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Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health
Ministry of Labour Ordinance No. 32 of September 30, 1972

Latest Amendments:
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Ordinance No. 47 of March 30, 2007
In Japanese

Update : 2008.03.28

Part I General Rules

Chapter II Organization for Safety and Health Management

Section 1 General Safety and Health Manager

Article 2 (Appoint of General Safety and Health Manager)
  • (1) The appointment of a general safety and health manager pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) of Article 10 of the Act shall be made within 14 days of the date when reasons for appointing a general safety and health manager have arisen.
  • (2) The employer shall, when having appointed a general safety and health manager, submit a report in accordance with Form No.3 without delay to the Chief of the Labour Standards Inspection Office who exercises jurisdiction over the place where the workplace concerned is located (hereinafter referred to as the “Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office”).
Article 3 (Substitute General Safety and Health Manager)
  • (1) The employer shall, when the general safety and health manager is unable to execute his/her duties due to absence for travel, illness, and accident or for any other inevitable reason, appoint a substitute.
Article 3-2 (Work generally managed by General Safety and Health Manager)
  • (1) The work prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in item (v) of paragraph (1) of Article 10 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) Matters relating to the pronouncement of a safety and health policy;
    • (ii) Matters relating to the investigation of danger or harm, etc., set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 28-2 of the Act, and the measures to be taken based on the results of the said investigation;
    • (iii) Matters relating to the formulation, implementation, evaluation and improvement of a safety and health plan.

Section 2 Safety Officer

Article 4 (Appointment of a Safety Officer)
  • (1) The appointment of the safety officers pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) of Article 11 of the Act shall be made prescribed as follows:
    • (i) To appoint within 14 days of the date when the grounds necessitating appointment of a safety officer have arisen;
    • (ii) To appoint a person who is exclusively assigned to the workplace. However, in that or more safety officers are to be appointed and persons listed in item (ii) of the next Article are included in those safety officers, this provision shall not apply to one of the said persons;
    • (iii) For the workplace falling under the following categories, to appoint the necessary number of safety officers to always supervise the technical matters pertaining to the safety among those works set forth in each item of paragraph (1) of Article 10 of the Act during the operation of a production facilities unit designated by the Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau having the jurisdiction over the district where the said workplace is located (hereinafter referred to as “Director of the competent Prefectural Labour Bureau”):
      • (a) The workplace where, among the chemical facilities (meaning the chemical facilities listed in item (i) of Article 9-3 of the Enforcement Order of Industrial Safety and Health Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Order”), the same shall apply hereinafter), the one such as a reactor, etc., in which the exothermal reaction arises or due to the similar abnormal conditions that explosions, fires, etc. is possible to arise (due to excluding piping; hereinafter referred to as “special chemical facilities”);
      • (b) The special chemical facilities designated by the Director of the competent Prefectural Labour Bureau.
    • (iv) For the workplace regularly employing workers of number or more listed in the right column of the following table corresponding to categories of industry listed in the medium column of the same table, to appoint at least one as a fulltime safety officer among those appointed to supervise the technical matters concerning the safety among those works set forth in each item of paragraph (1) of Article 10 of the Act. However, in the case of industries falling under category 4 in the same table, this shall be limited only to a workplace in which there have been exceeding 100 cases which h compelled workers to be absent from their work for one day or more due to industrial accidents in the past three years.
      1 Construction 300
      Organic chemical product manufacturing
      Petroleum product manufacturing
      2 Inorganic chemical product manufacturing 500
      Chemical fertilizer manufacturing
      Land transportation
      Port cargo transportation
      3 Paper and pulp manufacturing 1000
      Iron and steel industry
      Shipbuilding industry
      4 Industry prescribed in item (i) and (ii) of Article 2 of the Order (excluding industries prescribed in 1 to 3) 2000
  • (2) The provisions of paragraph (2) of Article 2 and Article 3 shall apply mutatis mutandis to safety officers.
Article 5 (Qualifications of Safety Officer)
  • (1)A person who is in possession of the qualifications prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 11 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) A person who falls under any of the following categories and who completed a training course provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare that provides the knowledge necessary to supervise technical matters pertaining to safety among the works listed in each item of paragraph (1) of Article 10 of the Act.
      • (a) A person who has completed and graduated from the regular course of science line of a university or a technical college accredited under the School Education Act (Act No.26 of 1947) (including the long term course of the Human Resource Development and Promotion University accredited under the Human Resource Development and Promotion Act (Act No.64 of 1969) and has business experiences having engaged in the industrial safety service for two years or longer thereafter.
      • (b) A person who has completed and graduated from the regular course of science line of a senior high school or a secondary education school accredited under the School Education Act and has business experiences having engaged in industrial safety service for four years or longer.
    • (ii) Industrial safety consultants.
    • (iii) In addition to those listed in the preceding two items, a person who is provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Article 6 (Inspection by the Safety Officer and Enabling)
  • (1) The safety officer shall inspect workshops, etc., and immediately take necessary measures to prevent dangers when there are indications of such dangers in facilities and/or working methods, etc.
  • (2) The employer shall grant the safety officer the authority to take measures concerning safety.

