OHS training for employees and supervisory staff
Every employer is required to familiarise employees with OHS regulations before they start work and at least once every 3 years thereafter. We deliver training directly at your company — in person or online — and issue a complete familiarisation record.
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What OHS training is
OHS training is the familiarisation of employees and supervisory staff with regulations, principles and risks in the field of occupational health and safety. It is not a formality — it is a statutory duty of every employer under § 7 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. on occupational safety and health. Its aim is to ensure that every employee knows the hazards of their workplace, can prevent them and knows how to act in the event of an accident or emergency.
Under § 7 ods. 1 the employer is required to regularly, comprehensibly and demonstrably familiarise every employee with the legal and other regulations on OHS, with the principles of safe work, with existing and foreseeable hazards and with protective measures. This training focuses on the educational dimension — if you are looking for the management of the entire OHS agenda by a safety officer, see the OHS service or the OHS guide with an overview of employer obligations.
Who the training is for
Every employee must be familiarised, regardless of the type of employment contract. The obligation also applies to supervisory staff and to persons who, with the employer's knowledge, are present on the employer's premises.
Employees
A regular employee is familiarised with the risks of their work, with the principles of safe procedure, with the use of PPE and with the course of action in the event of an accident. We tailor the training content to their specific workplace — the risks for an administrative worker differ from those in manufacturing or a warehouse.
Supervisory staff
A supervisory employee is responsible for safety at the workplace entrusted to them and for their subordinates. Their training therefore additionally covers supervisory activity, risk management, organisation of work and duties upon an accident. A supervisory employee has, within the scope of their authority, the same duties as the employer.
Initial and refresher training
The law distinguishes initial (first-time) familiarisation and refresher familiarisation. Both are mandatory and both must be demonstrable.
Initial familiarisation
Conducted upon commencement of employment, before beginning independent work. Under § 7 ods. 3 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. an employee is also familiarised upon transfer and when changing their workplace or job position, and upon the introduction of new technology, a new working procedure or a new piece of work equipment. Initial training is more detailed and tied to the specific work.
Refresher familiarisation
Conducted regularly at least once every three years, unless legal regulations prescribe a shorter interval (§ 7 ods. 5). It refreshes the employee's knowledge, responds to changes in regulations, technology and work organisation and serves as a reminder of newly identified risks.
Common misconception — 2 years vs 3 years. Many websites still state refresher training 'every 2 years'. After the amendment to Act No. 124/2006 Coll. effective from 1 January 2023, the statutory minimum is at least once every 3 years (§ 7 ods. 5). A shorter interval can only be imposed by special regulations for specific high-risk activities.
Online versus in-person training
Act No. 124/2006 Coll. does not specify the form of familiarisation. It only requires that it be comprehensible and demonstrable (§ 7 ods. 1) and that it be conducted during working hours (§ 7 ods. 6). Online training is therefore fully valid and withstands inspection, provided the content is appropriate to the work performed, the participant understood it and a demonstrable record of completion exists.
- Online — suitable for refresher familiarisation of office and low-risk workers, geographically dispersed teams and fast coverage of larger numbers of employees without disrupting operations.
- In person — suitable for initial training, higher-risk operations and where it is necessary to demonstrate the specific workplace, the use of PPE or to practise procedures on site.
- Combined — theory can be completed online and the practical part tied to the specific workplace in person.
Regardless of the format, we always demonstrably verify that the employee has understood the content and issue a written record.
How the training works — procedure
The entire process is led by our team — from the first contact through to the issue of the familiarisation record in five steps.
Enquiry You contact us by phone or email and provide the basic details — the number of employees to be familiarised, whether this is initial or refresher training, the type of operation and the location where you need the training.
Tailored content preparation We tailor the training content to your actual risks — drawing on your risk assessment, the type of work, the work equipment used and PPE. For supervisory staff we add a section on their responsibilities and supervisory duties.
Conducting the training — in person or online We deliver the training directly at your premises or online, always during working hours (§ 7 ods. 6). Employees are familiarised with OHS regulations and principles, the specific workplace risks, the use of PPE and the procedure in the event of an occupational accident.
Comprehension check At the end we demonstrably verify that employees have understood the content — usually with a brief test or a guided interview. This fulfils the requirement for comprehensible familiarisation under § 7 ods. 1.
Issue of the familiarisation record We draw up a demonstrable written familiarisation record with the date, content and participants' signatures. We notify you of the date of the next refresher familiarisation (at least once every 3 years under § 7 ods. 5).
Document, records and deadlines
Upon completion of training a demonstrable written familiarisation record is drawn up — usually with the date, content of the familiarisation, the name of the trainer and participants' signatures. This follows directly from the requirement of § 7 ods. 1 that familiarisation be demonstrable. It is not a licence card or certificate — it is an internal document that the employer presents during a labour inspectorate inspection.
