Occupational Safety and Health - A Guide for Labour Inspectors and other stakeholders

The aim of this guide is to assist inspectors and employers to fulfil their functions by providing information on the management of occupational safety and health (OSH) issues that are that are common across many sectors of industry. Generic information is also provided, so as to empower and inform users of this guide on the hazards and actions that employers and workers should take to reduce occupational hazards and risks.

The guide also provides information to inspectors on how organizations could develop an OSH management system and on topics that employers should consider in this process to actively manage OSH at their workplaces.

Inspectors are empowered to enforce national legislation and thus ensure compliance with it. It is therefore vital that they are fully conversant with their national legislation and the scope of their authority, Labour inspectors’ powers are determined by Article 12 of the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) Given the international diversity in legislation it is not possible within this guide to discuss legislation. Readers may be interested in the ILO Global Database on Occupational Safety and Health Legislation - LEGOSH, which provides a framework for the main elements of OSH legislation, including OSH management and administration, employers’ duties and obligations, workers’ rights and duties, and OSH inspection and enforcement.

Notwithstanding this, the information contained within the guide details actions that employers and workers could follow to ensure safe and healthy systems of work in their workplaces.

Whilst this guide was designed for inspectors it will also be a useful source of information for employers, workers and other interested stakeholders e.g. consultants, employment injury insurance assessors etc.