly 20 million hectares of land - such devastation has been spreading in recent months in the land of kangaroos and koalas.
    • Burned Australia? (16)
    • Fire wings of Russia (20)
      Russia has huge potential and has huge natural resources and energy sources. Economically, it ranks sixth in the world. Everything about her is great, fires too.
  • Rescue and civil protection
    • Air transport SGPR (23)
      One of the criteria for the operational readiness of rescue groups is the ability to quickly transport to the affected area. This can be provided by air transport.
    • Test for instructors (26)
      On January 7-10, 2020, the altitude rescue instructors of the national rescue and firefighting system took place.
    • A helmet not for every occasion (28)
      Personal protective equipment is to guarantee firefighter safety. However, blindly adhering to the principle of their full use from the beginning to the end of activities is pointless and negatively affects the ergonomics and efficiency of work of rescuers.
  • Hazard recognition
    • Auschwitz-Birkenau - 75 years after liberation (30)
  • In the heat of questions
    • It `s worth to help! (34)
      Can there be something more beautiful in a person than a selfless desire to help another person? The Solidarity Foundation is not afraid of such challenges.
  • Volunteer matters

Bezpieczeństwo Pracy - nauka i praktyka (Work Safety) 2020/05

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Category: Bezpieczeństwo Pracy
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  • The nineteenth edition of the competition for a job safety poster "TODAY'S BIO-THREATS" (2nd cover page)
    The Central Institute for Labor Protection - National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB) began the next edition of the competition for a poster on occupational safety in May. The theme of this year's edition of the competition entitled "TODAY'S bio-threats" refers to the current epidemiological situation in the country and in the world.
  • Local reports (2)
  • Production workers return to work at the workplace during an epidemic (3)
    In the current emergency situation, remote work organization is recommended. Nevertheless, it is difficult to imagine the production employees who would perform their duties from home. The question, however, how to ensure their safety in the workplace in these difficult times?
  • COVID-19: end of remote work, work again at the workplace. job adaptation and employee protection (4)
    Most EU Member States have implemented, as part of non-pharmacological remedies, so-called physical spacers to reduce transmission at workplaces of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus causing COVID-19 disease. These measures include, inter alia, on suspension of non-work related activities. The nature and extent of distance varies across EU Member States and sectors, but a significant proportion of employees either have to work from home or if their work cannot be done at a distance, often they just stay at home.
  • Return to work: frustration or salvation? - conversation with dr hab. Joanna Czarnota-Bojarska from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw (8)
  • Functioning of people with disabilities during the epidemic (9)
    The epidemic period is a very hard time for which most people with disabilities could not prepare in any way. Their lives stood still, and sometimes even turned 180 degrees. People with disabilities nowadays live as if they found themselves on a desert island: not often having physical contact with family, neighbors, friends or acquaintances. They were forced to do what by definition they are often unable to do: they must now be self-sufficient.
  • Pandemics and epidemics of the 20th and 21st centuries (11)
    Pandemics and epidemics have been accompanying humanity since the dawn of time, and for most of the known history, easily spreading, severe diseases have simply been an unpleasant element of everyday life. it was only the rapid development of medicine that began at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries that made them a rare phenomenon, and therefore paradoxically extremely painful for the communities they experience.
  • Rate the probability of exposure to COVID-19 (14)
    The POLCOVID-19 application created by Polish geneticists, immunologists and bioinformists will allow everyone - anonymously - to identify the symptoms of coro-virus infection. The virtual map also indicates the likelihood of exposure to third parties in the vicinity - on a county or city scale.

    Read more: Bezpieczeństwo Pracy - nauka i praktyka (Work Safety) 2020/05

Aktualności Ochrony Środowiska (Environmental Protection News) 2020/05 (172)

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Category: Aktualności Ochrony Środowiska
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  • Subject of the issue - How to treat waste generated in quarantine facilities
    Waste generated in households by quarantined persons should be treated as municipal waste, not medical waste - according to information published by the Ministry of Climate and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.
  • Coronavirus - is tap water safe?
    The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms the lack of danger to the water-intake systems as a way to spread coronovirus. Details below.
  • Compliance with health and safety may protect you from coronavirus
    In the event of a coronavirus threat, it becomes important to maintain hygiene rules in the workplace. Below are 10 issues worth discussing with employees or colleagues.
    Find out what the extended producer responsibility system is
    Participants in the extended producer responsibility system (hereinafter: ROP) include business entities, e.g. those introducing products in packaging, recovery organizations acting on their behalf, or waste collection and recycling companies. Does the obligation apply to you?
  • Obligations in May 2020
  • 3 questions about safety data sheets
    Would you like to know how to store a safety data sheet in your company? Or maybe you do not know what to do when the manufacturer provides you with a card in a foreign language? If you want to know the answers to these questions - be sure to read the article!
  • What does the abbreviation "ex" mean for the waste code
    The abbreviation 'ex' placed before the waste code distinguishes some particular type of waste from the whole type that appears under that code. The waste preceded by this index in its description is clarified, specified.