Section 3 Health Officer

Article 7 (Appointment of Health Officer)
  • (1) The appointment of health officers pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) of Article 12 of the Act shall be made prescribed as follows:
    • (i) To appoint within 14 days of the date when grounds necessitating appointment of a health officer arisen.
    • (ii) To appoint a person who exclusively assigned to the workplace. However, in the case that two or more health officers are to be appointed and persons listed in item (iii) of Article 10 are included in those health officers, this provision shall not apply to one of the said persons.
    • (iii) To appoint among those listed in the following items, corresponding to the categories of industry:
      • (a) In the industries of agriculture, forestry, livestock raising, fisheries, mining, construction, manufacturing (including processing), electric power, gas supply, water supply, heating supply, transport, automobile servicing, machine servicing, medical repairing services, and cleaning: those having the class-1 health officer’s license, the health officer’s license on industrial hygiene or those listed in each item of Article 10.
      • (b) In other industries, those having the class-1 health officer’s license, the class-2 health officer’s license, the health officer’s license on industrial hygiene or those listed in the items of Article 10.
    • (iv) To appoint health officers the number or more shown on the right of the following table corresponding to the size of each workplace shown on the left of the same table.
      Size of Workplace (Number of Regular Employees) Number of Health Officers
      50 or more and 200 or less 1
      Exceeding 200 and 500 or less 2
      Exceeding 500 and 1,000 or less 3
      Exceeding 1,000 and 2,000 or less 4
      Exceeding 2,000 and 3,000 or less 5
      Exceeding 3,000 6
    • (v) For the workplaces falling under the following categories shall appoint at least one full-time health officer:
      • (a) Those workplaces regularly employing exceeding 1,000 workers.
      • (b) Those workplaces regularly employing exceeding 500 workers, of which 30 or more workers are engaged in mineshaft work or work designated in the paragraphs of Article 18 of the Enforcement Ordinance of the Labour Standards Act (Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No.23 of 1947).
    • (vi) In those workplaces regularly employing exceeding 500 workers, of which 30 or more workers are engaged in mineshaft work or work listed in paragraph (1), paragraph (3) to (5) or paragraph (9) of Article 18 of the Enforcement Ordinance of the Labour Standards Act, to appoint one health officer who has obtained a health officer’s license on industrial hygiene.
  • (2) The provisions of paragraph (2) of Article 2 and Article 3 shall apply mutatis mutandis to health officers.
Article 8 (Special Case of the Appointment of Health Officers)
  • (1) The employer may be excepted from the obligation as pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article in the case where there should be some unavoidable reason whereby the employer is unable to appoint a health officer under that provision and when the employer has obtained the permission of the Director of the competent Prefectural Labour Bureau.
Article 9 (Appointment of a Common Health officer)
  • (1) The Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau may, when finding necessity, recommend the appointment of a common health officer for those two or more workplaces where the appointment of a health officer for one workplace is not necessary and the two or more such workplaces are located in the same area, through the deliberation by the Local LabourCouncil.
Article 10 (Qualifications of Health Officers)
  • (1) A person who is in possession of the qualifications prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 12 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) Physicians;
    • (ii) Dentists;
    • (iii) Industrial health consultant;
    • (iv) In addition to those listed in the preceding three items, those provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Article 11 (Inspection by the Health Officer and Enabling)
  • (1) The health officer shall inspect workshops, etc., at least once a week and promptly take necessary measures to prevent the impairment of workers' health when there should be a risk of harmful effects due to the design of the facilities, working methods or in health conditions of such workshops.
  • (2) The employer shall grant the health officer the authority to take measures necessary to prevent health impairment as previously described.
Article 12 (Administration of Industrial Health Engineering Matters)

