As we now know, the Covid-19 pandemic has strained economies around the world. To cope with the crisis, the European Union provided a support plan for all EU member countries, resulting in Next Generation EU, or the Recovery Fund.
The PNRR, or National Recovery and Resilience Plan, is thus a document that the Italian government has prepared to outline its intentions regarding the management of Next Generation EU funds, for a total amount of 191.5 billion euros for Italy.
How does the PNRR work and what does it provide for companies wishing to invest in occupational safety?
What is PNRR
PNRR is structured to divide areas of intervention that will be financed by the program funds into 6 main areas, called missions.
This document presents in detail what projects are included in Italy and the government intends to manage important resources made available by the European Union.
PNRR was created on the basis of precise guidelines set by the European Commission dividing it into a variety of areas and clusters.
These include the Health category, containing initiatives aimed at companies committed to improving working conditions of employees, ensuring their physical condition and safety in working environments.
Although to the most skeptical eyes the PNRR may appear at first glance to be inconclusive, according to a report produced and published by the Parliament’s Study Center, its impact on our country’s economy will lead to 0.8 percent growth, with a potential 1.4 percent growth rate in the final year of the Plan.
PNRR targets in the world of occupational safety
Within the PNRR there is an entire section focused on occupational safety.
The document stipulates that the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work, i.e. INAIL, should promote special memoranda of understanding with companies and large industrial groups actively engaged in the execution of individual interventions provided by PNRR itself.
This measure, especially requested by Minister of Labor Andrea Orlando, makes it possible to protect workers and prevent accidents. More specifically, it provides for:
- Extraordinary training programs in occupational health and safety.
- Research projects for experimentation of innovative technological solutions in the field of occupational health and safety
- Development of organizational models for occupational risks management
- Promoting and communicating initiatives on occupational health and safety culture
Let’s dive deeper to understand each of these topics and how they promote business optimization in terms of safety in workplaces.
Extraordinary occupational health and safety training programs
All large companies and industry groups will have to develop and draft new protocols providing activation of extraordinary occupational health and safety training programs.
These programs do not include or replace incumbent training obligations on the employer. On the contrary, they complement them by implementing and increasing occupational health and safety training.
In addition, as defined in the PNRR, these initiatives should aim to further qualify the skills of workers in sectors with higher employment growth, so as to justify planned investments.
Research projects for testing innovative technological solutions in occupational health and safety
As for research projects for testing innovative technological solutions in occupational health and safety, INAIL protocols specifically refer to their purpose. These projects are established with the aim of improving occupational health and safety standards, drawing on resources in the areas of:
- Robotics
- Exoskeletal
- Sensing, with more precision for monitoring work environments
- Innovative materials for workwear
- Devices for immersive vision or augmented reality
Development of organizational models for workplace risk management
Through the new protocols defined by INAIL and called for by the PNRR, it will finally be possible to develop advanced organizational tools and models for the analysis and management of health and safety risks in work environments.
These tools and models include those caused by interference generated by coexistence of multiple workings.
Initiatives to promote and communicate occupational health and safety culture
As a final point, INAIL and companies involved are called upon to implement joint initiatives for the promotion and communication of occupational health and safety culture (this aspect is also defined by drafting of ad hoc understandings).
Thanks to these protocols, INAIL will thus be able to better support dissemination of occupational health and safety culture, staying consistent with statements in the European Strategy in Occupational Health and Safety 2021 – 2027.
The ultimate goal is to increase the level of awareness of well-being workers and culture of prevention in every work environment.
Initiatives to promote and communicate occupational health and safety culture
Why occupational safety projects are well suited to receive these incentives
Although it is true that PNRR is primarily concerned with financing, municipal entities and large institutions, it is equally true that economic development, with more robust, sustainable and inclusive growth, involves improving occupational health and safety conditions.
The Institutional Site also predicts that Italy must come to a more efficient and digitized Public Administration, and investments and reforms must bring the country more territorial cohesion: it will also be reflected in trade and the simplification of “business making”
This aspect provides for a more dynamic labor market without gender or generation discrimination, increasingly aimed at psychophysical integrity of workers and well-being of the individual.
Dedicated actions for development of Italian healthcare are also envisaged by PNRR: it is in this context that measures for the prevention of accidents at work fall as they decrease, with less and less public spending in the future.
Not to mention that corporate safety measures are compulsory by law and, therefore, enjoying tax breaks to implement them in one’s organization will significantly reduce expenses.
Where to find updated notices
There are many websites and digital portals for locating and downloading all new updated notices, but we recommend www.incentivi.gov.it, because we believe it may be the best solution for this purpose.
It is a direct and easy-to-use portal dedicated to business incentives, that allows you to find and retrieve the information you need in a short time by searching through filters.
Search results are returned considering the Region where the company is based, so they show both state and regional programs available to Italian companies.
Why it is important to get active now
It is good to know that our country also complements PNRR with the National Plan for Complementary Investment, meaning it adds total resources of 30.6 billion euros.
Getting active right away is crucial to counteract Italy’s slow bureaucracy and be among the companies and businesses able to access these funds.
The company will also need to pay attention to what integrated solutions falling under planned investments are best suited for its business.
It’s crucial to rely on professionals in the field of work safety to implement devices that are compliant with the law, efficient and appropriate for the business environment: making mistakes in this regard can mean not being among companies eligible for tax breaks.
Smart Track’s expertise insures against these possible risks by providing highly specialized consultants and technologies in line with requirements for accessing benefits.