A wise man said, «Health is not everything, but everything else without health is nothing». Then you have neither productive life, nor productive work. Drivers are aware of the fact that you should have your checked by experts from time to time. However, they often forget to have a check-up of their body. Volodymyr Shepitchak, Chief of the University Labour Protection Division, has decided to remind Lviv Polytechnic lecturers and students about this.
Some people think that regular medical examinations are voluntary. It turns out that they are not. Volodymyr Shepitchak claims that they are compulsory for all Lviv Polytechnic employees. It is according to the Law of Ukraine «On Labour Protection».
– According to this law, – he stresses, – all employees who apply for a job and those who already have a job have to have prior or regular medical examinations. People, who deal with factors harmful to their health in the process of their work, have to undergo regular medical examinations.
Let’s say, these are substances or reagents of various kinds in the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies. The Institute administration has to monitor whether these substances do harm to people’s health. Thus they can prevent professional diseases. On the other hand, in the Institute of Power Engineering and Control Systems, it is about professional selection of lecturers and staff, since they use electrical equipment of various voltages to do research. To avoid danger, all people have to undergo medical examination to make sure that they are able to work with high-voltage equipment.
Apart from academic institutes, there are a lot of industrial units in the University. For example, they include the departments of chief mechanic and chief power engineering expert, the department of renovations, Network Technologies Centre, etc. There are also harmful working environment factors there. For instance, certain people in the department of chief mechanic work in manholes. There also boiler room operators who have to be professionally selected. We also take into account working night shifts, work intensity, noise and vibration. People from the renovations department work at height. They also use various paints and solvents that may be generally harmful or harmful to people with certain allergies.
– Which documents regulate undergoing medical examinations?
– The procedure of undergoing medical examinations is determined by the Decree of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine of May 21, 2007, № 246. There is also a decree of Yuriy Bobalo, Lviv Polytechnic Rector. These documents contain a specific algorithm for undergoing medical examinations, administration’s and employees’ responsibilities. There are also categories of employees that have to undergo medical examinations annually; some have to it twice a year, for example, chemists, who deal with harmful substances in their everyday work.
It is very important to underline that medical examinations for University employees are free because the administration signed contracts with three hospitals in Lviv. These are First Prince Lev Medical Hospital in Uzhhorodska street, Polyclinic № 4 in Yaroslav Stetsko street and Municipal Hospital № 10 in Boi-Zhelenskiy street (student campus). Employees are directed to these institutions according to the lists. If a person attempts to avoid a medical examination, according to current legislation, it incurs disciplinary responsibility. This person can even be fired. Employees receive their salary for the period of undergoing a medical examination (it may take a day or two).
– I think that people are deterred from undergoing medical examinations by long queues in clinics, a waste of time and nerves…
– We are trying to reach a compromise with the administrations of the above mentioned medical institutions so that it would not take our employees a lot of time to have a medical check-up there. An employee can undergo a medical examination in his/her local polyclinic but he/she should pay for it. When a person applies for a job, he/she has to pay for the medical examination because at that time he/she is not our employee.
– Everything is clear with chemists, power engineering experts and radio technologists (there is electromagnetic radiation influence), but why would employees of such Institutes as the Humanities and Social Sciences, Jurisprudence and Psychology or Economics and Management need to undergo prior medical examination?
– Employees of the above mentioned and some other institutes have to undergo medical examinations when they apply for a job and when they renew their contracts, but at least every 5 years. It is said in the staff contract. First of all, we have to prevent people with infectious diseases from getting into the learning environment.
– Аnd what is the special procedure of undergoing medical examinations for people that work in the University cafeteria?
– These employees have to undergo medical examinations at least every six months because of the special requirements for personal hygiene and industrial sanitation there. Apart from this, cafeteria staff undergo training on using industrial sanitation means, particularly disinfection.
– I know that there is a labour protection commission headed by Ivan Paralyuh in Lviv Polytechnic employees union…
– We have close contacts with this commission, organize joint events, hold spot checks because we are working for the same cause.
– Do you think that a certain number of people will not undergo medical examinations and will try to get the necessary certificates?
– I think it’s possible. However, I would like to emphasize for every employee and every student of our University to understand that the administration does not need a medical examination, they do. It is about the most precious thing we have – our health.
– Tell us a few words about yourself. Where did you receive your education?
– I graduated from the Institute of Power Engineering and Control Systems in 2005 and started my career at the Department of Labour Protection. Seven years ago, I became Head of the Labour Protection Division. I am working on my thesis on labour protection in power engineering.