Section 3-2 Safety and Health Promoter and Health Promoter

Article 12-2 (Workplace Subject to Appoint Safety and Health Promoter, etc.)
  • (1) The workplaces of scale prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfareset forth in paragraph (2) of Article 12-2 of the Act shall be those regularly employing 10 or more but not more than 50 workers.
Article 12-3 (Appointment of Safety and Health Promoter, etc.)
  • (1) The appointment of the safety and health promoter or the health promoter (hereinafter referred to as “safety and health promoter, etc.”) pursuant to the provision of Article 12-2 of the Act shall be made, from among those who are deemed to have the ability to take charge of the works set forth in each item of paragraph (1) of Article 10 of the Act (for the health promoter, limited to the works pertaining to industrial health), prescribed as follows:
    • (i) To appoint within 14 days from the day the appointment becomes necessary.
    • (ii) To appoint a person who is exclusively assigned to the workplace as a safety and health promoter. However,this shall not apply to where the said safety and health promoter is to be appointed from among the industrial safety consultants, industrial health consultants or others who are provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Article 12-4 (Dissemination of Names of Safety and Health Promoter, etc.)
  • (1) The employer shall, when having appointed the safety and health promoter, etc., make the name of the said safety and health promoter, etc., known to the workers concerned by posting their names at a readily visible location in the workshop, etc.

Section 4 Industrial Physician, etc.

