NR-29, titled “Safety and Health in Port Work,” was first published by SSST Ordinance No. 53 on December 17, 1997.
The need for specific OSH regulations for port activities was identified in the 1980s by the now-defunct Maritime Labor Delegation and Fundacentro. In 1990, Brazil ratified ILO Convention No. 152, prompting actions to draft a comprehensive regulatory text.
In 1997, the government published Provisional Measure No. 1575, assigning responsibilities for occupational health and safety in ports. On December 29, 1997, SSST Ordinance No. 53 was signed, approving NR-29.
A tripartite group, later transformed into the National Permanent Port Commission (CPNP) in 2002, was established to monitor the implementation of NR-29. This commission conducted visits to various ports to understand local needs and ensure the standard’s relevance and effectiveness.
NR-29 has undergone three revisions: a comprehensive one in 2006 (SIT Ordinance No. 158) influenced by the 2003 Technical Manual on Health and Safety and Health in Ports, a 2013 update (MTE Ordinance No. 1.895), and a 2014 update (MTE Ordinance No. 1.080).
In 2019, during the 97th CTPP meeting, a modernization process for NR-29 began. The new text was published by Ordinance No. 671 on April 1, 2022, and took effect on September 1, 2022.
NR-29 Health and Safety in Ports
(MTP Ordinance No. 671, of March 30, 2022)
Annex III – Work Time Regime with Thermal Recovery Time Outside the Cold Environment