The Association submitted a request for clarification to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

By Order No. 248 dated April 8, 2014, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine approved the State Sanitary Norms and Rules “Hygienic Classification of Labor According to Indicators of Harmfulness and Hazardousness of the Work Environment Factors, Severity and Intensity of the Work Process” (hereinafter – the Hygienic Classification of Labor).

Appendix 16 to the Hygienic Classification of Labor sets out the Classes of Working Conditions according to indicators of labor intensity, which include such an indicator of work process intensity as “Load on the visual analyzer” (Clause 2.3).

Clause 2.3.2 of Appendix 16 to the Hygienic Classification of Labor provides that observation of video display terminal screens for up to 4 hours per shift falls under Class 2 working conditions in terms of labor intensity, i.e., it is considered a permissible class of working conditions (moderate degree of labor intensity).

According to the results of laboratory studies on the severity and intensity of labor conducted by sanitary-industrial laboratories of territorial expert-technical centers accredited by the State Labour Service of Ukraine to perform hygienic studies of work environment and work process factors, at the workplaces of employees of crushed stone enterprises who work with computers, the duration of observation of video display terminal screens is up to 4 hours per shift. Thus, based on these studies, the class of working conditions in terms of labor intensity is permissible (moderate degree of labor intensity, Class 2).

At the same time, Appendix 4 to the Procedure for Organizing and Conducting Mandatory Medical Examinations of Certain Categories of Employees, approved by Order No. 1393 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated September 8, 2025 “On the Organization and Conduct of Mandatory Medical Examinations of Certain Categories of Employees,” contains the List of harmful or hazardous production factors and work process factors requiring mandatory preliminary (periodic) medical examinations of employees. According to this List, visually intensive work associated with continuous monitoring of video display terminal (display) screens for less than 4 hours (during an 8-hour shift) is subject to mandatory medical examination (Clause 6.2.3).

In view of the above, and considering that Order No. 248 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated April 8, 2014 does not contain the indicator “visually intensive work associated with continuous monitoring of video display terminal (display) screens,” nor the criteria for its determination, the Association addressed the Minister of Health of Ukraine, V.K. Liashko, requesting that the relevant structural subdivisions of the Ministry provide the following clarifications:

1. Are employees who work with computers, whose class of working conditions in terms of labor intensity is classified as permissible, subject to periodic medical examinations?
2. What does the definition “continuous monitoring of video display terminal (display) screens” mean in the context of working conditions?

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