Article 13 (Appointment of an Industrial Physician)
  • (1) The appointment of an industrial physician pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) of Article 13 of the Act shall be prescribed as follows:
    • (i) To appoint within 14 days from the date when a reason necessitating appointment of a physician have arisen.
    • (ii) For the workplace where 1,000 workers or more are regularly employed or 500 workers or more are regularly engaged in the work listed as follows, to appoint a person exclusively assigned to the said workplace.:
      • (a) The work handling a large quantity of high-temperature substances or the work in extremely hot places.
      • (b) The work handling a large quantity of low-temperature substances or the work in extremely cold places.
      • (c) The work in which workers are exposed to radium rays, X-rays and other harmful radiation
      • (d) The work at the place where extreme air-borne dust or power of soil and stone or animal hair, etc., are flying. (e) The work under an extraordinary atmospheric pressure.
      • (f) The work exposing the bodies of workers to extremely vibrations due to the use of a rock drill, a riveting machine, etc.
      • (g) The work handling of heavy material.
      • (h) The work in places of boiler manufacturing, etc., where sending extremely noise.
      • (i) The work in a pit.
      • (j) The work including midnight work.
      • (k) The work handling mercury, arsenic, yellow phosphorus, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, prussic acid, caustic alkali, carbolic acid and other substances as harmful as these substances.
      • (l) The work in places exuding gas, vapor, dusts of lead, mercury, chromium, arsenic, yellow phosphorus, hydrogen fluoride, chlorine, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid, carbon monoxide, carbon disulfide, prussic acid, benzene, aniline and other substances as harmful as these substances.
      • (m) The work is liable to extreme contamination by pathogens.
      • (n) Other work provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
    • (iii) For the workplace where exceeding 3,000 workers are regularly employed, to appoint two or more industrial physicians.
  • (2) The provisions of paragraph (2) of Article 2 shall apply mutatis mutandis to industrial physicians. However, this shall not apply to those school physicians who have been appointed or entrusted pursuant to the provision of Article 16 of the School Health Act (Act No.33 of 1958) to perform the duties of an industrial physician for the school concerned.
  • (3) The provisions of Article 8 shall apply mutatis mutandis to industrial physicians. In this case, the term “paragraph (1) of the preceding Article” in the same Article shall be deemed to be replaced with “paragraph (1) of Article 13.”
Article 14 (Duties, etc. of an Industrial Physician or Industrial Dentist)
  • (1) The matters prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 13 of the Act shall be of the following matters, those requiring the specialized knowledge of medicine:
    • (i) Matters relating to the implementation of medical examinations and face-to-face guidance, etc. (meaning face-to-face guidance prescribed by paragraph (1) of Article 66-8 of the Act (hereinafter referred to as “face-to-face guidance”) and necessary measures prescribed by Article 66-9 of the Act) and measures to be taken based on their results to maintain workers’ health.
    • (ii) Matters relating to the maintenance and control of the working environment.
    • (iii) Matters relating to control of the work.
    • (iv) In addition to what is listed in the preceding three items, matters relating to the health care of the workers.
    • (v) Matters relating to health education, health counseling and other measures for maintaining and promoting workers’ health.
    • (vi) Matters relating to health education.
    • (vii) Matters relating to investigation of the causes of the impairment of workers' health and measures for preventing its recurrence.
  • (2) A person who is in possession of the qualification prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (2) of Article 13 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) A person who completed a training course provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare that provides the necessary medial knowledge to carry out health care, etc., for workers, prescribed by paragraph (1) of Article 13 of the Act (hereinafter referred to as “health care, etc. for workers”).
    • (ii) A person who has completed and graduated from regular medical courses established for the purposes of developing industrial physicians in universities of industrial health or other universities designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, and who completed the practical training provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
    • (iii) A person who has passed the industrial health consultant's examination in the category of health and hygiene.
    • (iv) A person who is working as a professor, associate professor or lecturer (limited to full-time employees) covering the subjects related to industrial health at a university accredited under the School Education Act or the one who is formerly working as such.
    • (v) In addition to those listed in the preceding each item, a person who is the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
  • (3) The industrial physician may make recommendations to the general safety and health manager and give guidance or advice to the health officer (s) about the matters specified in each item of paragraph (1).
  • (4) The employer shall not dismiss or otherwise disadvantage the industrial physician by reason of recommendations made by said industrial physician pursuant to the provision of paragraph (3) of Article 13 of the Act or recommendations, guidance or advice given pursuant to the provision of the preceding paragraph.
  • (5) The employer shall, as regards workplaces where 50 workers or more are regularly employed to perform the work set forth in paragraph (3) of Article 22 of the Order, obtain the opinion of the industrial dentist on the condition of workers’ teeth or their supporting tissues among the matters listed in each item of paragraph (1).
  • (6) The industrial dentist who has conducted a medical examination set forth in paragraph (3) of Article 66 of the Act on workers who work in workplaces set forth in the preceding paragraph may recommend measures necessary for preventing the impairment of workers' health (limited to health impairment related to teeth and their supporting tissues) to the employer or the general safety and health manager of the workplace concerned.
Article 15 (Periodical Inspection by Industrial Physician and Enabling)
  • (1) The industrial physician shall inspect workshops, etc., at least once a month and promptly take the necessary measures to prevent the impairment of workers' health when there should be a risk of harmful effects due to working methods or sanitary conditions of such workshops.
  • (2) The employer shall grant the industrial physician the authority necessary to perform the duties prescribed by paragraph (1) of the preceding Article.
Article 15-2 (Health Care, etc. for Workers in Workplaces Other Than Those Required to Appoint an Industrial Physician)
  • (1) A person prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in Article 13-2 of the Act shall be an industrial nurse who is on the list of persons with the necessary knowledge to conduct health care, etc., to workers in order that the State implements consultation, information providing, and other supportive activities on the work pertaining to health care, etc. to workers (referred to as “Regional Industrial Health Center Activities” in the next paragraph) which are conducted as the State's supports prescribed by Article 19-3 of the Act and which are entrusted for implementation to a medical association which is a judicial person established pursuant to the provision of Article 34 of the Civil Act (Act No.89, 1896) with physicians in a municipal area as its members.
  • (2) The employer shall, as regards a workplace other than the one covered by the provision of paragraph (1) of Article 13 of the Act, when having a person prescribed by Article 13-2 of the Act conduct all or a part of the health care, etc. for workers, endeavor to appoint a physician prescribed by the same Article who carries out the health care, etc. for workers or to utilize regional industrial health center activities, etc.

