Most Common PIP Failings on Construction Sites

A PIP inspector (Polish Labour Inspectorate) walks onto your site without warning. They have the right to. For the first half hour they are not looking for anything sophisticated - they look at things visible to the naked eye and check the folders that are either there or are not. And here is the whole truth about site inspections: firms do not come unstuck on some exotic regulations. They come unstuck on the same handful of failings that recur on every third site in Poland. In this article I go through the most common of them - the ones the inspector looks at first - and show how to close each one before anyone comes to check. BudoReady packages give you a full set of documents that close most of these gaps straight away.

Key points in brief

• The most common failings are missing or out-of-date OSH training (occupational safety and health), no medical examinations and no occupational risk assessment - the classic "holy trinity" of an inspection.
• On a construction site these are joined by gaps in working at height (scaffolding without a handover, no safeguards) and in personal protective equipment.
• Formal gaps (paperwork) are easy to fix in advance - gaps in the actual state (safeguards) have to be closed on site.
• Most failings carry a fine of up to 5,000 zł, and if referred to court - a fine of up to 30,000 zł.
• From 8 July 2026, the PIP reform strengthens inspectors' powers - the same gaps will be caught more effectively.

1. Missing or out-of-date OSH training

This is failing number one. Article 237(3) of the Labour Code (KP) says plainly: a worker must not be allowed to work without OSH training. And on a construction site you have to have three things in the folder: initial training (general induction + workstation briefing before the first day) and periodic training (cyclically - for manual workstations usually every year, because this is particularly hazardous work).

The site manager's most common mistake: "the lad's started, we'll sort the paper later". The inspector opens the personal file, looks at the training card and the date. If it is not there or the periodic training has expired - you have a failing from the first minute. We described how to organise this in the article on OSH training cards.

2. No current medical examinations

The second classic. Article 229 of the Labour Code: you cannot allow a worker to work without a valid medical ruling stating there are no contraindications to work at the given workstation. On a construction site there is a special point - the annotation about work at height above 3 m. Without it, the ruling does not cover scaffolding, so formally you must not let such a worker up there.

The inspector checks examination expiry dates just as automatically as training. Expired periodic examination = worker not admitted = fine. We set out the whole topic in the article on medical examinations of construction workers.

3. No occupational risk assessment

The third pillar of the "holy trinity". Article 226 of the Labour Code imposes the duty to assess and document occupational risk and to inform workers of it. On a construction site the risk assessment (ORZ) has to be for each workstation - bricklayer, carpenter, scaffolder, operator - and up to date. It cannot be one general form "for the company".

A common problem: the assessment exists, but it was pulled off the internet "for an office", not for a real construction site - it has no work at height, no dust, no noise, no heavy equipment. The inspector sees at once that the ORZ does not match the work. We described how to do it properly in the guide on the occupational risk assessment on a construction site.

4. Working at height without safeguards and scaffolding handover

Here we enter failings visible to the naked eye, and these are the most dangerous - because they directly risk an accident. The Regulation of 6 February 2003 on OSH during construction work requires workstations at height to be secured. The most common gaps:

• scaffolding in use without a handover report - and the handover is mandatory before admission to use;
• no barriers (handrail, mid-rail, toe board) at edges and openings;
• workers without safety harnesses where collective protection cannot be used;
• no instructions for safe assembly/dismantling of scaffolding.

Working at height is particularly hazardous work on a construction site - it requires an IBWR (safe work execution procedure). We cover the whole topic in the article on the documentation for working at height.

5. Gaps in personal protective equipment

Helmets, harnesses, goggles, hearing protectors, footwear - you must give these to the worker and you must document it. The failing usually has two variants: either people actually go about without the equipment, or the equipment is there but there is no allocation table and confirmation of PPE issue. The inspector looks at both - on site and in the paperwork. We described how to keep this in the article on the PPE register and allocation table.

6. No BIOZ plan and construction documentation

On sites where it is required, the site manager is obliged to draw up a health and safety plan (BIOZ plan) before the work begins. A common mistake is confusing the BIOZ information (which the designer prepares) with the BIOZ plan (which the site manager makes). The absence of a plan where it is required is a serious failing. We set out the difference in the article BIOZ plan vs BIOZ information.