    Read more: Aktualności Ochrony Środowiska (Environmental Protection News) 2020/05 (172)

Praca i Zabezpieczenie Społeczne (Work and Social Security) 2020/05

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Category: Praca i Zabezpieczenie Społeczne
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  • Work-life balance and coronary crisis. Some Notes on Processes and Their Consequences (3-8)
    The article deals with issues that manifested themselves with the COVID-19 pandemic. The issues of taking care by persons performing work have revealed their centrality for the functioning of the market, although they remain invisible and largely underestimated as important for the functioning of the market and, above all, society. The author does not answer the question what to do next after the pandemic, but points to the sphere of care as the approach to which requires a fundamental revision. Anyway, as well as to other issues that seemed to be the most important so far.
  • Specific solutions in labor and social security law introduced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. General issues (9-17)
    The outbreak of COVID-19 disease in an unprecedented manner in recent times has forced the adoption of many legal solutions to prevent further spread of the disease agent, i.e. the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Such solutions did not bypass Polish labor and social security law. Some of them are designed to provide financial assistance and relief in the field of contributory obligations to employers and other contribution payers who, in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, have significantly deteriorated their operating conditions. Others are aimed at reducing the scope of employee protection, which is particularly visible in the case of employees of offices serving central government administration bodies. The author discusses these solutions, indicating the basic problems associated with their use.
  • Suspension agreements in the anti-crisis act (18-27)
    The COVID-19 pandemic has a number of social and economic effects that require responses in labor and social security law. The so-called anti-crisis act of March 2 this year. introduces solutions that allow limiting employee rights, as well as state support for maintaining employment. This objective is pursued by the suspension arrangements provided for therein. The authors, analyzing the subjective and objective side of these agreements, indicate similarities and differences between them. At the same time, they draw attention to their different designs and show legislative shortcomings in this respect, trying to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of suspensive arrangements in practice.
  • Legal grounds for controlling employees working remotely (28-35)
    In order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, pursuant to the Act of March 2, 2020, the possibility of sending an employee to work remotely was introduced by employer's official order.

    Read more: Praca i Zabezpieczenie Społeczne (Work and Social Security) 2020/05

Aktualności Ochrony Środowiska - wydanie specjalne (Environmental Protection News) 2020/05-06 (79)

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Category: Aktualności Ochrony Środowiska
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  • Subject of the issue - Independent environmental audit - we suggest how to do it
    Have you ever wondered how to conduct an independent audit in terms of noise, ODS, air emissions and waste management in your company? In the article below you will find tips that will help you achieve your goals.
  • Air emissions
    Example: Various technological processes are carried out on the plant premises, i.e. bending, drilling, grinding, welding and spot welding. In addition, the manufactured elements are painted and degreased in special preparations.
  • Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)
    Example: the plant has two air-conditioning devices, each with a content exceeding 3 kg of R410A refrigerant, which is an ozone-depleting gas (so-called ODS).
  • Noise emission
    Example: The plant has not been subjected to a decision on the permissible noise level, so it is not subject to the obligation to take measurements of noise emissions into the environment or submit reports in this respect to VIEP.
  • Waste management
    Example: Different types of waste are produced at the ABC plant, both hazardous and non-hazardous. Chemical substances are stored together with waste, without protection against access by unauthorized persons. The plant produces both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
  • Waste electrical and electronic equipment
    Example: manufactured electrical harnesses are not electrical and electronic equipment, therefore their placing on the market is not subject to the provisions of the WEEE Act.

    Read more: Aktualności Ochrony Środowiska - wydanie specjalne (Environmental Protection News) 2020/05-06 (79)

Monitor Prawa Pracy (Labor Law Monitor) 2020/05

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Category: Monitor Prawa Pracy
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  • News
    • Changes in the law
    • Government draft regulations regarding the extension of the benefit period
    • Provision of work outside the workplace as part of telework or remote work
    • Employee's liability for an accident when performing work contrary to the order
  • Articles
    • The sphere of employment in anti-crisis activities. Selected Issues
    • Working time in critical sectors in the era of COVID-19
    • Conversion of women's general retirement pension from 1953
    • Absolute prohibition of renouncement of remuneration for work
    • Parental leave as a period of (not) counted as holiday leave
    • The duty to care for the good of the workplace and to protect its property. Termination of the employment contract through the fault of the employee

