NOM-002-STPS-2010.
The Workplace Hazards According to preliminary figures from the Mexican Social Security Institute in coordination with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, information is available with the latest update date of September 2021, which shows the number of work-related risks that have been reported to the corresponding entities.
It is important to mention that, in Mexico, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) has a specific standard that provides the necessary information to be able to rreduce these risks and which must be complied with in workplaces within the national territory, which is:
Official Mexican Standard NOM-002-STPS-2010, Safety conditions-Prevention and protection against fires in workplaces.
The objective of the standard being: “To establish the requirements for the fire prevention and protection in the workplace.”.
Therefore, NOM-002-STPS-2010 establishes the safety, prevention and protection conditions against fires in workplaces, in which the obligations of the employer and workers are established with the objective of avoiding an accident within the workplace that causes a fire of any classification.
The content of NOM-002-STPS-2010 indicates the points that must be met to avoid any condition that puts the health and safety of personnel and workplaces at risk; as well as the joint obligations of both the employer and the workers to comply with the objective of prevention.
To help in compliance, point 13 of NOM-002-STPS-2010 indicates the Procedure for the evaluation of conformity, in which the aspects to be verified during the evaluation by the corresponding labor authority are listed, and also to monitor compliance and actions through the Occupational Safety and Health department that the company has.
In accordance with the above, if one of the objectives of your company or business is to reduce risks to the health and physical integrity of employees and your facilities, it is recommended that you begin by complying with the employer and employee obligations indicated in the standard, such as:
Employer obligations.
- Classify the fire risk of the workplace or by the areas that comprise it.
- Have a sketch, plan or general map of the workplace.
- Have the applicable safety instructions in each area of the workplace and disseminate them among workers, contractors and visitors.
- Have a fire emergency response plan.
- Having fire brigades in workplaces classified as having a high fire risk.
- Conduct fire emergency drills at least once a year.
- Develop an annual theoretical-practical training program on fire prevention and emergency response.
- Provide personal protective equipment to members of fire brigades.
- In areas of workplaces classified as having a risk of ordinary fire, fire detection and firefighting equipment must be provided.
Obligations of workers.
- Comply with the safety instructions given by the employer.
- Comply with the fire prevention and protection measures established by the employer.
- Participate in the training and instruction activities provided by the employer for fire prevention and protection.
- Assist in responding to fire emergencies that occur at the workplace, according to the training received.
- Comply with the instructions on the use and care of the personal protective equipment provided by the employer to the members of the fire brigades.
- Participate in fire brigades.
- Participate in fire emergency drills.
- Do not block, damage, disable or misuse personal protective equipment for emergency care, sketches, plans, maps, and signs for evacuation, fire prevention and fighting, among others.
- Implement the alerting procedure in case of detecting a fire emergency situation.
From the information above, as you can see, complying with the requirements of the standard begins with the employer fulfilling their obligations, so it is suggested that you carry out the evaluation of the standard's requirements together with your Occupational Safety and Health department.
If your company or business has fire extinguishers, smoke detectors or a fire detection and alarm system, signage, emergency exits, etc.; and you are interested in verifying that they are in compliance according to your company's risk classification, NOM-002-STPS-2010 will be of great help to you.
Bibliographic reference.
Government of Mexico. (SD). Work Risks Registered with the IMSS. May 12, 2022, from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare website: https://www.stps.gob.mx/gobmx/estadisticas/riesgos.htm
Government of Mexico. (2010). Official Mexican Standard NOM-002-STPS-2010, Safety conditions - Prevention and protection against fires in workplaces. May 12, 2022, from the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare website: http://dof.gob.mx/normasOficiales/4228/stps/stps.htm
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