The sanitary inspection in the conditions of social and economic transformation in Poland.

A great number of small, privately-owned companies appeared in Poland during the last five years as a result of the transformation process of the whole national economy. Continuous economic changes determine new requirements for the occupational hygiene branch of the State Sanitary Inspection which is designated to exercise control and sanitary supervision over working conditions in individual companies. The Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations are not capable now of ensuring permanent monitoring of various harmful agents even at those workposts which create true risk of health impairment. Lack of adequate legal regulations poses a significant problem in preparing a list of companies to be supervised. The majority of newly-formed, privately-owned companies not only fails to be subjected to any working-environment assessment procedures but also to be kept on any file. One of the crucial problems to be solved in the nearest future is to develop the efficient system for the supervision of working conditions and, at the same time, to find the ways how to improve them. Courses to train occupational hygiene specialists and to advance the skills of occupational hygiene workers seem to be equally important.