What types of work are prohibited for young employees?
Some types of work is completely prohibited for young employees:
- work underground in the extraction of minerals or in tunneling;
- overtime and night work (young employees over 16 years of age may exceptionally perform night work not exceeding 1 hour if necessary for their vocational training under the conditions specified in the Labor Code);
- work which is unsuitable, dangerous or harmful to the health of young people having regard to anatomical, physiological and psychological particularities at that age;
- work in which they are at an increased risk of injury or in the course of which they could seriously endanger the safety and health of other workers or other natural persons;
- work in controlled areas designated for handling hazardous substances and biological agents;
- operation of specified technical equipment.
Work and workplaces prohibited to young employees and the conditions under which young employees may exceptionally perform such work in order to prepare for an occupation are laid down in a Decree issued by the Ministry of Health. These include, for example, hazardous work, work performed at an imposed pace, work with sources of ionizing radiation, in the manufacture and processing of explosives, work associated with exposure to certain chemical substances, at heights above 1.5 m and above a free depth exceeding 1.5 m, etc.