      Read more: Monitor Prawa Pracy (Labor Law Monitor) 2020/05

Inspektor Pracy (Labor Inspector) 2020/05

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Category: Inspektor Pracy
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  • An appeal to farmers (3)
    A request to farmers to maintain exceptional care for health and safety while performing daily tasks.
  • In the Parliament of the Republic of Poland - Pandemic and the working environment (4)
    The meeting of the Labor Protection Council on April 28, 2020 was on the World Day of Safety and Health at Work. Traditionally, as every year, it was to take place in the Column Hall of the Parliament. The coronavirus pandemic forced a different course of the meeting - it took place remotely, via ICT links.
  • News not only from country (5)
  • Safe return to work. Recommendations of the National Labor Inspectorate (6)
    Due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic that causes COVID-19 disease, restrictions have been implemented in our country to prevent the spread of the disease. Some of these restrictions apply to jobs. Regardless of whether the threat takes a chronic form, or whether it will be possible to quickly eliminate the pathogen from public space, the time is approaching the return to normal functioning of the economy and workplaces.
  • When the recipe runs out. Role of custom in the labor inspector's control procedure (8)
    Sometimes you may encounter a situation in which there is no explicit legal norm contained in an act, regulation, collective agreement or regulations. Then comes the custom even recognized by the Supreme Court as a possible source of rights and obligations of parties to labor relations.
  • Force of age. Legal regulations for the employment of seniors (12)
    The Labor Code does not indicate the term "senior" or "elderly person" in any of the provisions, however, some provisions apply to persons who are protected due to reaching a certain age or their employment ceases due to retirement. Also in special provisions we have a reference to persons who are subject to certain rights or obligations when they reach a certain age.
  • Ten thousand winners. VII edition of the "Know your rights at work" competition (17)
    This year, the final stage of the competition was not held for the first time in history. What does not know - that no one has won. All participants were the winners, and their prize was invaluable knowledge of occupational health and safety and labor law in adulthood.
  • Know your rights at work - photojournalism (18)
  • Prestige of the profession of a labor inspector. Interview with Jerzy Łaboński, District Labor Inspector in Zielona Góra (20)
  • (Almost) like a pandemic. Biological hazards in agricultural work (23)
    The need to wear masks, frequent and thorough hand washing ... how do we know this?

    Read more: Inspektor Pracy (Labor Inspector) 2020/05

Wiadomości PKN - Normalizacja (PKN News - Standarization) 2020/05

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Category: Wiadomości PKN - Normalizacja
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  • Polish Standardization Day (3)
    Every year, the Polish Committee for Standardization organized a thematic conference to celebrate the Polish Standardization Day. This year, May 20 will be an opportunity for us to recall issues for which standards were and still are key. Although we cannot meet at a joint conference, we hope that soon everything will return to normal and again we will be able to talk about standardization in the context of experts, practitioners and users in the context of important issues and changing trends.
  • News
    • School competitions of standardization knowledge (6)
      Competitions are usually in the form of written text - participants answer a number of questions. In the case of inter-school competitions, first there are school preliminaries, resulting in the team representing the school at the next stage. All competitions are covered by the honorary and substantive patronage of PKN, which helps in the substantive development of the competition and funds prizes.
    • Results of the VIII National Competition "Normalization and I" (10)
  • From standardization work
    • Standardization of measurement methods in the field of water analysis (14)
      In 2019, the monthly 'Wiadomości PKN' published an article entitled 'The meaning of standardized methods in water and wastewater research'. This article is a continuation of this topic with particular emphasis on the needs and limitations associated with the standardization of measurement methods used in water quality testing.

      Read more: Wiadomości PKN - Normalizacja (PKN News - Standarization) 2020/05

Bezpieczeństwo Pracy i Ochrona Środowiska w Górnictwie (Work Safety and Environmental Protection in Mining) 2020/05

