The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) published this Friday the , a regulation that establishes the requirements for occupational health medical examinations for all Cuban workers exposed to hygienic-epidemiological risks.
The provision, signed on September 15 and released this Thursday in the —pages 238 to 255—, repeals Resolution 284 from June 16, 2014, which until now regulated this matter, with the aim of modernizing the applicable technical, epidemiological, and health standards.
The new standard classifies hygienic-epidemiological risks into four major categories: chemical, physical, ergonomic, and biological.
The resolution addresses the chemical risks associated with exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, inorganic lead, organic lead, mercury, asbestos, silica, and coal, with differentiated requirements for each agent.
For those working with organophosphate or carbamate pesticides, the pre-employment examination must include the determination of blood cholinesterase levels within 15 days prior to starting exposure.
In the case of workers exposed to asbestos or silica, the pre-employment evaluation requires a chest X-ray and a spirometry test performed within the 30 days prior to starting work; periodic examinations include a chest X-ray every two years—reported by three specialist doctors—and annual spirometry. For underground miners, the chest X-ray cannot be spaced more than two years apart.
The resolution defines five types of medical examinations: pre-employment, periodic, reintegration, extraordinary, and retirement or exit. After each evaluation, the doctor issues a fitness report that determines whether the employee is capable of performing their duties.
Employers are required to coordinate with the entities of the National Health System to ensure the implementation of these evaluations.
Biological tests related to exposure to lead or mercury should preferably be conducted at provincial centers and municipal units of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology.
The standard is based on three legal pillars. The first is the , approved on July 30, 2026, whose Second Final Provision mandated MINSAP to present updated regulations to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security within a period of up to 45 days.
The second is Law 165, "Public Health Law," dated December 22, 2023, which recognizes MINSAP as the health authority regarding occupational safety and health. The third is Article 145 of the Constitution, which grants the minister the authority to issue the resolution.
The Resolution 116/2026 is part of a broader regulatory package included in the same Official Gazette No. 78, which also features the concerning occupational diseases, the on the hiring of healthcare professionals, and the regarding occupational safety and health management.
The complete text of the regulation, which spans 18 pages of the Official Gazette, can be consulted on the MINSAP resolutions portal.
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