Occupational Safety and Health

Establishing and Enhancing An Overall Occupational Safety and Health Framework in Myanmar and Lao PDR

The project aims to continue to establish the essential pillars of sustainable national OSH systems in Myanmar and Lao PDR, support constituents to adopt improved national laws and legislative frameworks in accordance with ILO’s key OSH Conventions, and build capacity of government institutions including strengthening labour inspection.

At a glance

Partners
Myanmar: Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population (MOLIP)
Lao PDR: Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MOLSW)
Korea: Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA)

Target beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries: government agencies including Factories and General Labour Law Inspection Department (FGLLID) and Social Security Board (SSB) under MOLIP in Myanmar and Department of Labour Management under MOLSW in Lao PDR and workers’ and employers’ organizations in the two countries.
Ultimate beneficiaries: all the workers, employers and general public of Myanmar, Lao PDR and other ASEAN countries.

Geographical focus
ASEAN, Myanmar and Lao PDR

Project objective

Occupational safety and health (OSH) is not a new concept in Myanmar and Lao PDR but the development of OSH system in the two countries have not kept pace with their economic development, presumably exposing millions of workers to unsafe and unhealthy work every day and potentially endangering their lives and livelihoods.

The absence of a wholesome OSH system also posed negative impact for enterprises, leading to stoppage of work, machine breakdown and decreased productivity.

The ILO/Korea Partnership Programme has previously launched several initiatives in Myanmar and Lao PDR to strengthen the safety and health for the workers. In Myanmar, the ILO supported the drafting of OSH law, awaiting in the parliament for approval. In Lao PDR, the ILO’s intervention included several training workshops for small enterprises and construction sites.

The progress achieved from the previous initiatives has laid a solid foundation for this new project which aims to continue to establish the essential pillars of sustainable national OSH systems in Myanmar and Lao PDR, support constituents to adopt improved national laws and legislative frameworks in accordance with ILO’s key OSH Conventions, and build capacity of government institutions including strengthening labour inspection.

The immediate objective of the project is by 2020, as a result of the strengthening of selected elements of the national OSH system, Myanmar and Lao PDR have established and enhanced an overall occupational safety and health framework. The ultimate objective is to improve workers’ working conditions in the two countries.

Main activities

Myanmar
  • Promote social dialogue and cooperation between employers, workers and other stakeholders relevant for OSH through support to the National Safety Week and OSH exhibition or other collaborative activities.
  • Develop an outline of an improved reporting system for occupational accidents and diseases in accordance with ILS and national law.
Lao PDR
  • Support the public consultations and implementation of the new OSH Law.
  • Provide technical advice to the outline of the structure for the rules, regulations and decrees.
  • Provide technical assistance to the national OSH policy formulation.
  • Support the development of an updated national OSH profile and national OSH programme.
  • Develop and improve OSH inspection tools (such as checklist and reporting format), procedures for inspection, competency standards or training curricula.
  • Organize training of trainers on OSH for inspectors and/or other staff or members of the national tripartite council on OSH.
  • Provide technical advice to the formulation of a compliance strategy.
ASEAN
  • Support training programmes, workshops or fellowships on OSH for ASEAN tripartite constituents.
  • Provide technical consultative panels (or advisor) from KOSHA for development of OSH programmes.

Main outcomes

Myanmar
  • Improved OSH data recording and reporting system and increased public awareness on OSH.
Lao PDR
  • Improvement of the Legal and Institutional Framework on OSH and promotion of the ratification of ILO Convention C.187 and C.155.
  • A strengthened institutional capacity of the OSH authority and its inspection system to implement and enforce the OSH legal framework.
ASEAN
  • Technical support to regional OSH activities/enhancing awareness of ILO/Korea programme through cooperation with KOSHA

For more information, please contact:

Mr Hong Jungwoo
Project Manager and Coordinator, ILO/Korea Partnership Programme
Email: hongj@ilo.org
Tel: +662 288 1715

Mr Francisco Santos-O'Connor
Senior OSH Specialist, ILO DWT-Bangkok
Email: santosf@ilo.org
Tel: +662 288 1775