Periodic OHS training does not have one deadline for everyone. The frequency depends on the type of position, and the first periodic training has to be held sooner than subsequent ones. Below are the rules that bind the employer, in one place.
Legal basis
- Polish Labour Code (Kodeks pracy), Art. 237³ — the employer may not allow an employee to work without the required qualifications and sufficient knowledge of OHS regulations and rules; training takes place during working hours and at the employer's expense.
- Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labour of 27 July 2004 on training in occupational health and safety (Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2004 No. 180, item 1860, as amended) — types of training, frequency and forms.
How often: periodic training by position
| Group of employees | No less often than |
|---|---|
| Manual worker positions | once every 3 years |
| Manual worker positions involving particularly hazardous work | once a year |
| Employers and people managing employees (managers, supervisors, foremen) | once every 5 years |
| Engineering and technical staff (process engineers, designers, production organisers) | once every 5 years |
| OHS team staff and people performing its tasks | once every 5 years |
| Administrative and office staff | once every 6 years |
Within these limits, the employer sets the frequency after consulting employees or their representatives. This means a company can train more often, but not less often.
The first periodic training
The first periodic training has a separate deadline counted from employment in the given position:
- within 12 months — employees in manual worker, engineering and technical, and administrative and office positions, and the OHS team,
- within 6 months — employers and people managing employees.
After the first periodic training, the normal cycle from the table above applies.
Who does not need periodic training
Since 2019, administrative and office staff have been exempt from periodic training if the employer belongs to a group of activities with a risk category no higher than three (within the meaning of the accident insurance regulations), unless the occupational risk assessment shows that training is necessary (Labour Code, Art. 237³ § 2²). The exemption applies only to this group; an employee at a machine or in a warehouse must have periodic training regardless of the company's risk category.
What happens after the deadline
An employee whose training is overdue formally should not perform work until they complete the training. In practice, a lack of current training comes to light during an inspection by the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) or after an accident — and then the question “who was trained, and when” lands on the employer. Allowing someone to work without the required training is an offence under Art. 283 § 1 of the Labour Code.
How to keep track of this in a company with several hundred employees
The problem is not that someone does not know the deadlines. It is that with several hundred people, several shifts and staff turnover, nobody calculates them by hand every week. The ErgoFlow OHS app holds, for each employee, the date of their last training and the deadline for the next one, sends notifications before the deadline passes, and the employee can complete periodic training in the form of guided self-study online or on a shop-floor kiosk. Details: OHS app and the OHS at ErgoFlow page.
Legal status as of October 2026. This article is for information only and does not replace legal advice or the opinion of an OHS team.
