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Headsets, headphones or earphones… For simplicity, in this article, we use the term "headsets," unless a specific type of product is meant. Headsets can be used at work for various purposes: to follow webinars, conduct video meetings, mask background noise in the office, or as an ergonomic aid.

It is important that employees who are at work can receive sufficient support from the occupational physician for questions about this epidemic and any chronic health problems.

In times of corona, teleworking or working from home is the new norm. More and more employees are therefore working from home. But are your employees also insured for a work accident?

Wearing a mouth-nose mask protects others and yourself against the spread of the coronavirus.

Since 2016, the periodic medical examination for VDU workers is no longer mandatory. Instead, legislation mandates conducting a VDU work risk analysis at least every 5 years. This analysis should evaluate the risks resulting from VDU work at group level and at employee level. Based on the results of the analysis, the employer must take appropriate measures.

The Belgian Official Gazette of 21 January 2020 published the Royal Decree of 12 January 2020 amending Title 1 concerning chemical agents of Book VI of the Code on Well-being at Work, regarding the list of limit values for exposure to chemical agents and of Title 2 concerning carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic agents of Book VI of the Code on Well-being at Work.

The professional association for ergonomics (VerV) already launched its practical guideline on ergonomics and teleworking at the end of 2019: “Teleworking is also screen work. Ergonomics at home is a shared responsibility.” A little later, never before had so many people started working from home.

When you appoint a confidential advisor in your company, it is mandatory for this employee to follow a training course to become a confidential advisor.

Premed organizes this 5-day training course for confidential advisors a few times a year (in Leuven and Diepenbeek).

See https://www.premed.be/opleidingen/ for this.

Below is some more information about the appointment, responsibilities, and the basic training for confidential advisors, a challenging but very valuable role!

Clear communication is fundamental for a safe workplace. Unclear instructions, language barriers, insufficient explanation, and also low literacy can lead to accidents. In dangerous situations, people must be able to understand each other well. Everyone must know what to do.

Offering outplacement becomes mandatory when the employer invokes medical force majeure (Law of April 7, 2019 concerning the social provisions of the jobs deal, B.S. April 19, 2019). Invoking medical force majeure is only possible after a reintegration process has been completed. If it appears that there is no possibility - within the stipulated conditions - to agree on adapted or other work, then the occupational physician can declare medical force majeure (a definitive decision of definitive incapacity).

Today, June 11, 2019, an amendment to the Welfare Code appeared in the form of the Royal Decree of May 14, 2019, amending periodic health surveillance.

Every employee who needs it can consult an occupational physician or company psychologist. Even those who never need to undergo a medical examination as part of their job. But do employees know who their occupational physician or company psychologist is?
Recently, every employee can easily find this out by logging in with their electronic identity card on the website seed-connect.be, a joint initiative of all Belgian external prevention services.