There is no single universal deadline for all company training. The arrival of a new employee, a change in technology, and regular refresher training are three different reasons for providing training. Fire safety also has its own framework and deadlines.
A company training calendar should therefore not begin with the statement “everything once every two years.” The first step is to determine who needs the training, what triggers a new training date, and whether its frequency is prescribed by legislation or set by the employer according to the risks.
Training calendar at a glance
| What to monitor | When training is required | Who sets the next date |
|---|---|---|
| OSH induction training | When an employee starts work | Zákoník práce specifies the triggering event; the employer prepares the content according to the work and its risks |
| Change of job assignment or type of work | When an employee moves to a different job or position | Zákoník práce specifies the triggering event; the scope depends on the changed activities and risks |
| New technology, work equipment, or procedure | When a change or introduction affects the employee’s work | Zákoník práce specifies the triggering event; the content should reflect the specific change |
| Periodic OSH training | At regular intervals where required by the nature and severity of the risks | The employer determines the content and frequency |
| Managerial employees | When assuming a new managerial role and subsequently according to company policy and risks | There is no separate universal two- or three-year interval for general OSH training |
| Employees who drive as part of their work | When driving is added to their duties, when conditions change substantially, and at risk-based intervals | The employer; no general two-year interval is prescribed for so-called “referent drivers” |
| Employees designated to organise first aid | Before assuming this responsibility and subsequently as necessary to ensure their preparation reflects workplace risks | The employer, in cooperation with the occupational health service provider; zákoník práce does not prescribe a uniform number of months or years |
| Employee fire safety training | Upon starting work and following a change of workplace or job assignment if this changes the required content; repeated at least once every two years | Vyhláška o požární prevenci, where the operation is subject to the training framework under zákon o požární ochraně |
| Fire safety training for managerial employees | Upon assuming the position; repeated once every three years | Vyhláška o požární prevenci under the applicable fire safety framework |
The table does not cover professional competence in electrical engineering, the operation of designated technical equipment, or specialist courses for particular occupations. These may have separate requirements for qualifications, examinations, or repeated assessments.
What zákoník práce actually requires
Under Section 103(2) of zákoník práce, zákon č. 262/2006 Sb., the employer must provide training on legal and other OSH regulations that supplement the employee’s professional qualifications, relate to their work, and apply to risks they may encounter.
The provision links training in particular to the following events:
- an employee starting work,
- a change of job assignment or type of work,
- the introduction of new technology,
- a change in production equipment or work equipment,
- a change in technological or working procedures,
- any other situation that has or may have a significant impact on OSH.
A new lathe in a workshop, a warehouse employee moving to the operation of a packaging line, or the introduction of a different chemical product cannot therefore be addressed by waiting for a shared training date scheduled for the following year. The first step is to assess who is affected by the change and what additional information or practical procedures they need.
Under Section 103(3) of the same law, the employer determines the content and frequency of training, the method of assessing knowledge, and how documentation is maintained. Zákoník práce requires regular refresher training where warranted by the nature and severity of the risk. In situations that have a significant impact on OSH, training should take place without undue delay.
A more detailed explanation of scope and documentation is provided in OSH Training for Employees: When to Repeat It and What to Document.
No general deadline applies to managers or “referent drivers”
Frequently used two- or three-year intervals may form part of a company’s internal system. However, they are not universal statutory deadlines for the general OSH training of managerial employees or people who drive ordinary vehicles as part of their work.
For a managerial employee, the content should also reflect their actual authority. A production supervisor needs different preparation from the manager of an administrative team. A job title alone is therefore not enough.
A so-called “referent driver” is not a separate statutory qualification subject to generally prescribed training every two years. The employer should include driving in its information, training, and risk assessment system according to whether the employee drives around the city occasionally, regularly delivers materials, or undertakes long business trips.
For these groups, record not only the selected interval in the calendar but also the reason for it. This may be the nature of the work, frequency of travel, a change in vehicles, evolving risks, or the outcome of an OSH inspection.
Fire safety has its own rules
OSH training and fire safety training are not two parts of a single legal framework. They may take place on the same day, but their content, deadlines, and records should be appropriate to each type of training.
Under Section 16 of zákon č. 133/1985 Sb., o požární ochraně, legal entities and natural persons conducting business activities involving increased or high fire hazards must provide regular fire safety training for employees and the relevant specialist preparation.
The specific deadlines are set out in Section 23 of vyhláška č. 246/2001 Sb., o stanovení podmínek požární bezpečnosti a výkonu státního požárního dozoru:
- employee training is provided upon starting employment and following a change of workplace or job assignment if the change affects the required training content,
- employee training is repeated at least once every two years,
- training for managerial employees is provided upon assuming the position and repeated once every three years.
Before adding these deadlines to the calendar, verify how the activities carried out are classified in terms of fire hazards and review the company’s fire safety documentation. The two-year fire safety interval cannot automatically be applied as the deadline for general OSH training.
First aid: workplace risks and organisation are decisive
Under Section 102(6) of zákoník práce, zákon č. 262/2006 Sb., the employer must designate, according to the type of activity and size of the workplace, the necessary number of employees responsible for organising first aid, contacting the relevant emergency services, and evacuation. The employer provides their training and equipment in cooperation with the occupational health service provider, to an extent appropriate to the workplace risks.