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Category: BP i Ochr. Śr. w Górnictwie
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  • Gas-geodynamic threat and methods of combating it in copper ore mines in the light of the work of the Advisory and Opinion Team for the analysis of gas-geodynamic phenomena at KGHM Polska Miedź
    The article presents the scope of work of the Team for the analysis of gasogeodynamic phenomena that occurred in the years 2009–2018 at KGHM Polska Miedź, appointed by the President of WUG, its tasks, scope of activity and conclusions. As a result of the work of its members, analyzes and expertises were created that addressed various topics, ranging from the genesis of the gasogeodynamic phenomenon to proposals for solutions to combat the threat of gas and rock outbursts. The aim of the article is to familiarize with the problem and scale of gasogeodynamic phenomena and actions taken to use the appropriate methods and measures to prevent and reduce to a minimum the risk of gas and rock outbursts in metal ore mining plants.
  • Repair of damage caused by mining operations
    In 2018, in all mining sectors, a total of 372 527.6 thousand was spent on removing damage caused by mining plant operations and preventive measures against the effects of mineral exploitation. PLN 6485 facilities were repaired. Preventive protection was applied in 1099 facilities (54 903.4 thousand PLN was spent). Among all the branches of the mining industry, hard coal mining allocates by far the largest funds each year for repairing damages. In 2018, it spent 322 918.4 thousand for this purpose.PLN Larger mines incurred brown coal (PLN 26,086.1 thousand) and non-ferrous metal ores (PLN 22,540.7 thousand). In the entire Polish mining industry, almost half of the costs were related to repairing damages through natural restitution. These outlays amounted to 168 511.5 thousand PLN. From this pool, the most funds were allocated for the repair of residential buildings (52 402.7 thousand zlotys), followed by the renovation of roads, streets and bridges (26 266.7 thousand zlotys in total) and the repair of railway facilities and equipment (18 839 , PLN 9,000). The financial liabilities of mines regarding the payment of various types of compensation in 2018 amounted to PLN 126,300.4 thousand. zł. In this group of costs, the largest funds were allocated to one-off compensation for construction works (PLN 59,584.0 thousand). As in previous years, settlements constituted the formal basis for repairing damages in the overwhelming majority. In 2018, 11,999 agreements of this type were concluded, and common courts issued 226 final judgments.
  • Diagnostics of electric machine commutators
    The article describes the role and possibilities of technical diagnostics using the diagnostic system for commutator and slip rings monitoring (MKPS), developed by OPA Zabrze and the Silesian University of Technology.

    Read more: Bezpieczeństwo Pracy i Ochrona Środowiska w Górnictwie (Work Safety and Environmental Protection...

Medycyna Pracy (Occupational Medicine) 2020/03

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Category: Medycyna Pracy
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  • Occupational exposure to Staphylococcus aureus in the wastewater treatment plants environment
    The aim of the study was to assess the occupational exposure to Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, including methicillin- resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and other antibiotic-resistant strains in the municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) environment. In general, WWTPs workers are occupationally exposed to S. aureus, including MRSA, and other antibiotic- and multi-antibiotic-resistant strains. The highest risk of infection concerns the activities carried out in direct contact with wastewater or devices through which wastewater flows, particularly at the stage of mechanical treatment. A significant source of S. aureus seems to be intensive livestock farming located in the area of the WWTPs under analysis. The study confirms the necessity to disinfect the wastewater discharging into WWTP.
  • Oral cavity status of long-term hemodialized patients vs. their socio-economic status
    The chronic kidney disease, blood hypertension and diabetes are recognized as civilization diseases that affect more and more people. The probability of encountering a patient suffering from these diseases is increasing. As such, it appears crucial to better understand the specific dental needs of such groups of patients. The aim of the work was to assess the oral hygiene status and the needs of patients suffering from the end-stage chronic kidney disease, arterial hypertension or/and diabetes. The socio-economic status of hemodialized patients was low, which in most cases was a result of the difficulties in starting a job. Due to the lower standards of life, the neglect of oral hygiene maintenance and its consequences could be observed.
  • Health promotion in workplaces counteracting the effects of aging personnel. How is it different from other companies and what obstacles are there?
    The purpose of the article is to answer the question whether companies that implement staff health promotion to counteract the effects of their aging are different from workplaces that do not follow this motive in their health-promoting activities. The differences analyzed relate to the frequency of implementation and evaluation of separate health-related projects, conducting assessments of the health needs and expectations of staff, managers' interest in the topic of aging population and developing motivation to promote health. In addition, obstacles encountered by employers in the promotion of staff health in the context of the aging problem were analyzed. The conclusions indicate the postulated directions of support for companies to reduce the adverse effects of demographic change by promoting health.
  • Assessment of the role of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) in the professional activation of people with health problems, implemented by issuing decisions on the desirability of retraining
    The introduction of the training pension into the social insurance system was aimed at bringing back to the labor market persons who due to illness became unable to practice their current profession. These persons - after specialist training - can obtain new qualifications allowing for professional activity on the general labor market. The aim of the study was to assess the role of the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) in the professional activation of people with health problems, implemented by issuing decisions on the desirability of retraining. The analysis included 460 files of cases in which a ruling was issued in 2009 on the desirability of retraining because of the inability to work in the profession. The effectiveness of the training pension as a tool for professional activation of people with health problems, expressed in the number of retrained people who returned to the labor market, is low. Over 80% of people do not change their profession, some of them again submit an application for a disability pension. The large number of incorrect judgments and the lack of cooperation between institutions implementing vocational retraining, i.e. ZUS, and labor offices, is the reason for the low effectiveness of the training pension. In order to increase it, it is necessary to carry out organizational and legislative changes, with particular emphasis on expanding the knowledge of ZUS adjudicating doctors and occupational medicine doctors, as well as improving cooperation between all institutions involved in the professional activation of people with health problems.

    Read more: Medycyna Pracy (Occupational Medicine) 2020/03