Bolivia extends the deadline for employers to submit the biosecurity protocols

With the aim of ensuring that the rights and guarantees of workers within their respective institutions, as well as to promote the containment and reduction of infections in the second and third wave of the COVID-19, by Ministerial Resolution (A. M) N° 320/21 of march 31, 2021, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social welfare (M. T. E. P. S.) approved the amendments to the Rules of Preparation and Submission of Biosecurity Protocols of each company, both establishments labor institutions, public and private, same that was approved by R. M. 186/21 date 04 march 2021. With the changes, it extends the time limit for the presentation of the Biosafety Protocols established in the R. M. 186/21, being in the new filing deadline until the 31st of may of the current year. With respect to companies and establishments employment created or re-opened after 31 may, these should submit their protocols within a maximum of 15 days. Also, businesses and public and private institutions must submit and implement the Specific Protocol of biosafety and Biosecurity, according to their own characteristics in the framework of the Biosafety Protocols, the General Law of Hygiene, Occupational Safety, and Welfare No. 16998 of August 02, 1972 in their Arts. 38 and 39, and the Law N° 1293 01 April 2020, Art. 8.

With respect to the Specific Protocol of biosafety and Biosecurity, this shall be prepared by a professional or technician is enabled on the National Register of Professionals and Technicians in hygiene, Safety and Occupational Medicine of Work, which should be able to establish guidelines for the protection of the health and safety of the operational and administrative staff of the company or establishment to work.

The protocol should address, as a minimum, the objectives, scope, responsibilities, measures of prevention, contingency measures for suspected cases and positive of Covid-19, allowing companies to add additional measures such as the HIRA array (hazard identification, risk assessment and determination of controls), monitoring, trainings and other studies.

The Specific Protocol of Biosafety must be registered through the “Digital Form of Registration of the Biosecurity Protocols enabled on the platform on the Institutional website of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social welfare, and must include the following:

With respect to the companies or public and private institutions that have branches or divisions, these should submit the biosafety protocol specific for each one of them.

The breach in the presentation of the Biosafety Protocol Specified within the allotted time, will lead to the generation of a report addressed to the Governments of Municipal Self-government according to its jurisdiction for the purpose of proceeding to the suspension of the operating license if applicable, by violating the right to life and health of the population.

The public entities that fail to comply with the presentation of the protocol, subject to prior verification report of the M. T. E. P. S., shall submit to an administrative process to those public servants who are responsible for the implementation of such protocols, considering his failure to a lack of administrative.

• Certificate of Registration Required by the Employer, and
• Protocol in PDF format, signed by the employer and/or legal representative and the professional or technician responsible for the preparation of the document.

With respect to the companies or public and private institutions that have branches or divisions, these should submit the biosafety protocol specific for each one of them.

The breach in the presentation of the Biosafety Protocol Specified within the allotted time, will lead to the generation of a report addressed to the Governments of Municipal Self-government according to its jurisdiction for the purpose of proceeding to the suspension of the operating license if applicable, by violating the right to life and health of the population.

The public entities that fail to comply with the presentation of the protocol, subject to prior verification report of the M. T. E. P. S., shall submit to an administrative process to those public servants who are responsible for the implementation of such protocols, considering his failure to a lack of administrative.