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List of occupational hazards and work prohibited to minors¹

Passed 11.06.2009 No. 94
RT I 2009, 31, 196
Entry into force 01.07.2009

Amended by the following legal instruments (show)

This Regulation is enacted on the basis of Section 7(3) of the Employment Contracts Act.

§ 1.  Physical agents

  Employers shall not enter into employment contracts with minors or permit them to work if this would put their health at risk, above all as a result of the following physical agents present in the working environment:
 1) harmful radiation;
 2) harmful vibration;
 3) noise level exceeding 80 dB;
 4) high-pressure conditions, such as working in a caisson or pressure chamber or as a diver;
 5) constant low air temperature (light physical work indoors at a temperature below +19 °C, moderate physical work indoors at a temperature below +16 °C);
 6) constant high air temperature (light physical work indoors at a temperature above +26 °C, moderate physical work indoors at a temperature above +24 °C).

§ 2.  Chemical agents

  Employers shall not enter into employment contracts with minors or permit them to work if this would put their health at risk, above all as a result of the following chemical agents present in the working environment and in respect of which, under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (OJ L 353, 31.12.2008, p. 1), one or more hazard statements correspond to the criteria for one or more of the following hazard classes and hazard categories:
 1) acute toxicity, category 1, 2 or 3 (H300, H310, H330, H301, H311, H331);
 2) skin corrosion, category 1A, 1B or 1C (H314);
 3) flammable gas, category 1 or 2 (H220, H221);
 4) flammable aerosols, category 1 (H222);
 5) flammable liquid, category 1 or 2 (H224, H225);
 6) explosives, categories ‘Unstable explosive’ or explosives of Divisions 1.1–1.5 (H200, H201, H202, H203, H204, H205);
 7) self-reactive substances and mixtures, type A, B, C or D (H240, H241, H242);
 8) organic peroxides, type A or B (H240, H241);
 9) specific target organ toxicity after single exposure, category 1 or 2 (H370, H371);
 10) specific target organ toxicity after repeated exposure, category 1 or 2 (H372, H373);
 11) respiratory sensitisation, category 1A or 1B (H334);
 12) skin sensitisation, category 1A or 1B (H317);
 13) carcinogenicity, category 1A, 1B or 2 (H350, H350i, H351);
 14) germ cell mutagenicity, category 1A, 1B or 2 (H340, H341);
 15) reproductive toxicity, category 1A or 1B (H360, H360F, H360FD, H360Fd, H360D, H360Df).

 (2) Employers shall not enter into employment contracts with minors or permit them to work if this would put their health at risk as a result of lead, lead compounds or asbestos.
[RT I, 26.03.2015, 5 — entry into force 1 June 2015]

§ 3.  Biological agents

  Employers shall not enter into employment contracts with minors or permit them to work if this would put their health at risk, above all as a result of biological agents of hazard group 3 or 4 as set out in Government of the Republic Regulation No 144 of 5 May 2000 on the occupational health and safety requirements for working environments affected by biological agents.
[RT I, 26.03.2015, 5 — entry into force 1 June 2015]

§ 4.  Manufacturing processes

  Employers shall not enter into employment contracts with minors or permit them to work if this would put their health at risk as a result of the processes giving rise to a carcinogenic hazard referred to in Section 2 of Government of the Republic Regulation No 308 of 15 December 2005 on occupational health and safety requirements for the handling of carcinogenic and mutagenic chemicals, or as a result of the substances or mixtures released during those processes.
[RT I, 26.03.2015, 5 — entry into force 1 June 2015]

§ 5.  Other work

  Employers shall not enter into employment contracts with minors or permit them above all to perform the following work that would put their health at risk:
 1) work involving the handling of equipment for the production, storage or application of compressed, liquefied or dissolved gases;
 2) work with vessels, bottles or other containers containing a substance or preparation referred to in Section 2;
 3) handling of explosives or pyrotechnics;
 4) work with fierce or poisonous animals;
 5) work involving a high level of psychological stress, for example work relating to the provision of healthcare services in the field of psychiatry, or work in prisons, detention centres, post-mortem rooms or places where animals or birds are slaughtered or destroyed;
 6) work involving a risk of structural collapse, for example demolition work and work in pits;
 7) work involving a risk of falling from a height;
 8) manual handling of loads in accordance with the Government of the Republic Regulation enacted on the basis of Section 9(4) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act;
 9) work with high-voltage electrical equipment;
 10) lift repair or maintenance work;
 11) work the pace of which is determined by machinery and involving payment by results;
 12) work with a mechanical cutter, circular saw, band saw, milling cutter, welding device or a device using compressed air;
 13) work with a machine equipped with a winch or other similar powertrain;
 14) underground work.

§ 6.  Exceptions for traineeships

  Exceptions may be made to the provisions in Sections 1–5 on entering into employment contracts with minors or permitting them to work if the minor is working on the basis of a traineeship as part of a vocational training course and provided that the work is performed under the supervision of the traineeship supervisor or a workplace specialist and that the necessary measures have been taken to ensure the health and safety of the minor.

§ 7.  Entry into force of this Regulation

  This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 July 2009.

¹Council Directive 94/33/EC on the protection of young people at work (OJ L 216, 20.8.1994, p. 12), amended by Directive 2014/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 65, 5.3.2014, p. 1).
[RT I, 26.03.2015, 5 - entry into force 01.06.2015]