Obligation to Create an OHS Service

An employer with more than 100 employees (counted as the number of individuals, not full-time equivalents) is obliged to create an internal OHS service.

For smaller businesses, the creation of an OHS service can be required by a labour inspector if justified by the occupational hazards.

Number of OHS Service Employees

When employing up to 600 employees, an employer can create a one-person OHS unit, i.e. employ one part-time OHS worker. For employers with more than 600 employees, a full-time OHS employee is required for every 600 employees. In such cases, the labour inspector may also require an increase in the number of OHS employees if justified by the occupational hazards.

External OHS Specialist

Using external OHS specialists is allowed in companies with over 100 employees, but only exceptionally, such as during the recruitment process for an OHS position or when the OHS employee is absent due to illness or other justified absence.