In order to secure the enforcement of the legal provisions or the testing of compliance
of the provisions of the Employment Act. Inspectorate Section visits are carried
out in the industrial undertakings of the Private and Parastatal establishments
where as Occupational Safety and Health inspection visits are conducted in all economic
sectors including government and non-governmental organizations.
Inspectors are empowered by the legislation to enter premises, inspect documents,
records on both employers and employees required to be kept by law, make any inquires
to the conditions of employment i.e. ensure that the wages paid and hours workers
by the undertaking are in conformity with the prescribed regulations or collective
agreements and that the minimum age of employment is also inspected, thus ensuring
that no form of exploitation exists in the undertakings.
Some of the functions are as follows;
- Undertake workplaces inspections to ensure compliance with labour and occupational
safety standards
- Investigate workplace incidents and accidents
- Investigate workplace incidents for settlement of claims
- Issue notices to improve and to prohibit unsafe work place practices
- Act as secretariat to the Occupational Safety Board
Frequency of Inspections
It is difficult or even impossible to lay down a hard and fast figure for the frequency
of inspection visits to undertakings. The ILO labour inspection Convention (No.
81) provides that workplaces should be inspected as often and as thoroughly as is
necessary to ensure the effective application of the relevant legal provisions are
complied with.
There are several factors that are taken into account:
- whether the workplace has a poor or a good accident record;
- what kind of machines are used or processes employed.
- The nature of the labour force (Women, trainees, and expatriates) whether shift
work is performed;
- whether the work is seasonal, or periodic.
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