Counseling

The Prevention and Protection Service Manager (RSPP for short) is the figure in charge of assessing the risks associated with various work tasks, determining and coordinating all corrective actions to minimize or eliminate them completely. He or she must be mandatorily appointed by the Employer and is a key safety figure in the company, with specific skills and abilities. It is a role that can be filled by personnel internal or external to the company and must possess knowledge and skills appropriate to the position he or she holds. In fact, in small companies, it can even be carried out directly by the employer, after taking a course enabling the role.

TheRisk Assessment Document ( DVR for short ) is the report of the work-related risks that every company must carry out: it identifies the hazards present in each environment, at each stage of working life and simultaneously quantifies the levels of the derived risks. It identifies which tasks and therefore individual employees are subject to these risks, calculating their exposure and describing what criteria are used for the assessment.
Each individual risk should be highlighted and measured, not simply mentioned, with a view to producing a comprehensive document.
The DVR exposes the present situation, but also functions as a guide for future planning to improve safety standards over time. The DVR is drafted by the RSVP, the RLS, the Medical Officer and finally must be mandatorily signed by the employer.

A separate mention deserves the assessment of work-related stress: it is a risk of a psychosocial nature, a phenomenon that originates within the workplace and can compromise the psychophysical health of workers. It is important to know that this risk is not insignificant; on the contrary, it was estimated in 2015 that one in four Italian workers suffers from stress (27% of workers). Lost work days, due to stress-related causes, range from 50% to 60%.

The assessment of the risk of work-related stress is among the obligations of the Employer, who must provide for the integration of the Risk Assessment Document with an analysis and estimation of the risks procured by this stress.

Subsequent to the assessment, it is necessary to put in place stress management pathways that enable employees to regain harmony with their colleagues and with the work space in general. A serene and satisfied employee increases personal and his or her work team's productivity levels.

A number of recurring activities ensure that the assessments made in the first instance are always current with respect to the context in which the company works. Here are a few as examples:

• Annual inspections of work units
• Periodic audits and detection of nonconformities
• Analysis and delivery of training and educational courses best suited to the business context
• Design and implementation of Management Systems
• Design and implementation of Safety Systems
• Updating of risk assessment criteria according to the evolution of various departments, company staffing and regulations.