The System of Occupational Health Services in Poland

1. What is the understanding of Occupational Health Service in Poland

 - Occupational Medicine – predominating prophylactic services

- Occupational Hygiene – Sanitary Inspection

- Occupational Safety and Health – in enterprises; Labour Inspection

2. What are the main objectives of OHS?

 - Prophylactic activities of occupational physicians and other personnel (diminishing the harmful effects of work on employers health)

- Fulfilling the requirements of Labour Code (Labour Inspection mainly)

- Fulfilling the hygienic conditions (Sanitary Inspection)

- Diagnosing and statement of occupational diseases (OM and Sanitary Inspection)

3. What are the most important  legal bases of OHS?

 - Labour Code

- Occupational Health Service Act

- Health Insurance Act

- Other 150 legal regulations

- ILO conventions 155 and 161 are not ratified, but their requirements are met

4. What is the structure of OHS?

- Primary units – authorized doctors

- Voievodeship Occupational Healthcare Centres

- Institutes of Occupational Medicine

- Sanitary Inspection – State

- Labour Inspection – State

- Central Institute for Labour Protection

5. What are the main methods for quality improvement in OHS?)

 - Supervision and control of primary units by Voievodship Occupational Healthcare Centres

- QA in some laboratories according to ISO or GLP

- Occupational hygiene laboratories authorized by Sanitary Inspection

 - Employers cover costs of hygienic measurements and prophylactic examinations

- State covers VOHC costs (supervision, education, diagnosing occupational diseases)

- Sanitary Inspection and Labour Inspection are state-budgeted

- Health insurance covers costs of curative activities

 7. What is the education and training required for occupational physician?

 - Authorized doctor is either specialist in occupational medicine (4yrs) or (up to `98) at least 6 year-experience in industrial medicine.

- Out of 8 000 authorized doctors 45,5% are specialists, 35% have 6yrs stage, 14% are GPs

8. What other important issues do you recognize as unique features of your OHS?

 - Authorized doctor is not only counselling employers and employees but mainly is a decision maker – allowing an employee to work at the given workplace

- The remarkable part of the occupational diseases is laryngeal conditions in teachers

 Recent publications:

1. Dawydzik L.T.: Legal refulations on occupational health system in Poland. Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ. Health 14, 1, 43-49, 2001.

2. Dawydzik L., Rydzynski K., Jakubowski M.: Occupational health in Poland; in: Occupational Medicine State of the Art Reviews, 17, 3, 479-490, 2002

3. Kopias J.A.: Multidisciplinary model of occupational health services. Medical and non-medical aspects of occupational health. Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ. Health 14, 1, 23-28, 2001.