Occupational Safety is a set of norms, actions and preventive measures aimed at minimizing or eliminating occurrences of accidents at work and occupational diseases. In Brazil, Regulatory Norms, also known as NRs, are extremely important in this context. Within these norms, NR 5, which deals with the Internal Commission for Accident Prevention (CIPA), is fundamental for promoting the safety and health of workers.
NR 5 was created with the aim of preventing accidents and illnesses resulting from work, in order to make work compatible with preserving life and promoting the health of workers. It establishes the mandatory formation of a commission by the companies, composed by representatives of the employer and the employees. CIPA's main function is to identify the risks of the work process and to draw up a risk map, with the aim of finding solutions that minimize or eliminate these risks.
What is CIPA?
The Internal Commission for Accident Prevention (CIPA) is a group of people, appointed or elected, who represent the workers and the employer in the search for better safety and health conditions at work. The CIPA is composed of representatives of the employer, elected by the same, and representatives of the employees, elected in secret ballot, by all the workers of the company.
How is CIPA formed?
The composition of the CIPA varies according to the number of employees in the company and the type of risk to which they are exposed. NR 5 establishes a sizing that determines how many members the CIPA must have. This sizing takes into account the company's National Code of Economic Activities (CNAE) and the number of employees.
CIPA members serve a one-year term and may be re-elected. They have job stability from the moment of candidacy until one year after the end of their mandate. This stability aims to ensure that CIPA members can carry out their activities without pressure or threats from the employer.
What are the duties of the CIPA?
The CIPA has a series of attributions, all focused on the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases. Among the main attributions of CIPA, we can mention:
- Identify the risks of the work process and prepare the risk map, with the participation of the largest number of workers;
- Elaborate a work plan that allows preventive action to solve safety and health problems at work;
- Participate in the implementation and quality control of the necessary prevention measures;
- Perform periodic checks on working environments and conditions;
- Disseminate and promote compliance with Regulatory Standards, as well as clauses of agreements and collective bargaining agreements, related to safety and health at work;
- Participate, together with the SESMT, where applicable, in discussions promoted by the employer, to assess the impacts of changes in the environment and work process related to the safety and health of workers.
In short, CIPA is an essential tool for promoting the health and safety of workers. Through it, it is possible to identify and control the risks present in the work environment, contributing to the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases.