Section 5 Operations Chief

Article 16 (Appointment of Operations Chief)
  • (1) The appointment of the operations chiefpursuant to the provision of Article 14 of the Act shall be made from those who are in possession of the qualifications listed in the middle column of Appended Table 1 corresponding to the type of work listed in the left column of the same Table. The names of the respective operations chief(s) shall be as described in the right column of the same Table.
  • (2) The employer may, as regards work handling the class-1 pressure vessels which are subject to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act (Act No.204 of 1951), Gas Utility Act (Act No.51 of 1954) or the Electric Utility Act (Act No.170 of 1964) among the types of work prescribed in item (xvii) of Article 6 of the Order, notwithstanding the provision of the preceding paragraph, appoint an operations chief of the work handling the class-1 pressure vessels from among those who have obtained a license for operations chief of the work handling the specified class-1 pressure vessels as provided for by the Ordinance on Safety of Boilers and Pressure Vessels (Ordinance of the Ministry of Labour No.33 of 1977, hereinafter referred to as the “Boiler Ordinance”).
Article 17 (Sharing of Duties by an Operations Chief)
  • (1) The employer shall, in the case carrying out a work listed in the right column of Appended Table 1 at the same place and when having appointed two or more operation chiefs pertaining to the said duty, define their each sharing of duties.
Article 18 (Dissemination of the Names of Operations Chief)
  • (1) The employer shall, when having appointed the operation chief , make the name of the said operation chief known to the workers concerned by posting his/her name at a readily visible location inthe workshop, etc.

Section 6 Overall Safety and Health Controller, Principal Safety and Health Supervisor, Site Safety and Health Supervisor and Safety and Health Controller

