NR-16 was initially issued by MTb Ordinance No. 3.214 on June 8, 1978, to regulate Articles 193 to 196 of the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), revised by Law No. 6.514 on December 22, 1977, which amended Chapter V on Safety and Occupational Medicine.
Characterized as a Special Standard by SIT Ordinance No. 787 on November 28, 2018, NR-16 has never had a National Tripartite Thematic Commission (CNTT). Its updates are discussed within the Permanent Tripartite Commission (CTPP).
NR-16 comprises a general part with definitions and procedures for hazard pay, and annexes covering specific hazardous activities. The general part has only had minor updates, such as the addition of item 16.8 on risk area delimitation (1994) and the harmonization of the definition of combustible liquid with NR-20 (2012).
Key changes to the annexes include:
- Annex I on hazardous activities with explosives, updated in 1979.
- Annex II, updated in 2000, covering various hazardous activities.
- The section on ionizing radiation was established in 1987, revoked in 2002, reinstated in 2003, and updated in 2015 to include mobile X-ray machines.
Other significant additions:
- Annex III (2013): Hazardous activities involving exposure to robbery or violence in security jobs.
- Annex IV (2014): Hazardous activities with electrical energy, previously covered by a 1985 law.
- Annex V (2014): Hazardous activities involving motorcycles, initially discussed in a GTT but moved to the CTPP due to disagreements. A new GTT formed in 2017 to revise the text, but consensus was not reached. The CTPP settled on 20% as the minimum daily work percentage exempt from hazard pay.
The updated Annex V text was finalized but not published by the Ministry of Labor.
NR-16’s updates are mainly procedural and aim to reflect current safety standards while addressing specific hazards across various sectors.
NR-16 – Hazarous Activities and Operations
(MTE Ordinance No. 1418, of August 27, 2024)
Annex I of NR-16 – Hazardous Activities and Operations with Explosives
Annex II of NR-16 – Hazardous Activities and Operations with Flammables
Annex IV of NR-16 – Hazardous Activities and Operations with Electricity