The main serious and fatal workplace accidents are due to events involving workers falling from different heights. The creation of a NR (regulatory standard) that covers all areas of activity is an important reference instrument for these works to be carried out safely.
Therefore, NR35 was prepared thinking about the aspects of occupational health and safety management for activities carried out at heights with risk of falling. Like all standards, they may undergo some revisions. According to Gianfranco Pampalon, occupational safety engineer, if new changes occur to NR35, they will be specific, to harmonize it with the new wording of NR1.
“As the new NR1 specifies the hierarchy of control measures for risk factors and the need for the company to have an emergency response plan for the identified risks, this, consequently, may result in these existing items in NR35 being revoked”, Pampalon said.
According to him, there is also the expectation of resuming the discussion of Annex III (stairs) of NR35, which establishes the safety requirements for the use of individual stairs as a means of accessing the workstation where the worker is positioned at a level greater than two meters.
“The text was already out for public consultation in 2018, but it is currently on hold, as the CNTT (National Tripartite Thematic Commission) for NR35 has ended. Due to the pandemic and the process of changing the NRs, this annex will only be available for next year, or later”, explained the engineer.
Will the NR35 review affect companies and professionals?
For Gianfranco Pampalon, the review of NR35 will not have any impact on companies and professionals, as there will be no substantial changes. “But with the obligation of the GRO (Occupational Risk Management), from March 2021, a lot will change,” he highlighted.
“There is an obligation for the company to analyze all workplace accidents and implement corrective measures. Therefore, they must have an action plan for emergencies in accordance with the identified risks, that is, they must implement the GRO”, commented Pampalon.
The specialist listed the items that must be followed when implementing the GRO, according to the following priority:
- Elimination of risk factors;
- Minimization and control of risk factors, with the adoption of collective protection measures;
- Minimization and control of risk factors, with the adoption of administrative or work organization measures;
- Adoption of individual protection measures.
Latest NR35 update
The last change to NR35 occurred with the ordinance No. 915, of 30/07/2019, from the Special Secretariat for Social Security and Labor, of the Ministry of Economy, which approved the new wording of Regulatory Standard No. 01 – General Provisions.
“The revisions to the standards are intended to harmonize, reduce bureaucracy and simplify the NRs”, highlighted the engineer.
According to him, there is still no set date for the publication of the new rules, due to the Covid-19 pandemic that affected the review process.
NR10 Review
The text proposed for the revision of NR10 – which aims to guarantee the safety and health of professionals who work in installations and services with electricity – showed advances, both in the requirements for electrical installations and those relating to the management system.
Among the main changes in the new NR10 proposal, the changes in the arrangement of the standard's items, the indications for the refresher course and the conditions of Serious and Imminent Risk (GIR) stand out.
For Gilmar Rotta, electrical engineer at Biosafe, companies and professionals must pay attention to the mandatory preventive measures against the risk of electric shock and electric arc.