Article 18-2 (Place prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Set Forth in Item (i) of Paragraph (2) of Article 7 of the Order)
  • (1) The Place prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in item (i) of paragraph (2) of Article 7 of the Order shall be those on or abutting on roads, or on or abutting on rail tracks of railways where the population is concentrated.
Article 18-3 (Appointment of Principal Safety and Health Supervisor)
  • (1) The appointment of the principal safety and health supervisor pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) of Article 15 of the Act shall be made by appointing a person who is exclusively assigned to the workplace concerned.
Article 18-4 (Qualifications of Principal Safety and Health Supervisor)
  • (1) A person who is in possession of the qualifications prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 15-2 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) A person who has completed and graduated from the regular course of science line of a university or a technical college accredited under the School Education Act and has business experiences having engaged in the field of safety and health in the execution of construction work for three years or longer.
    • (ii) A person who has completed and graduated from the regular courses of a senior high school or a secondary education school accredited under the School Education Act and has business experiences having engaged in the field of safety and health in the execution of construction work for five years or longer.
    • (iii) In addition to those listed in the preceding two items, a person who is provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Article 18-5 (Enabling)
  • (1) The employer shall grant the principal safety and health supervisor the authority to take various measures necessary for preventing industrial accidents which may be caused by the fact that workers and related subcontractor's workers work together at the same place.
Article 18-6 (Number of Workers, etc., Pertaining to Appointment of a Site Safety and Health Supervisor)
  • (1) The number of workers prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) and (2) of Article 15-3 of the Act shall be the number set forth in the following items corresponding to the respective item of the work category:
    • (i) The work set forth in item (i) of paragraph (2) of Article 7 of the Order or construction work where the main structures are steel frames or steel reinforced concrete structures: regularly 20
    • (ii) The work other than the preceding item: regularly 50.
  • (2) An employer carrying out the work related to the construction industry who appoints a person to perform the work of an overall safety and health controller in the workplace as prescribed by paragraph (2) of Article 15 of the Act and has said person carry out the direction and overall supervision set forth in paragraph (1), (3) and (4) of the same Article, and also appoints a person to perform the work of a principal safety and health supervisor from among persons who are in possession of the qualifications set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 15-2 of the Act and has said person to supervise the matters set forth in the same paragraph (limited to employer who has the obligation to appoint a site safety and health supervisor pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) and (2) of Article 15-3 of the Act) may be regarded as one who fulfills the legal obligation that he/she shall appoint a site safety and health supervisor pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) and (2) of Article 15 of the Act and has said person carry out the matters set forth in paragraph (1) or (2) of the same Article.
Article 18-7 (Qualifications of the Site Safety and Health Supervisor)
  • (1) A person who is in possession of the qualifications prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) and (2) of Article 15-3 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) A person who has graduated from a university or technical college accredited under the School Education Act, and has business experience having engaged in the field of safety and health in the execution of construction work for three years or longer.
    • (ii) A person who graduated from a senior high school or a secondary education school accredited under the School Education Act and has business experiences having engaged in the field of safety and health in the execution of construction work for five years or longer.
    • (iii) A person who has business experience having engaged in the field of safety and health in the execution of construction work for eight years or longer.
    • (iv) In addition to those listed in preceding three items, a person who is provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare .
Article 18-8 (Duties of the Site Safety and Health Supervisor)
  • (1) Matters prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) and (2) of Article 15-3 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) To inspect the place where a worker carrying out the work as provided for by paragraph (1) and (2) of Article 15-3 of the Act at least once a month.
    • (ii) To take tabs on the types or other circumstances of the work carried out by the worker set forth in paragraph (1) and (2) of Article 15-3 of the Act
    • (iii) To participate as needed in the meetings of the consultative organization set forth in item (i) of paragraph (1) of Article 30 of the Act.
    • (iv) To confirm that the measures set forth in item (v) of paragraph (1) of Article 30 of the Act pertaining to the plan provided for by the same item are taken.
Article 19 (Duties of Safety and Health Controller)
  • (1) Matters prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 16 of the Act shall be as follows:
    • (i) To liaise with the overall safety and health controller.
    • (ii) To liaise with those concerned on matters notified by the overall safety and health controller.
    • (iii) To supervise the implementation of the matters pertaining to the said contractor of those notified by the overall safety and health controller set forth in the preceding item.
    • (iv) In the case where the said contractor prepares plans related to the implementation of work by the subcontractor's workers, to coordinate with the overall safety and health controller to ensure consistency with plans prepared under item (v) of paragraph (1) of Article 30 of the Act by a designated principal employer.
    • (v) To check on the presence of dangers pertaining to industrial accidents set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 15 of the Act occurring due to the work carried out by the said sub-contractor's workers and the work carried out by persons other than the said workers.
    • (vi) In the case where the said sub-contractor gives a contract of part of the work to a further sub-contractor, to liaise and coordinate with the safety and health controller of said further sub-contractor.
Article 20 (Substitute of the Overall Safety and Health Controller, etc.)
  • (1) The provisions of Article 3 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the overall safety and health controllers, principal safety and health supervisors, site safety and health supervisors, and safety and health controllers.

Section 7 Safety Committee, Health Committee, etc.

