The Role of the Designated Worker

Duties of the Designated Worker

The Designated Worker is the employer’s assistant in the prevention of risks at the workplace. Its missions and responsibilities are defined in the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 9 June 2006 and Book III of the Labour Code. Under Luxembourg law, the employer is obliged to take all necessary measures to protect the safety and health of its employees. These activities include information and training activities, occupational risk prevention and the implementation of a safe organization. cf Art. L. 312-3. of the Labour Code This Designated Worker‘s main task is to deal with the company’s occupational risk protection and prevention activities. These missions include in particular:

• Health and Safety risk analysis and advice to eliminate or reduce risks
• Monitoring of regulatory obligations: European directive, labour code, ITM requirements
• Corporate strategy OHS
• Accident analysis and prevention measures
• The management of the Security Registers
• The management of Health and Safety Plans, intervention, evacuation….
• Relations with ITM, Min. Health, AAA, emergency services

Capacities of the designated worker

The Designated Worker assists the employer in setting up protection and prevention measures in the company. He is the specialist in occupational safety and health. He must be able to:

• to assume and organise the general supervision of compliance with the laws and regulations in force concerning the safety and health of workers;
• to define a company strategy to develop the safety and health of its workers;
• to monitor the working methods and means used, risk assessment and studies and provisions relating to accident prevention;
• to carry out regular security visits;
• manage safety records and maintain maintenance records;
• develop, maintain and communicate safety and health, alert, alarm, response and evacuation plans;
• prepare, organize and conduct evacuation drills;
• to assess the occupational safety and health situation of the company or establishment;
• maintain relations with the Labour and Mines Inspectorate, inspection bodies and the occupational health service to which the company is affiliated and with other health and safety inspection authorities as well as with the emergency services in the event of accidents and fires.

To carry out his duties, the Designated Worker must meet the minimum qualification criteria and must have the professional experience listed in the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 9 June 2006, taking into account the classification of companies. The Designated Worker must have a minimum period of time in order to be able to carry out his duties. The determination of the average minimum time required for the Designated Worker is set out in Annex 2 of the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 9 June 2006 and can be calculated using a tool on the website of the Labour and Mines Inspection. The company can, and even must, call on external service providers for specific and punctual needs for which it would not have the necessary means, in terms of time and/or skills.