Provision of Services in the Field of Occupational Health and Safety

A regulated trade (Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act) entitling a professionally qualified person to provide companies with services in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS) - risk prevention, documentation, training and audits. The qualification is proved by education and experience or by an examination under Act No. 309/2006 Coll., and it cannot be replaced by mere experience as with a craft trade.

Conditions for operating

General conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record.
Professional qualification under Annex 2 (Sections 6 to 8 and Section 24 of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.), which cannot be replaced by general experience - one of the options:
1) university education in the field of OHS + 1 year of experience in the relevant field,
2) higher vocational education in the field of OHS + 2 years of experience in the relevant field,
3) secondary education with a school-leaving examination in the field of OHS + 3 years of experience in the relevant field,
4) a retraining certificate or another document of professional qualification for the relevant work activity issued by an accredited body + 3 years of experience in the relevant field,
5) a document on the successfully passed examination of professional qualification under Act No. 309/2006 Coll. (with no requirement of further experience).
A responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11 if the entrepreneur does not meet the professional qualification themselves; one person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

Examples of activities

acting as a professionally qualified person (OZO) in risk prevention for employers
identifying and evaluating risks at work and proposing preventive measures
preparing OHS documentation (directives, local operating rules, classification of work)
training employees and managers in OHS
audits and inspections of the state of occupational safety at workplaces
advising employers on fulfilling OHS obligations
ensuring tasks in risk prevention under Act No. 309/2006 Coll.

What this trade is and what it is for

The regulated trade Provision of services in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS for short) entitles the entrepreneur to professionally ensure tasks in the area of risk prevention for other employers. This is the activity of the so-called professionally qualified person (OZO) in risk prevention under Act No. 309/2006 Coll. The entrepreneur helps companies meet the obligations imposed on them by the Labour Code and OHS legislation: identifying and evaluating risks, proposing measures, preparing documentation and training employees.

It is one of the regulated trades listed in Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act. The purpose of the regulation is to ensure that these services are provided only by persons with proven professional qualification, because this concerns the protection of employees' health and lives.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The trade covers in particular:

identifying and evaluating risks at work and proposing preventive measures,
preparing OHS documentation (directives, local operating rules, classification of work),
training employees and managers in OHS,
audits and inspections of the state of occupational safety at workplaces,
acting as a professionally qualified person in risk prevention for employers.

Boundary with neighbouring trades: OHS coordination on a construction site is a separate regulated trade for an OHS coordinator on a construction site (Act No. 309/2006 Coll. regulates it separately). Activities in the field of fire protection (fire protection technician, professionally qualified person in fire protection) do not belong here; they fall under a different regulated trade. General advising and training without a link to risk prevention would fall under an unqualified (free) trade.

Conditions for obtaining the licence under the law

You must meet two groups of conditions.

General conditions (Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act): full legal capacity and a clean criminal record. A clean criminal record is required for this trade (Section 6). The law does not require medical fitness or liability insurance for damage for this trade.

The professional qualification for a regulated trade is laid down directly in Annex 2 and cannot be replaced by general experience as with a craft trade. The method of proving it and the documents are governed by Sections 6 to 8 and Section 24 of Act No. 455/1991 Coll. You prove it by one of the options:

university education in the field of OHS and 1 year of experience in the relevant field,
higher vocational education in the field of OHS and 2 years of experience in the relevant field,
secondary education with a school-leaving examination in the field of OHS and 3 years of experience in the relevant field,
a retraining certificate or another document of professional qualification for the relevant work activity issued by an accredited body and 3 years of experience in the relevant field, or
a document on the successfully passed examination of professional qualification under Act No. 309/2006 Coll. (for this option the law does not require any further experience).

If you do not have the professional qualification yourself, you may appoint a responsible representative (Section 11) - a person who meets the conditions and is responsible for the proper operation of the trade. One person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify the trade step by step

Prepare your documents of professional qualification (a diploma, school report, certificate or proof of examination) and of experience.
Fill in the Unified Registration Form (JRF).
Submit it at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the office of a municipality with extended powers), online via the rzp.gov.cz portal, at a Czech POINT or via a data box.
Pay the administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (for electronic notification CZK 800).
The office will enter you in the Trade Register and issue an extract within 5 working days. The licence, however, arises as early as the day of notification.

You will find the detailed universal procedure in the guide How to set up a trade. The notification is handled by the municipal Trade Licensing Office; the trade's sponsor is the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Documents and fees

a document of professional qualification under one of the options above,
proof of the required length of experience in the relevant field,
a completed Unified Registration Form (JRF),
proof of identity, and where applicable the responsible representative's documents (Section 11),
an administrative fee of CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 for electronic notification.

Frequently asked questions

Is a school-leaving certificate in the field of OHS enough for me?

Yes, but only in combination with 3 years of experience in the relevant field. Without experience, or with shorter experience, you will not meet the professional qualification condition.

Can I do business if I have no education in OHS?

Yes, if you pass the examination of professional qualification under Act No. 309/2006 Coll., or appoint a responsible representative (Section 11) who has the professional qualification.

Is it a craft trade or a regulated trade?

It is a regulated trade (Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act). Unlike a craft trade, here the qualification cannot be replaced by mere experience - the prescribed education or an examination under Act No. 309/2006 Coll. is always required.

When can I start doing business?

The licence arises on the day of notification; you do not have to wait for the physical delivery of the extract from the Trade Register.