7. Illegal employment and gaps with foreign workers

After the PIP reform, the legality of employment is one of the hot topics. The inspector checks contracts, ZUS registrations (Polish social insurance), and for foreign workers - the legality of residence and work (permit/declaration, notification of entrusting work). Gaps in this area can be costlier than the classic OSH failings. We cover the topic of foreign workers in the article on the legal employment of a foreign national.

Formal vs actual failings - a table

To organise your thinking: some gaps you fix in advance at the desk, some you have to close on site. This matters, because paperwork can be prepared today, whereas safeguards cannot be "made up" in an indictment after an accident.

Failing	Type	How to close it
No OSH training	Formal + actual	Train and have the cards in the files before admission
No medical examinations	Formal	Referral + valid ruling in the file, register of dates
No risk assessment	Formal	ORZ for each workstation, matched to the actual work
Scaffolding without handover, no barriers	Actual	Handover report + collective safeguards on site
No/unissued PPE	Formal + actual	Issue the equipment + allocation table with signatures
No BIOZ plan	Formal	The site manager draws up the plan before work begins

What it costs and why it matters more now

For most failings the inspector can impose a fine of up to 5,000 zł (and for a repeat within 2 years - even up to 10,000 zł); if a motion is referred to court, the fine reaches 30,000 zł. But the worst scenario is not the fine - it is an accident at an unsecured workstation, where the lack of documentation becomes evidence under Article 220 of the Criminal Code (KK) (exposing a worker to danger, up to 3 years' imprisonment). We wrote about this line in the article on an accident without documentation and Article 220 KK.

From 8 July 2026, the PIP reform comes into force - inspectors get stronger tools. The same "obvious" gaps will be caught more effectively. The best time to sort things out was yesterday; the second best is now.

Frequently asked questions

Does a PIP inspector have to give notice of an inspection on a construction site?

No. A Polish Labour Inspectorate inspector has the right to enter a site without notice, at any time of day or night, if work is being carried out. That is why OSH documentation should always be complete, not "prepared for the inspection" at the last moment.

Which failing is most common on construction sites?

The most common are gaps in the so-called holy trinity: current OSH training, valid medical examinations and an occupational risk assessment for each workstation. On sites these are joined by gaps in working at height - scaffolding without a handover and no safeguards at edges.

Can I get a fine if I fix the gaps during the inspection?

Removing a failing during the inspection is favourable and the inspector may issue a decision instead of a fine, but it does not guarantee avoiding a penalty - especially for serious gaps endangering life and health. It is far safer to close the documentation and safeguards before the inspector appears on site.

What is the maximum fine for OSH failings?

The fine imposed by a PIP inspector is up to 5,000 zł, and for a repeat offence within 2 years up to 10,000 zł. If the case goes to court, the fine may reach 30,000 zł. Where there is an accident and danger to life, criminal liability under Article 220 KK already comes into play.

Close most gaps with one package - STANDARD and FULL

Look again at that list of failings: training, examinations, risk assessment, working at height, PPE, BIOZ plan. Most of them are documents you simply have to have ready and completed. Instead of writing them in the evenings from scratch, take the full set. In the STANDARD package (449 zł, 27 files) you get training cards, referral templates and an examinations register, the risk assessment, the PPE allocation table and instructions - exactly the set on which construction micro-businesses most often come unstuck.

If you also want procedures for inspections and incidents, choose FULL (749 zł, 45 files) - it has everything from STANDARD plus a PIP-reaction package, an accident report template and a list of steps for an inspection. The documents are in a PL and UA version, tailored to PKD 43 (Polish business activity code). The promotion runs until 7 July 2026 - just before the PIP reform comes into force.

See BudoReady packages and close the gaps →

The takeaway is simple. The inspector is not looking for tricks - they are looking for the basics. The same handful of failings recurs on every site, because the site manager has no time for paperwork. But precisely because they are predictable, they can be closed once and properly. Do it before anyone knocks - because during the inspection it will only be more expensive and more stressful.

This article is for information only and does not replace individual legal advice or a consultation with an OSH specialist. Document templates require individual adaptation to the reality of your company and specific workstations, and the current legal position should be verified as at the date of use.