The Regulations of the Ministry of Labor and Employment aim to regulate various characteristics of different activities of companies. With NR 7, the MTE created the Occupational Health Medical Control Program (PCMSO) to preserve workers’ health. The standard creates guidelines to control risks related to the work environment, such as occupational diseases and accidents.
How did NR 7 come about?
This Regulatory Standard was created in 1978, at the time with the title “Medical Examinations”. In the beginning, NR 7 only established basic parameters for carrying out occupational medical examinations, such as:
- Admission exam;
- Periodic examination;
- Return-to-work exam in case of leave;
- Function change exam;
- Resignation exam.
Then, in 1994, the parameters and guidelines for the creation of the Occupational Health Medical Control Program (PCMSO) were defined. It was then that NR began to have the objective of promoting and preserving the health of workers.
Thus, the PCMSO became the main feature of the Regulatory Standard. It is mandatory for all companies that have employees included in the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT).
Since its emergence, NR 7 has undergone ten revisions, three of them of great depth — and the most recent in 2022.
What are the characteristics of NR 7?
In general, Regulatory Standard 07 is focused on creating the parameters and guidelines for companies to implement a PCMSO. In this way, NR 7 preserves the health of workers through a series of actions and rules. The main ones are:
- Definition of the medical examinations that a company must include in its processes. The main ones are admission, periodic, return-to-work, change of function and dismissal exams, according to the risks to which the worker is exposed. This aspect has been maintained since the original version of NR 7.
- Creation of measures to monitor the health of employees. NR defines that companies have ways to monitor the health of workers and periodically verify the effectiveness of the measures adopted to reduce the company’s environmental risks.
- Training and health information. The PCMSO defines that corporations need to conduct training and provide adequate information to workers about occupational health, risks associated with their activities and how to mitigate these issues.
- Registration and control of the measures adopted. It is necessary to keep records and control of medical examinations and workers’ health conditions. In this way, your company ensures compliance with NR 7 and ensures the integrity of the information, as well as the transparency of the data.
- Definition of preventive actions. Through the PCMSO, every company needs to organize preventive and corrective actions that minimize occupational risks and promote a safer work environment.
How to adapt to NR 7?
In addition to knowing what NR 7 is, it is essential to adapt to it if your company has employees governed by the CLT. The main requirement for this is to implement the PCMSO correctly, but for this, it is necessary to be careful with certain aspects.
To help you with this task, we have prepared a list of the eight fundamental aspects that deserve your attention. Check!
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Designate an occupational physician
The first step is to hire an occupational physician to prepare and manage the PCMSO. He must have training and registration with the appropriate Regional Council of Medicine (CRM) and specialization in occupational medicine.
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Elaborate or PCMSO
Start creating the PCMSO and analyze the risks that exist in your company. Survey and analyze the work environment, as well as the inherent dangers of the activities carried out in it. This includes physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial risks.
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Implement medical examinations
Define what medical examinations are required for workers based on the risks identified in the previous step. The most common are admission, periodic, return-to-work, change of function and dismissal exams.
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Perform monitoring and control
Create a policy for monitoring employee health. Continuously monitor everyone’s health and record any changes identified in evaluations and medical exams.
Additionally, implement preventive actions to minimize identified risks and improve working conditions.
- Provide training
Organize training to inform everyone about occupational health, the risks associated with their activities, and practices for preventing diseases and accidents. Review and update these trainings constantly.
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Keep records
Provide adequate documentation and keep detailed and up-to-date records of medical examinations, evaluations, and other corrective actions related to occupational health. Remember that it is important to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of this information.
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Review and update the PCMSO
Don’t forget to promote the continuous improvement of this process. Review the PCMSO periodically and update it as needed to reflect changes in your company, legislation, or employee needs.
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Comply with legislation
Make sure that all practices and procedures of your PCMSO comply with NR 7 and even other related standards, such as NR 9 (Environmental Risk Prevention Program – PPRA) and other regulatory matters related to this area.
Conclusion
Now you know what NR 7 is, its implications for promoting your company’s occupational health, and how to ensure that everything complies with the standard.
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