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The job description is an operational tool for informing operators about the health and safety risks associated with their activities, and the preventive measures to be put in place to avoid these risks.
Initially set up to meet regulatory requirements, this tool is now widely deployed for the implementation of occupational health and safety (ISO 45001) and environmental (ISO 14001) management systems. However, to be fully effective, certain rules must be observed when constructing and updating job descriptions.
Job description: regulatory framework
Under the French Labor Code, all employers are required to inform and train their employees in safety matters. This training must be appropriate and practical, and must be renewed periodically. In particular, it must be provided :
- when hiring any new employee responsible for the use or maintenance of work equipment, including temporary staff
- when risks evolve (change of process, modification of workspace layout, etc.)
- whenever an employee changes position
- at the occupational physician's request, for workers returning to work after at least twenty-one days off.
The Labor Code specifies the content of this training, which must teach employees the safest behaviors and gestures, as well as the operation of protective and emergency devices and the reasons for their use. With regard to chemical risks, the French Labor Code requires employers to draw up a workstation manual for each workstation or work situation involving exposure to a hazardous chemical agent, if therisk assessment concludes that the risk is not low.
How to create effective job descriptions?
To draw up job descriptions, employers need to use their occupational risk assessment as a starting point. This enables risks to be identified by activity or work unit, and classified using criteria such as the severity of damage and an assessment of the probability of occurrence, thus limiting occupational accidents.
The job card is then created for activities generating significant risks, for which it provides the following information:
- Safety instructions to be observed and collective protection to be used: safety instructions are adapted to the risks present. However, some instructions can be systematic, such as a strict ban on modifying safety devices. Collective protection is to be preferred to the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE); this may involve microbiological safety stations (MSP), guardrails, etc. The job description can give references to useful documents for the use and maintenance of these collective protections.
- Instructions for wearing PPE: presented in the form of a mandatory pictogram, it may be useful to supplement them with precise PPE characteristics (cut-resistant gloves, etc.) and precautions for use (cartridge mask to be changed every month, etc.).
- emergency measures in the event of malfunction and first-aid facilities: the workstation sheet must clearly describe the operations to be carried out in the event of malfunction, the resource persons to be contacted and the resources to be used (location of fire extinguishers, safety shower, etc.).
- necessary authorizations or skills: issued by the employer, authorizations are recognition of skills and authorization to work. The rules for issuing and maintaining authorizations are generally laid down in regulations (e.g. electrical authorizations, operating certain lifting equipment). Other specific skills may be derived from internal requirements (compulsory three-month tutoring, etc.).
- special medical provisions: defined by the occupational physician, these may include prior medical aptitude or reinforced medical surveillance (special medical examination at defined intervals).
- the date of revision of the job description and the editor's visa: these elements are essential for controlled distribution of the document to workstations.
This information can be usefully supplemented by other data, such as key indicators and a history of incidents and accidents. In addition, for companies developing integrated QSE management systems, the provisions necessary to ensure environmental protection or product conformity can be mentioned in the job description.
When drafting job descriptions, it is advisable to set up a working group bringing together various skills, such as the EHS coordinator, the workshop manager, the operators holding the position, the medical department and the CSE. This working group can draw on a variety of sources, such as the instruction and instruction manuals required for all work equipment put into service after January 1, 1995. In terms of chemical risk, it can refer to safety data sheets (SDS) or to the list of harmonized classifications of substances in Annex VI of the CLP regulation.
Practical recommendations for distributing and updating job descriptions
Various rules need to be observed to ensure that the job cards are used correctly and that the system lasts over time:
- Legibility of job descriptions: job descriptions must be easy to understand for everyone. They should be no more than two pages long, with a user-friendly layout (summary text, job photograph, pictograms of risks and PPE).
- Posting job descriptions on work equipment: for ease of use, job descriptions should be posted at the workstation, protected from dirt. If this is not possible, a documentation consultation point will be set up close to the workstation.
- Updating job descriptions: various events will require the employer to update its assessment of occupational risks (changes in products or processes, advances in knowledge, accidents, etc.). An organization must therefore be set up to ensure that the relevant job descriptions are kept up to date.
Widely used in companies, under a variety of terminologies (sheet, notice, workstation instructions), the workstation sheet is an indispensable tool in risk prevention (health and safety risks in the workplace, environmental risks, etc.). It can be used by a wide range of company personnel (new recruits, temporary staff, etc.), and ensures high-quality induction and training.