The Ministry of Health has established minimum safety requirements for work involving manual handling of goods

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has established minimum safety requirements for work that involves manual handling of goods and may endanger employees, especially their backs.

The new order, which should help reduce the number of accidents and occupational diseases, came into force on September 1, 2023 after its official publication. As of today, the status of the order remains "not entered into force".

The Order of the Ministry of Health contains both the obligations of employers to create safe working conditions and the obligations of employees.

It is worth noting that the order does not provide for sanctions for violation of the established safety standards, but in the event of an accident, it may be used as a basis for filing lawsuits.

In particular, the order lists the characteristics of goods that are moved manually and may pose a potential threat to the health of employees, especially their backs. These characteristics include:

Too heavy or large a load.
Uncomfortable or too heavy to grip.
A load that is unstable or contains moving components.
A load that requires support at a distance from the body or forces you to work in an awkward position.
In addition, criteria have been established for physical activities that can lead to injury, including back injuries. These criteria include:

Significant strain.
Rotational movements of the spine.
Uncomfortable postures for the torso.
Additional conditions that may increase the risk to employees, such as uneven floor surfaces, insufficient ventilation, and other factors affecting the safety of the working environment, have also been identified.

This order was adopted to implement the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union and is part of an action plan to improve the safety and well-being of workers in Ukraine.