Importantly, the employer's own employees may be familiarised by the employer themselves, without an authorisation from the National Labour Inspectorate — education and training of the employer's own employees in the field of occupational health protection (group 01, item 01.1 of Annex No. 2) does not require an authorisation under § 27 ods. 3. In practice, however, this is usually handled by a safety officer or an external provider, which ensures both expertise and accurate records.
| Item | Value | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Initial familiarisation | upon commencement, transfer, change of workplace/position, new technology | § 7 ods. 3 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. |
| Refresher familiarisation | at least once every 3 years (unless a special regulation prescribes a shorter interval) | § 7 ods. 5 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. |
| Form | comprehensible and demonstrable; in person or online | § 7 ods. 1 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. |
| Time and costs | during working hours, at the employer's expense | § 7 ods. 6 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. |
| Training of own employees | without NLI authorisation (group 01, item 01.1 of Annex No. 2) | § 27 ods. 3 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. |
| Duration in hours | not specified by law — adapted to the work and risks | § 7 ods. 1 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. |
| Document | demonstrable written familiarisation record | § 7 ods. 1 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. |
For your company we can monitor and remind you of the three-year refresher familiarisation intervals, so that no employee remains without valid training. Fire safety is covered by the separate OPP training and first aid by first-aid training.
What OHS training includes
Legal basis
§ 7 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. — regular, comprehensible and demonstrable familiarisation of every employee with OHS regulations and risks related to their work.
Initial training
Carried out before work commences, upon transfer to a different workplace and upon introduction of new technology or a new risk.
Refresher familiarisation
At least once every 3 years under § 7 ods. 5 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. (extended from 2 to 3 years by Act No. 114/2022 Coll. effective 2023).
Content
Legal regulations, workplace-specific risks, personal protective equipment, procedure at an accident (first aid, reporting), employee duties.
Document issued
Written familiarisation record — date, content, participants with signatures and name of the person who conducted the training.
Who may conduct training
Safety technician or higher-level safety technician under § 23 and § 24 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.
Why choose Alpha Safety?
- Qualified safety technicians with authorisation
- Content tailored to the risks of your specific workplace
- In-person and online formats
- Complete documentation — familiarisation records
- Training throughout Slovakia
Duration
3 hours
Format
Online and in-person
Stručná odpoveď
OHS training is a statutory duty of every employer under § 7 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. Initial training takes place before work commences, refresher familiarisation at least once every three years. We deliver training directly at your company — in person or online — and provide a written familiarisation record as proof.
Časté otázky – OHS training
Yes. Under § 7 ods. 1 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. on occupational safety and health, the employer is required to regularly, comprehensibly and demonstrably familiarise every employee with regulations on ensuring OHS, with the principles of safe work and with the risks related to the work they perform. The obligation arises from the first employee and does not depend on the type of activity or company size.
The statutory minimum for refresher familiarisation is at least once every three years under § 7 ods. 5 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. (the period was extended from 2 to 3 years by the amendment under Act No. 114/2022 Coll., effective 2023). Training must also be repeated following an accident, upon the introduction of new technology, upon change of position or when hazardous conditions change.
Initial training must be carried out before an employee commences work under § 7 ods. 1 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. An employee may not start work without completing it. It is also conducted upon transfer to a different workplace, upon change of job position and upon the introduction of new technology, work equipment or a new work procedure.
OHS training may be conducted only by a safety technician or a higher-level safety technician under § 23 a § 24 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll. The employer may also use an external person holding this qualification. Training conducted by an unqualified person does not fulfil the statutory obligation and may result in sanctions during a labour inspectorate inspection.
A written familiarisation record is drawn up, containing the date, content and scope of the training, the name of the person who conducted it and a list of participants with their signatures. This record is the proof of compliance with the obligation that the labour inspectorate checks during an inspection.
The content is tailored to the work and risks at your company. We always cover the legal framework (Act No. 124/2006 Coll. and related regulations), the risks of specific activities, the use of personal protective equipment, the procedure at an accident (first aid, reporting) and employee duties. For companies with higher-risk operations, specific risks are addressed in detail.
Yes — the format of familiarisation is not specified by law and can be delivered online, in person or in a combined form. For higher-risk work (work at height, confined spaces, operation of equipment), we recommend supplementing online theory with in-person practical training. We adapt the format to the size of the company and the nature of the work.
Under § 19 of Act No. 125/2006 Coll. on labour inspection, the employer faces a fine of up to EUR 100,000 for breaching OHS regulations; for a serious breach from EUR 1,000 to 200,000. In the event of an occupational accident caused by a breach of obligations the fine is at least EUR 20,000 in the case of serious harm and at least EUR 33,000 in the case of death.
Yes. We deliver OHS training directly at your company for a group of employees, saving you time and adaptation. We tailor the content to the specific risks of your workplace and issue the complete documentation. Contact us with the number of employees and the type of work.
Interested in OHS training?
Contact us and we will schedule a training date directly at your company.