Summary/citation: In high and medium hazard establishments that employ 500 or more workers at one workplace a specialised occupational safety and health functional staff shall be created in conformity with the establishment’s responsibilities, branches and type of business.
Every separate workplace shall be deemed as an establishment where one area of business is undertaken and where the number of workers is 500 or more.
(Art. 21)
The occupational safety and health staff shall have the following powers:
1. To express an opinion with respect to the establishment’s management and officers in charge of buildings, supplies, production and services equipment, devices and appliances for the control of hazards, pollution, work environment and expansions taking place thereon.
2. To propose policies, determine occupational safety and health services and secure the safety of the establishment’s work environment.
3. To identify all activities of the establishment, all running operations therein, hazardous materials and waste, and adopt preventative measures against possible hazards, and particularly these related to fire and explosions.
4. To identify the dangers at the workplace that may affect workers’ health and safety.
5. To measure and evaluate pollutants and hazards, identify the management and control thereof.
6. To analyse and evaluate possible hazards, disasters, industrial accidents and prepare plans to counter emergencies, crises, training for workers and conduct the execution of field trials.
7. To publish and analyse details of work accidents and injuries, occupational diseases, serious accidents and indicate the necessary prevention recommendations.
8. To draw up technical specifications and measures regarding occupational safety and health, secure the work environment with occupational health and safety supplies in accordance with the specifications and ensure their effectiveness, efficiency and suitability to the work environment.
9. To educate and enhance the workers awareness in the establishment about the occupational safety and health methods, throughout for instance the organisation of seminars, workshops and media campaigns in the work areas and also through posters, billboards, audio, video, fliers and booklets.
10. To plan training programmes for occupational safety and health technicians and specialists and committee members on occupational safety and health.
11.To prepare the annual implementation plan of the occupational safety and health programmes.
12.To periodically inspect workplaces to ensure the availability of the required precautions to protect workers from work hazards and their compliance with implementing the instructions and conditions thereof.
13.To investigate work accidents and occupational diseases to identify deficiencies leading thereto, prepare technical reports about their reasons, methods to prevent or curb them.
14.To maintain a special register in the Occupational Safety and Health Services and Policies Directorate.
15.To introduce work permit system prior to the commencement of any maintenance, repair or any other operations that may possibly cause hazard to the workers’ safety and health. To ensure that all workers receive the proper training to use such system and conduct a periodical inspection to ensure its efficiency.
16. To follow up and conduct periodical and preventative maintenance of measures against fire and explosions together with providing the necessary supplies of rescue facilities and prepare special maintenance registers.
17.In all cases, the occupational safety and health staff shall immediately inform the employer, manager in-charge and the relevant authorities upon detecting any hazards.
(Art. 22)
Each establishment shall appoint full-time officers in occupational safety and health. The number of officers depends on the size and the degree of risk the establishment presents.
(Art. 30)
The duties of the occupational safety and health officer in the establishment shall be defined as follows:
1. Periodical inspection of all workplaces and ensuring the availability of methods of protection from occupational risks and hazards.
2. Inspection of accidents and injuries, reviewing, analyzing, registering and preparing reports about them containing the means and precautions ensuring the avoidance of their future recurrence.
3. Preparing statistics about employment injuries and serious accidents according to the work requirements and as required by the relevant authorities.
4. Choosing the appropriate personal protection equipment for the workers so as to ensure their protection from work hazards.
5. Monitoring the availability of fire prevention facilities and fire-extinguishers.
6. Monitoring the periodical inspection of safety equipment and appliances and ensuring the recording of results in special registers.
7. Reviewing and analyzing the workplaces and equipment used therein for determination of the risks arising therefrom and methods of protection therefrom.
8. Drawing up an annual plan for enhancing the workers’ prevention awareness and training them about the occupational hazards and methods of protection therefrom by holding seminars, delivering lectures, distribution of posters and preparation of occupational safety leaflets.
9. Preparing the agenda of the establishment’s Occupational Safety and Health Committee.
(Art. 32)
• Ministerial Order No. 8 of 2013 Regulating Occupational Safety and Health in Establishments. (Chapter 3, Articles 21,22,30)
