Starting points
Field of application
The measures in this health and safety catalogue apply to network companies in the energy sector. The measures concern the core tasks of the companies. In the Netherlands there are thirteen active network companies which have all contributed to the creation of this health and safety catalogue. The health and safety catalogue also applies to contractors and their employees that carry out work for network companies. For specific work, for example construction of scaffolding, supplementary prescriptions and measures apply.
Deviations
Companies are not obliged to use the health and safety catalogue and may deviate from these measures. However, they must be able to show to the Labour Inspectorate that they give their employees at least the same level of protection.
Labour Hygiene strategy
In the ‘organisation measures’ of this health and safety catalogue the employer is advised per risk on the labour hygiene strategy, where source approach always applies as the starting point. The ‘organisation measures' as well as the 'employee measures' are shown per activity. There, the employees see what they have to do themselves in order to work in a healthy and safe manner and also what they can expect from their employer.
The labour hygiene strategy includes that risks are first and foremost approached at the source so that the cause of the risk is removed. If a measure at the source is not possible or cannot reasonably be expected, a measure of a lower order can be chosen.
The order of preference of measures is:
1. measures at the source;
2. measures aimed at collective protection;
3. measures aimed at individual protection;
4. application of effective and suitable personal protective equipment.
Primarily measures that prevent unsafe and unhealthy work (prevention) must be taken. A preventative measure is therefore a measure which is aimed at the elimination or limitation of the established risk-range.