Last year, the Labour Inspectorate conducted 3,848 supervisory proceedings, 12% more than a year earlier. The main sectors where supervision was exercised were construction, manufacturing, and trade. In the construction sector, the focus this year was on preventing falls from heights, which are the main cause of accidents with serious consequences. Labour inspector-investigator Ants Jauram explains that safety is not only the responsibility of the employer, but also of the employee. In addition, he unfortunately often sees cases where the necessary personal protective equipment is available on the construction site, but the workers do not use it for various reasons. There are also examples where in order to save costs, a broken ladder has not been replaced or handrails were not installed on scaffolding. What is not understood is that such costs are a small price to pay compared to the serious occupational accidents that they can lead to.
In 2022, there were 3,442 occupational accidents, slightly fewer than in 2021, but still an alarmingly high number. In addition, the exact circumstances of 290 incidents are still being established. There were 15 fatal accidents at work, 2 more than in 2021. At the end of last November, a new procedure for registration, reporting and investigation of occupational accidents and occupational diseases entered into force. As of 1 December, occupational accidents and occupational diseases must be registered at the Labour Inspectorate's self-service environment TEIS.
In the self-service environment, the company can also conveniently create a risk assessment of the working environment. Employers can choose a field of activity and use work equipment to map out primary risks and hazards and think through measures to mitigate them. The lack of a risk assessment is not a problem because a document has not been drawn up, but because the risks that may be present in the working environment have not been considered thoroughly. Risks cannot be mitigated if one does not know beforehand what can go wrong. A total of 29,937 different companies have submitted a risk assessment in the self-service environment, representing 62% of companies.
In 2022, the Labour Inspectorate's counselling lawyers and consultants answered a total of 34,445 calls to the helpline and advised people by e-mail more than 6,000 times. From last year, the Labour Inspectorate's helpline also offers advice in Ukrainian, in addition to Estonian, Russian and English. Lead counselling lawyer Vladimir Logatšev says that the main concerns people raise with the Labour Inspectorate relate to the cancellation of employment contracts, unpaid wages, and holidays not received. In the case of war refugees, there are also questions about the digital signing of employment contracts.
In 2022, labour dispute committees received a total of 1,869 petitions, 12% fewer than a year earlier. Most labour disputes were initiated from the construction, trade, and administrative and support activities sectors, and the claims were mainly related to monetary claims – unpaid wages, holiday pay, and compensations.
The Labour Inspectorate's counselling lawyers provide free advice on employment matters by phone at 640 6000 (Mon-Fri 09:00-16:30) or by e-mail([email protected]). Advice is provided in four languages - Estonian, English, Russian, and Ukrainian.
For information, interesting reading and useful tips on topics of working life, visit our Working Life Portal.
The measurement must be carried out within five years of the date the area was added to the list of areas with increased radon risk, for example in Tallinn by 6 August 2023. The list is available here.
