NR 7: What is the importance for civil construction?
Without a doubt, meeting the requirements of NR' s is essential for any company to provide a safe environment for employees, but we must agree that for civil construction, compliance with regulations becomes even more important.
Do you know why? Civil construction is the sector with the most accidents at work in Brazil and that's why we wrote this article: to disseminate information that is so necessary and that is not always given due importance.
In the case of civil construction, providing a safe and healthy work environment for construction workers not only prevents accidents, but also increases the productivity and quality of life of everyone who is there.
As a consequence, complying with the determinations established by the NR's avoids penalties and fines that can create an expendable inconvenience since it is a mandatory rule.
Today, we will understand more about NR 7, which is about PCMSO, the Occupational Health Medical Control Program. It is worth noting that the NR' s are all interconnected and complementary.
But, you must be wondering “what does PCMSO have to do with civil construction?” and this article aims to make you understand NR 7 so that you can fully apply it together with the other NR's and thus guarantee a safe work environment in your works! So, shall we?
Considering that NR 7 is part of the entire set of Occupational Safety Regulatory Standards, which value ensuring a safe work environment, aimed at the health of all workers, we must understand that it also addresses this topic.
So, we can understand that the NR 7 determines the implementation, in any type of company or organization, of the Occupational Health Medical Control Program - the PCMSO. Like the other NR' s, NR 7 aims to preserve the health of employees, in all branches of activities.
An important point that we must highlight is the mandatory drafting and implementation of the PCMSO for every organization, regardless of the degree of risk of the activity and the number of employees. But more than complying with a legal obligation, you need to understand that the PCMSO, in addition to prioritizing the health of workers, can be considered an investment for the company, since it represents savings in the short, medium and long term. To better understand, keep reading this article!
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What is the PCMSO for?
Since NR 7 deals with the PCMSO, let's understand what it is for. Basically, the PCMSO - Occupational Health Medical Control Program - aims to promote and preserve the health of the company's employees.
Thus, combined with other regulations, it acts for the health of workers. More specifically, the PCMSO is aimed at preventing, mapping and diagnosing health problems among workers and also verifies cases of occupational diseases or injuries caused by occupational hazards or even any situation related to the work environment.
In addition, the PCMSO must contain a plan, providing for the health actions to be carried out in the organization throughout the year aimed at preserving the health of workers.
It must also discriminate the number and nature of the medical tests to be performed, as well as clinical evaluations and complementary tests requested. If there are changes in the exam results, they should also be noted in the report.
Finally, the PCMSO also serves as an evaluation measure for the company, since it provides data to assess whether security actions have been effective.
Who is responsible for implementing the PCMSO?
The responsibility for the preparation and implementation of PCMSO It belongs to the employer, so he is the one who must bear the costs of the Program. NR 7 makes it very clear that employees should have no burden and are the sole responsibility of employers. Thus, the employer has a duty to implement the PCMSO in an effective manner.
The preparation of the PCMSO is based on the PPRA (Environmental Risk Prevention Program). As both programs are health-related, they must work together and in harmony. The PCMSO must have a responsible coordinating physician, which is what we are going to see below.
What are the responsibilities of the PCMSO coordinating physician?
According to NR 7, the coordinating physician is responsible for:
carry out the medical examinations provided for in the PCMSO or entrust them to a medical professional familiar with the principles of occupational pathology and its causes, as well as with the environment, working conditions, and risks to which each employee of the company to be examined is or will be exposed;
charge duly trained, equipped and qualified professionals and/or entities with the supplementary exams provided for in the items, tables and attachments of this NR.
In addition, the coordinating physician of the PCMSO is responsible for preparing the annual report containing all the necessary information.
What medical tests are mandatory?
NR 7 also provides for mandatory medical examinations, which are as follows:
Admission exam: before the hiring is finalized, the worker must take an exam to present their state of health and their condition to perform the desired function.
Periodic examination: workers must take exams according to the frequency defined by the PCMSO, which are annual for workers exposed to risks involving the triggering or worsening of occupational diseases and for those with chronic diseases. And for other workers: annual, when they are under 18 and over 45 years of age; every two years, for workers between 18 and 45 years of age.
Return to work: after being away for more than 30 days due to illness, the employee must take tests to assess their conditions for the return of their work activities.
Change of function: exams must be taken when the worker is transferred from a sector, especially when other types of risks are involved in the new function.
Dismissal exam: before the employee is dismissed, he must take tests to attest to good health conditions and is able to seek a new job.
Complementary exams (depending on the company's degree of risk, and aggressive agents present in the work environment). They will be at the discretion of the occupational physician, according to the tables in NR 7, and there will be specific tests for each risk that the job may generate.
What is ASO?
ASO's are occupational health certificates, which, after carrying out the tests determined by the PCMSO, are issued by the doctor to certify that the employee is able to carry out a certain activity. They must contain the following information, according to NR 7:
the employee's full name, the registration number of their identity and their function;
the specific occupational hazards that exist, or the absence of them, in the employee's activity, according to technical instructions issued by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health - SSST;
indication of the medical procedures to which the worker underwent, including the complementary exams and the date on which they were performed;
the name of the coordinating physician, if any, with the respective CRM;
definition of fit or unfit for the specific function that the worker is going to perform, exercise, or performed;
name of the doctor in charge of the examination and address or form of contact;
date and signature of the doctor in charge of the examination and stamp containing your registration number with the Regional Council of Medicine.
What does the standard say about First Aid?
NR 7 also states that every company must be prepared to provide first aid care, when necessary. The materials must be stored in an appropriate place and under the care of a person who has been properly trained for this purpose.
Conclusion
Today we saw the importance of NR 7 for civil construction, a sector that often neglects actions that value occupational safety.
Therefore, meeting the requirements of NR 7, as well as other NR' s, can not only free you from fines, labor actions, and absences from work, but also provides a safer work environment for everyone. Not to mention the company's earnings with increased productivity, with healthier and more satisfied employees working, isn't it?
Therefore, carefully reread this article that we prepared so you can learn more about this very important topic! And to find out about the other NR' s and NBR's, access our blog, because there you will find several articles that may be useful for your daily life! And remember to count on Blok for any challenge!
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