On August 6th, Decree 242/018 was approved by the Executive Power through which the scope of application of Decree 127/2014 was broadened, referring the latter to the installation of Prevention and Health Services in workplaces.
I. Companies that must install the Prevention and Health Services at Work.
With the new Decree, companies of Group 01 (Processing and Preservation of Food, Drinks and Tobacco) - Subgroups 01 (Dairy Industry, Chapter I "Dairy Industry") and Subgroup 09 (Drinks without alcohol, beers and malted barley, Chapter I "Non-alcoholic drinks, Waters and Beers") are required to implement in the workplace the Prevention and Health Services according to the characteristics described in the Decree.
II. Deadline to install the referred Services.
Companies belonging to the aforementioned Group and Subgroups of activity will have a term of 180 days from the entry into force of the Decree.
III. Definition of Prevention and Health Services at Work.
According to the Decree, "Occupational Health and Safety Services" refers to services invested with essentially preventive functions and in charge of advising the employer, the workers and their representatives in the company on:
a) Necessary requirements to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment promoting optimum physical and mental health in relation to work.
b) Adaptation of work to workers’ capabilities, considering their physical and mental health.
IV. Prevention and Health Services according to the number of workers.
Companies will be required to implement the following types of services depending on the number of workers:
Companies with more than 300 workers must have a medical service composed at least by a Physician and a Prevention Technician or an Occupational Health Technologist, which can be complemented by a Psychologist and a Nursing staff.
Companies with between 50 and 300 workers must have a service that can be external, composed at least by one Physician and a Prevention Technician or an Occupational Health Technologist, who will intervene at least quarterly.
Companies with between 5 and 50 workers must have an external service, under the same conditions as the previous one, which will intervene at least every six months.
Montevideo, August 2018