The PPRA is an important instrument for managing worker health and safety. Its main objective is to preserve the health and integrity of workers during their professional activities.
To do this, it identifies, evaluates and controls the environmental risks that are present in the workplace, so that it is possible to mitigate and correct them!
It can be used to set the optimal safety standards, as well as enable the determination of occupational diseases that are associated with the activities. Since it is compulsory, it is a significant tool for ensuring workplace safety.
What does PPRA mean?
PPRA is the acronym for Environmental Risk Prevention Program. It was established by NR 9 of the MTE with the objective of preserving the health and integrity of workers.
Its development, which is a document that every company needs to have, occurs based on an analysis of the work environment, the environmental risks that exist there – such as unhealthy factors – and, then, how the company can neutralize them.
For example, consider a company that works with furnaces. Their presence is a risk factor for workers, who are exposed to high temperatures and can also get burned.
Therefore, this scenario requires both the company to offer adequate training for employees and personal protective equipment (PPE) .
How important is PPRA in the company?
The PPRA is extremely important for any type of company. Firstly, because it is mandatory. Failure to do so may force the company to pay considerable fines, as well as being sentenced in the Labor Court.
Furthermore, it is through this that environmental risks present in the workplace are identified, evaluated and controlled. Therefore, it becomes essential for the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases.
After all, the PPRA facilitates the development of internal control policies for the company. From it, managers know what the security needs of the activities are and how to promote them.
What are the objectives of the PPRA?
In general, the objective of the PPRA corresponds to preserving the health and integrity of a company’s employees.
Through it, it is possible to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control environmental risks that may cause accidents or occupational illnesses.
Which companies need to have a PPRA?
All. The law does not establish exceptions, as any type of activity may involve environmental risks, whether they arise from the task itself or from the place where it is performed.
Do companies with only one employee need to do the PPRA?
Yes! Even if the company has few employees, or just one, it will still be obliged to develop the PPRA.
What are the steps of the PPRA?
The PPRA’s development functions as a sort of expertise. It is divided into multiple phases. These consist of:
- The identification of environmental risks;
- Assessment of these risks;
- Development of control measures;
- Preparation of an action plan;
- Report of actions and results obtained.
All these phases are fundamental to ensuring the effectiveness of the program in preventing accidents and occupational diseases.
In fact, they already show that the PPRA is not developed at a single moment. In fact, it must exist as soon as the company starts its activities, but it must be reviewed from time to time to be updated.
Who should prepare the PPRA in the company?
The development of the Environmental Risk Prevention Program is the responsibility of a professional specialized in occupational health and safety and who has technical knowledge of the activities carried out in the company.
For example, it could be an occupational safety technician, as well as an occupational safety engineer or an occupational physician.
What documents are required for the PPRA?
The preparation of the PPRA depends on a series of company documents. They reveal information relevant to workplace safety, as they detail the activities and how they are carried out.
Therefore, its development depends, for example, on a risk inventory, an action plan, records of environmental assessments and control of preventive measures.
How is the environmental risk assessment carried out in the PPRA?
It occurs through the identification of harmful agents that are present in the workplace, such as dust, vapors, gases, noise, exposure to electricity or extreme heat, etc.
Therefore, there is an assessment of the existence of unhealthy or dangerous factors in the work environment . This is based on both their concentration and the intensity and duration of exposure.
This is necessary to determine the potential of these agents to pose a risk to workers’ health.
Benefits of implementing
The implementation of the PPRA in the company is crucial, as it is a legal obligation whose failure to comply may lead to the payment of fines and other compensation.
Furthermore, it is essential for reducing the number of work accidents, preventing occupational diseases and improving the work environment.
This, in turn, leads to increased productivity, reduced costs and helps in improving the organizational climate .