70 Years of Industrial Supervision Traditions in Belarus! The Formation of the Vitebsk Regional Department: From Inspection to Multidisciplinary Supervision.

The history of the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate dates back to 1965, with the establishment of the Vitebsk District Boiler Supervision Inspectorate. As the number of industrial enterprises and facilities grew, the scope of supervision expanded and the tasks performed by the inspectorate became more complex. Currently, the inspectorate supervises 1851 entities operating over 300 hazardous production facilities and 26,000 potentially hazardous facilities. Each of them must comply with regulations and other safety parameters. Today, the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate, including the Novopolotsk and Orsha inter-district departments, has 67 employees.

The inspectorate's activities go beyond routine control. The inspectorate offers a full range of industrial safety services: from expertise, technical inspection, and technical diagnostics, to electrical measurements, issuing permits for specific types of work and services, as well as licensing industrial safety activities within the powers of the State Industrial Supervision Authority. Special attention is paid to verifying the knowledge of company specialists responsible for industrial safety and the transportation of dangerous goods. Overall, the inspectorate works on safety on many fronts, but industry remains the key focus.

Finding out about an upcoming inspection is quite simple. Just visit the website of the Committee for State Control, where the plan for selective inspections is regularly published. This allows for advance preparation and awareness of when exactly to expect a visit from the supervisory authorities.

For the Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate, preventing an error is more important than punishing it.

The Directorate carries out its activities using both sample and unscheduled inspections, monitoring, and technical (technological, verification) measures. However, significant attention is paid to preventive and precautionary measures.

An important part is informational and explanatory work with entities. Directorate specialists actively inform about the procedure for complying with legislative requirements and their practical application. They also inform enterprise employees about typical violations, and information about them is posted on the website of Gosgortekhnadzor to prevent their recurrence in the future. In addition, conducting various seminars is an effective way to disseminate information. The priority area of the Directorate's activity is the prevention of accidents and incidents. To reduce them, the Vitebsk Regional Directorate of Gosgortekhnadzor is actively developing the direction of technical diagnostics. This approach allows for timely assessment of the condition of potentially hazardous facilities in the field of industrial safety and making informed decisions about the possibility of their further operation.

Why does the State Industrial Supervision Service issue licenses – it is a guarantee of safety in hazardous areas. Activities associated with increased risk require special control. That is precisely why the State Industrial Supervision Service issues licenses, acting as a guarantor of safety in such critical areas as working with industrial explosives, pyrotechnic products, operation of hazardous production facilities of types I and II, as well as their design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, technical diagnostics, and repair. The process of obtaining a license is not a formality, but a thorough verification of the applicant's compliance with strict requirements. For this purpose, a special examination is conducted, during which all potential violations are identified and eliminated. If gross violations of legislation are discovered in the course of the licensee's activities, the State Industrial Supervision Service has the right to suspend or even revoke the license. It is important to note that the licensing of activities in the field of industrial safety is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Currently, there are about 1.7 thousand licensees in our country who carry out their activities in the field of industrial safety, performing more than 7.6 thousand different types of work. All information on issued licenses is available in the state information system "Unified Register of Licenses". This resource operates 24/7 and provides free access to data, ensuring transparency and control in the field of industrial safety.

Industrial safety is not just a set of rules, but the foundation of stability and prosperity for all of Belarus. In the context of modern technological progress, it has become an integral part of state security, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of all enterprises and preventing accidents.

In the Vitebsk region, this crucial mission is carried out by the regional department of Gospromnadzor. Behind its history lie years of meticulous work, a responsible approach, and a constant striving for improvement. It is not just a department, but a living organism that develops along with the region's industry, adapting to new technologies and legislative changes.

The Vitebsk Regional Department of Gospromnadzor is a guarantor of safety for every resident of the region, a pledge of stable economic development and environmental protection. Its work is a contribution to a future where humans and technology coexist in harmony, and risks are minimized.