The provision does not prescribe a common interval applicable to every company. The calendar should therefore identify the designated employees, workplace, scope of preparation, and date for the next knowledge review or refresher training. An update may also be triggered by changes in risks, workplace layout, or the departure of a trained employee.
Distinguish between an event, company interval, and legal requirement
Use one of the following deadline types for each row of the calendar:
- EVENT – training is triggered by starting work or by a change in the job, technology, equipment, or working procedure;
- COMPANY – the employer sets the frequency according to the specific work and risks;
- LEGISLATION – a special legal framework prescribes the deadline or repetition interval.
A single row may have two triggers at the same time. Periodic OSH training may have a company deadline in November, but the introduction of a new production line may make training necessary as early as April. The calendar should therefore contain more than just a “valid until” column.
What to record for each training session
A useful record should answer at least the following questions:
- What training is being monitored?
- Which employees, workplaces, or roles does it cover?
- Which legislation, risk, or internal decision forms its basis?
- What triggers training outside the planned schedule?
- When did the training take place, and when should it next be reviewed or repeated?
- Who monitors changes and arranges the necessary training?
- Who delivered the training, and which syllabus did they follow?
- How was knowledge assessed?
- Where are the record and related documentation stored?
Instead of a vague entry such as “OSH – November,” the company can create a record for warehouse staff at a specific site, stating the company interval, the link to the handling equipment used, and the trigger that applies when a working procedure changes.
Connect the calendar to staffing and operational changes
Training deadlines generally cannot be managed effectively in isolation from the rest of the company. HR staff or the payroll accountant will know when someone starts work, the operations manager will know about changes to working procedures, and a technician or the production team will know when a new machine is introduced.
Assign an owner to the calendar and define how changes will be reported. The owner does not necessarily need to conduct the legal assessment of every situation. They do, however, need to recognise an event, record it, and pass it to the person responsible for deciding the training content and date.
Regularly compare at least:
- the list of employees and their actual roles,
- workplaces and the work equipment used,
- employees responsible for managing people,
- people who drive vehicles as part of their work,
- employees designated to organise first aid,
- changes in technology, materials, and working procedures,
- OSH and fire safety documentation.
How to identify suitable training
A generic presentation that is identical for an office, warehouse, and metalworking facility does not in itself demonstrate that the training reflected the work performed and its risks. Before ordering training, clarify:
- which roles and activities the content is designed for,
- who will add local risks and rules for the specific workplace,
- how knowledge will be assessed,
- which records the company will receive,
- who will update the syllabus when the work or technology changes.
Online training can be suitable for content that can be communicated clearly and assessed in this format. If a local procedure, protective measure, or response to a specific situation needs to be demonstrated, the chosen training method should reflect this.
If your roles, deadlines, and triggering events have not yet been defined, SOHE can review them as part of its OSH and fire safety training and prepare a scope based on the company’s actual activities.
Quick answer
OSH training deadlines are not uniform across all companies. Training is required when an employee starts work and following certain changes to the work; the employer determines its content and frequency according to the risks. Fixed two- and three-year intervals are prescribed by vyhláška for fire safety training in operations subject to the relevant framework, not for the general OSH training of all employees.
Frequently asked questions
Must OSH training be repeated every year?
Zákoník práce does not prescribe a uniform annual interval for all companies. Regular refresher training depends on the nature and severity of the risks, and the employer determines the specific frequency. An annual interval may be an internal decision for particular types of work, but it is not a general rule.
Is there a mandatory two-year interval for ordinary employees?
There is no uniform two-year interval for general OSH training. A two-year interval may follow from the company’s internal policy or a different legal framework. For example, under the applicable framework, vyhláška requires employee fire safety training to be repeated at least once every two years.
Must managerial employees be trained every three years?
There is no universal three-year interval for the general OSH training of managerial employees. Vyhláška sets a three-year interval for fire safety training of managerial employees where that framework applies.
Must “referent drivers” receive training every two years?
No general two-year interval is prescribed for so-called “referent drivers.” The employer includes driving-related risks in its OSH system and determines the content and frequency according to the actual use of vehicles and working conditions.
Can OSH and fire safety training be held together?
They can be scheduled for the same session. The records must, however, distinguish their legal basis, content, groups of people covered, and applicable deadlines.
Sources for this article
- OSH and Fire Safety Training – a service provided by SOHE.
- OSH Training for Managerial Employees – the distinction between a managerial role and a commonly assumed deadline.
- Training for “Referent Drivers” – how to set up training for employees who drive as part of their work.
- Employee Fire Safety Training – the separate framework, deadlines, and fire safety documentation.
- Zákon č. 262/2006 Sb. – zákoník práce; OSH training, knowledge assessment, documentation, and the organisation of first aid.
- Zákon č. 133/1985 Sb. – zákon o požární ochraně; the basis for employee training in activities involving increased or high fire hazards.
- Vyhláška č. 246/2001 Sb. – vyhláška o požární prevenci; deadlines for the fire safety training of employees and managerial employees.
This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The specific training framework should be established according to the actual operation, work activities, manufacturer documentation, environment of use, and risk assessment.
Do you need to review the roles, deadlines, and training documentation in your company? See the scope of our OSH and fire safety training or send us a no-obligation enquiry. You can also send supporting materials to info@sohe.cz.