Article 21 (Matters to Be Discussed by the Safety Committee)
  • (1) The important matters relating to the prevention of workers from dangers set forth in item (iii) of paragraph (1) of Article 17 of the Act shall include the following matters:
    • (i) Matters relating to preparation of rules for industrial safety.
    • (ii) Matters pertaining to safety of investigations of the danger or harm, etc., set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 28-2 of the Act, and the measures to be taken based on the results of the said investigations.
    • (iii) Matters relating to the formulation, implementation, evaluation and improvement of safety and health plans (limited to the parts pertaining to safety).
    • (iv) Matters relating to the formulation of plans for the implementation of safety education.
    • (v) Those matters relating to the prevention of workers from dangers of the matters designated through written orders, instructions, recommendations or guidance by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau, the Chief of the Labour Standards Inspection Office, the Labour Standards Inspector, or the Expert Officer in Industrial Safety.
Article 22 (Matters to Be Discussed by the Health Committee)
  • (1) The important matters relating to the prevention of worker health impairment, maintaining and promoting workers’ health set forth in item (iv) of paragraph (1) of Article 18 of the Act shall include the following matters:
    • (i) Matters relating to establishing of rules for industrial health.
    • (ii) Matters relating to health of investigations of the danger or harm, etc. ,set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 28-2 of the Act, and the measures to be taken based on the results of the said investigations.
    • (iii) Matters relating to the formulation, implementation, evaluation and improvement of safety and health plans (limited to the parts pertaining to health).
    • (iv) Matters relating to the formulation of plans for the implementation of health education.
    • (v) Matters relating to the investigation of the toxicity of the substances to be conducted pursuant to provision of paragraph (1) of Article 57-3 and paragraph (1) of Article 57-4 of the Act and the establishment of countermeasures based on the results of the investigation.
    • (vi) Matters relating to the results of working environment measurement to be made pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) or paragraph (5) of Article 65 of the Act and the establishment of necessary measures based on the evaluation of the measurement results.
    • (vii) Matters relating to the results of the periodical medical examinations, the non-periodical medical examinations to be conducted pursuant to the provision of paragraph (4) of Article 66 of the Act, voluntary medical examination to be conducted pursuant the provision of Article 66-2 of the Act and other medical diagnoses, check-ups and treatments by physicians or surgeons to be conducted pursuant to the provision of other ministerial ordinances pursuant to the Act, and the establishment of the necessary measures to be established depending on the results of such medical examination, diagnosis, checkup and treatment.
    • (viii) Matters relating to formulation of the implementation plan of measures for the maintenance and promotion of the health of workers.
    • (ix) Matters relating to the establishment of measures for preventing the impairment of workers’ health that may be caused by long hours of work.
    • (x) Matters relating to the establishment of measures for maintaining and improving workers’ mental health.
    • (xi) Matters relating to the measures for preventing the impairment of workers' health among those matters designated through written orders, instructions, recommendations or guidance by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Director of the Prefectural Labour Bureau, Chief of the Labour Standards Inspection Office, the Labour Standards Inspector or the Expert Officer in the Industrial Health.
Article 23 (Meeting of Committees)
  • (1) The employer shall hold meeting(s) of the safety committee, health committee or the safety and health committee (hereinafter referred to as “the committee”) once or more a month.
  • (2) In addition to the one prescribed by the preceding paragraph, matters necessary in regard to the management of respective committees shall be decided by the committee concerned.
  • (3) The employer shall promptly notify workers of an outline of the proceedings discussed at every committee meeting by using any of the following methods:
    • (i) To post or place a notice at a readily visible place at any time in each workshop.
    • (ii) To distribute a written notice to workers.
    • (iii) To record a notice on magnetic tapes, magnetic discs or other similar devices, and to install instrument in each workshop with which workers can see the said notice at any time.
  • (4) The employer shall make a record pertaining to important proceedings discussed at each committee meeting and preserve the records for three years.
Article 23-2 (Hearing of Opinions of the Workers Concerned)
  • (1) The employer who does not establish the committee shall endeavor to provide opportunities to hear opinions of the workers concerned on the matters related to safety and health.

Section 8 Publication of Guidelines

Article 24
  • (1) The publication of the guidelines pursuant to the provision of paragraph (2) of Article 19-2 of the Act shall be made by publishing the title and purport of the guidelines in the official gazette, as well as by offering these to the public perusal at the Labour Standards Bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Prefectural Labour Office.

Section 8-2 Guidelines for Promotion of Self-activities

Article 24-2
  • (1) The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare may make public the necessary guidelines to promote the following self-activities, to be carried out by based on a series of processes determined by the employer for the purpose upgrading the standards of workplace safety and health.
    • (i) Publication of safety and health policies.
    • (ii) Investigation of the danger or harm, etc., set forth in paragraph (1) of Article 28-2 of the Act, and the measures to be taken based on the results of the said investigations.
    • (iii) Establishment of targets of safety and health.
    • (iv) Formulation, implementation, evaluation and improvement of safety and health plans.
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