The National Government extended by one year the deadline for all companies in the country to implement the Management System of Safety and Health at Work, SG-SST. Last January 31st was the deadline for companies with fewer than ten employers to assume that system; by Decree 171 of February 1st, and it was extended until January 31st 2017. Decree 171 of February 1st 2016, signed by President Juan Manuel Santos and Labour Minister Lucho Garzon, facilitates to public and private companies the replacement of the Occupational Health program for the new Management System of Safety and Health at Work. The deadline for the implementation of this system was January 31st for companies with fewer than 10 workers, July for companies with 10- 200 employees and January 2017 for companies with more than 201 workers. The Government also decided to unify the deadline for all companies in the country, regardless of its size. This means that January 31st, 2017 will be the deadline to complete the whole process for any company, said Deputy Minister of Labour Relations and Inspection, Enrique Borda Villegas.
The new system created by Decree 1443 of 2014, today Decree 1072 of 2015, formerly known as Occupational Health Program (Resolution 1016, 1989), seeks to identify hazards, evaluate risks and establish the respective controls by the continuous improvement of the system in the companies and business and comply with regulations on labour risks.