What is worth knowing about regenerative meals?
In difficult working conditions, guaranteeing employees meals is not only the good will of the employer. This issue is regulated by law.
Answer the question of what a regenerative meal is included in Article 232, the Labor Code, which informs that: „The employer is obliged to provide employees employed in particularly burdensome conditions, free of charge, with adequate meals and refreshments, if it is necessary for preventive reasons.”
A recovery meal is a good way to give employees an extra boost of energy. Especially when they lose it due to hard work, hypothermia or other unfavorable conditions. Most often, warm food or drink is used for this purpose.
There is also an interchangeable term „preventive meals”.
Regenerative meals are issued in relation to a specific physical exertion. In the case of men, they are guaranteed if during the working shift the effective energy expenditure of the body is above 2000 kcal (8375 kJ). For women, this is a value above 1100 kcal (4605 kJ).
When working in a closed room with a temperature below 10 °C or a thermal load index (WBGT) above 25 °C, the threshold energy expenditure is lower – 1500 kcal (6280 kJ) in men and 1000 kcal (4187 kJ) in women, respectively.
Another situation regulated by law, which obliges to provide preventive meals, is physical effort related to underground work, during the removal of natural disasters and similar situations.
If, for some reason, the employer is unable to provide regenerative meals during breaks, he can do so by giving the employee vouchers or vouchers to catering outlets or products for self-preparation of dishes.
Of particular importance for such a meal is the period from November 1 to March 31. From late autumn until early spring, temperatures and weather conditions are much more unfavourable, especially for people working in the open, e.g. in the construction sector. In this situation, the employer must provide a regenerative meal to the employee if the physical effort associated with working in the open area during the work shift leads to an effective energy expenditure of the body at a level above 1500 kcal (6280 kJ) for men and above 1000 kcal (4187 kJ) for women.
Regenerative meals should have a certain caloric content. People working in difficult conditions or performing activities that require high energy expenditure must receive a meal worth about 1000 kcal, containing 50-55% carbohydrates, 30-35% fats and 15% proteins.
In addition, the employee should be provided with preventive drinks. Depending on the operating conditions (m.in high or low temperature), these are both cold and hot drinks. In the winter season, the latter should be available during the entire working shift.
Source: https://inzynieriabhp.pl/posilki-regeneracyjne-bhp-gdynia/
Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.