Professional competence to perform activities with an elevated risk

Individuals may operate designated work equipment, i.e. machinery, devices, instruments or tools, and perform designated work activities, i.e. the operation of work equipment, technical inspections and technical tests of restricted technical device and repairs thereof, only on the basis of:

• a valid operating licence or a valid operating certificate issued by the competent labour inspectorate, an entity authorised to provide education and training, or a secondary school or higher-education institution providing vocational training for students;
• a document certifying the completion of education and training to operate work equipment, issued by an entity authorised to provide education and training;
• a document certifying the holder’s professional knowledge, issued by an inspection technician.

A licence, certificate, or document certifying the completion of education and training to operate work equipment, issued by an entity authorised to provide education and training, can be issued on the following conditions:

• a minimum age of 18;
• the education and experience required by legislation (Annex 11 to Implementing Decree No 508/2009 - only in Slovak) on occupational safety and health;
• medical fitness to work, i.e. to operate work equipment and to conduct technical inspections and technical tests of specialist restricted technical device and repairs thereof;
• the completion of training;
• verification of professional knowledge. 

A licence, certificate, or document certifying the completion of education and training to operate work equipment is issued by an authorised entity further to a written application, in which applicants state:

• their given name and surname;
• their date of birth;
• the address of their place of permanent residence;
• the activity for which they are applying for a licence, certificate or document.

Applications are accompanied by documents demonstrating compliance with the above conditions, i.e. original documents or officially certified copies.

Medical fitness to work is assessed on the basis of the result of a medical preventive examination focusing on the duties to be performed. Specifically, medical fitness to work is proven by a medical opinion that is not more than six months old.

The forms of professional competence to work with restricted technical device are classified as follows, depending on the work to be performed:

• technical inspections and technical tests of restricted technical device are conducted by individuals holding a valid specialist restricted technical device inspection technician certificate issued by the competent labour inspectorate or byauthorized legal entity ;
• repairs of restricted technical device are carried out by individuals holding a valid specialist restricted technical device repair certificate issued by the competent labour inspectorate or a person authorized for upbringing and education;
•  restricted technical device is operated by individuals holding a valid specialist restricted technical device operator’s licence, again issued by the competent labour inspectorate ora person authorized for upbringing and education . 

Electric restricted technical device stands apart from other types because individuals prove their professional competence only by producing the relevant certificate. Electric specialist restricted technical device is repaired and operated by duly certified individuals.

Work with electric restricted technical device is permitted for:

• an instructed person;
• an electrical engineer;
• a freelance electrical engineer;
• an electrical engineer for work supervision or operation supervision;
• an inspection technician.

”An instructed” person receive instructions from any of the above, from an electrical engineer to an inspection technician, who then issues a record of this. Individuals who are not trained in electrical engineering and who operate low-voltage technical electrical device may be instructed by an instructed person who has been authorised to do this task by the person in charge of the equipment.

Electrical engineers, freelance electrical engineers, and electrical engineers for work supervision or operation supervision will be issued with a certificate by an entity authorised to provide education and training after satisfying the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Implementing Decree on Restricted technical device.

Certificates are issued to inspection technicians by the competent labour inspectorate or authorized legal entity after they have met the legislative requirements.

The process for issuing certificates (other than those of electrical engineers, freelance electrical engineers and electrical engineer for work supervision or operation supervision,) and licences is as follows:

• first, candidates complete their training with an entity authorised to provide education and training on labour protection. They receive a training certificate for this;
• they submit their training certificate to an authorised legal entity, and, where appropriate, copies of documents proving that they are at least 18, evidence of their education, professional experience, and medical fitness to work. They receive a document certifying their professional knowledge;
• subsequently, the natural person completes the verification of knowledge by a person authorized for education and training, or by an authorized legal entity
• after successfully completing the knowledge verification, a physical person is issued a license, a certificate is issued:

• 1. by an authorized legal entity, if it is an activity listed in Annex no. 1a letter a) to g), i) to k) and m),
• 2. by a person authorized for upbringing and education, if it is an activity listed in Annex no. 1a letter h), l), n) to p) and t),
• 3. by a secondary school or university in the preparation of pupils and students for the performance of a profession, if it is an activity listed in Annex no. 1a letter h), l), n) to p) and t),