Risk assessment: the key step in the establishing of the workstation sheet

From the risk assessment to the Workstation Sheet

Like all workers, temporary workers must be protected from exposure to hazards and risks in the workplace. In order to ensure their safety and health at work, the user undertaking must carry out a risk assessment for all workstations and functions

This risk assessment is the first step in developing a workstation sheet.

Library

The library contains factual background information that is useful to user undertakings and temporary work agencies. This information is intended to help you develop the workstation sheet and to improve the health, safety and well-being of temporary workers.

PI-F's documents are technical documents relating to certain workstations or functions frequently held by temporary workers. They provide useful information for working safely in these positions and can be an aid in developing the workstation sheet. 

External resources refer to external websites that provide general, relevant and reliable information on risks, prevention measures and well-being at work. They can also be an aid to properly fill out workstation sheets. 

What is the Temporary Workstation Sheet?

The Temporary Workstation Sheet (TWS) is a mandatory form - legally - for all workstations for temporary workers for whom a prior health assessment is required (link in French). However, its use for all types of positions is greatly encouraged by PI.

It is up to the user undertaking (the company that employs the temporary worker) to complete this form (Section A). This is not the responsibility of the temporary work agency.

It must be properly and completely filled out.

Practical tips

User undertakings will find here: some practical tips for filling out the workstation sheet quickly and efficiently; temporary work agencies; points of concern for verification and proper use of the sheet. 

Legislation

The legal basis for the "workstation sheet" can be found in Chapter II of the "Belgian Code of Well-being at Work X.2. Temporary work" specifically in Articles X.2.3 to X.2.5 of the Code and Appendix X.2-1 of the Code. Below is the official text of the workplace wellness legislation.

Do remember that it is the Belgian legislation that is summarized here.

Health risk codes on the workstation sheet

There is a unique code for each health risk to which a worker/temporary worker may be exposed.

The user undertaking indicates the codes on the workstation sheet corresponding to the risks present at the workstation. It is essential that the codes are correctly identified because they allow the occupational physician to carry out a health evaluation adapted to the work situation.

Temporary work agencies also use these codes. These are one of the elements of the identification number of the workstation sheet. This number is used by temporary work agencies to search the PI-M Centralized Database to check if the candidate selected for a position already has a valid medical aptitude report for the specified risks.

Health risk codes relevant to the work situation are therefore the guarantee of effective communication between the user undertaking, the temporary work agency and the occupational physician.

PI-M Centralized Database

At the request of the temporary work sector and the social partners, PI has developed a centralized database containing the results of the health assessments of each temporary worker subject to health surveillance.

The centralized database is called PI-M. "PI" refers to Prevention and Interim, "M" refers to "Medical Fitness".

This centralized database, created in January 2016, is accessible via the website http://www.pi-m.be. PI is responsible for managing the database.

The confidentiality of data relating to temporary agency workers recorded in the centralized database shall be strictly respected.

The workstation sheet is a document containing specific information about the work that the temporary worker will perform. It is drawn up by the company where the temporary worker will carry out his mission (the user undertaking).

This document is a communication tool between the user undertaking, the temporary work agency, the occupational physician and the temporary worker.

The workstation sheet contains important information such as a description of the workstation, the necessary work clothes and/or personal protective equipment, health risks, required qualifications, etc.

A complete and sufficiently detailed workstation sheet is an indicator of the attention paid by the user undertaking to safety in the workplace.

If the work involves certain health risks:

  1.  a preliminary health assessment is required
  2. a workstation sheet is mandatory (by law).

A workstation sheet can be related to a certain workstation (for example, a CNC machine operator), but also to a certain function (for example, a warehouse worker). Several workstation sheets can also be used to cover all the tasks of a temporary worker (for example, an assignment for which the temporary worker receives both the workstation sheet for "forklift driver" and "packer").

It is important that the workstation sheets include all the tasks of the temporary worker and the risks associated with them.