What is and how important is CIPA?

What is and how important is CIPA?

Regulated by NR 5, the CIPA (Internal Accident Prevention Commission) aims to prevent accidents and occupational diseases in order to permanently make work compatible with the preservation of life and the promotion of workers’ health.

Private and public companies, mixed-capital companies, bodies of direct and indirect administration, charitable institutions, recreational associations, cooperatives, as well as other institutions that admit workers as employees, must form and keep it running.

The CIPA needs to be composed of representatives of the employer and employees and dimensioned according to the number of employees of the company and the degree of risk according to the economic activity developed, according to Table I of NR 5.

Employer’s representatives must be appointed by him. The workers’ representatives must be elected by the employees. It is the employer’s responsibility, however, to call elections. CIPA’s term of office is one year, with the possibility of reelection.

When the establishment does not fit the dimensioning framework, the company needs to designate a person responsible for the fulfillment of the NR 5 objectives, and mechanisms for employee participation can be adopted through collective bargaining.

ASSIGNMENTS

CIPA’s duties include identifying the risks in the work process and drawing up the risk map. In these tasks, the participation of the largest number of workers and advice from the SESMT (Specialized Service in Safety Engineering and Occupational Medicine) is required, if any.

It is also the responsibility of CIPA to develop a work plan that enables preventive action to solve occupational health and safety problems and to participate in the implementation and quality control of the necessary prevention measures, as well as in the assessment of action priorities.

Other CIPA responsibilities are: to disclose OSH information to workers; participate in discussions promoted by the employer to assess the impacts of changes in the environment and work process related to OSH; request the shutdown of a machine or of the sector in which it considers that there is a serious and imminent risk; and annually promote SIPAT (Internal Week for the Prevention of Accidents at Work).

Collaborating in the development and implementation of the company’s risk management programs, disclosing and promoting compliance with regulatory standards, as well as clauses in collective bargaining agreements and conventions related to OSH, are also among CIPA’s duties.

MEANS – what is and what is the importance of CIPA?

In turn, it is up to the employer to provide CIPA members with the necessary means to carry out their duties, ensuring sufficient time to perform the tasks contained in the work plan.

As for employees, it is up to them to participate in the election of their representatives; collaborate with the management of CIPA; indicate risk situations and make suggestions for improving working conditions; observe and apply in the work environment the recommendations regarding the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases.

For more information on CIPA, access NR 5 on the website https://enit.trabalho.gov.br/portal/images/Arquivos_SST/SST_NR/NR-05.pdf.