The Preposto is a responsible person for health and safety
We can define the responsible person for health and safety or supervisor, in italy known as Preposto, as those persons
present and identifiable in every field of work, which in their management tasks have to coordinate other
workers and they determine the executing modes of their job.
They are very important for the safety and health
requirements for work since they are closest workers and are familiar with all activities and all risks
associated with them. The managers must be vigilant and check that the employee complies with all relevant
laws and company regulations on safety work.
To indentify these figures in the working environment as
example we can bring those who carry out activities such as foreman, team leader, area manager, head nurse,
shift manager, office manager, and others.
The function of the responsible person on the prevention of
occupational accidents should be given with reference to the tasks actually performed in the company more that
legal formal qualifications.
The responsible person is a person who, by reason of professional skills and powers within the limits of
hierarchical and functional appropriate to the nature of office conferred, supervises the work and ensures
that the implementation of the directives received, checking the correct execution by workers and exerting
a functional power of initiative.
Particular work situations, such as activities outside the factory from small groups of workers,
do not provide a priori identification of hierarchical responsible person, but this task is up to
the more experienced in the work and has a greater knowledge of work and therefore risks to which these
workers are met, this worker is defined by case law, in practice actually takes in charge all the features
of the post of responsible person. In this regard, we cite a ruling of cassation that even without specific
and explicit formal appointment, the role of a representative of the employer determines the attribution of
responsibility to the responsible person see the Judgement N.20145. Penal Cassation 18/05.2001.