What is the workplace safety law in Myanmar?
Myanmar's primary workplace safety law is the Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019, which applies to all workplaces and sets duties on risk assessment, PPE, training, fire drills, first-aid, accident reporting to MoLES within 24 hours of serious incidents, and a safety committee for workplaces with 50+ employees. The Factories Act 1951 adds factory-specific safety provisions.
What Myanmar law says
The primary workplace safety statute in Myanmar is the Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019 (the "OSH Law"). It applies to all workplaces — factories, offices, retail, construction sites, mines, and others — and sets a baseline of employer duties on risk, equipment, training, drills, first-aid, accident reporting, and committee governance. The Factories Act 1951 adds factory-specific safety provisions that pre-date the OSH Law and continue to apply alongside it.
The OSH Law is enforced by MoLES (Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population) at policy level and by inspectorates and the township labour office at operational level. Accident reporting is centralised at MoLES.
OSH Law 2019 core duties
| Duty | Standard |
|---|---|
| Safety committee | Mandatory at ≥ 50 employees |
| Risk assessment | For hazardous operations |
| PPE | Provided and use enforced |
| Safety training | At hire + refresher cadence |
| Fire drills | Typically twice/year |
| First-aid kit | Mandatory at all workplaces |
| Accident reporting | Serious accidents reported to MoLES within 24 hours |
| Records retention | ≥ 5 years (OSH-specific) |
Edge cases
- Workplaces under 50 employees — no mandatory committee, but other duties (PPE, training, first-aid, accident reporting) still apply.
- Construction sites — additional sector-specific duties; site-safety officer typically required.
- High-hazard industries — chemical, mining, oil & gas — bespoke notifications.
- Office sites — basic OSH duties apply; ergonomics, fire-safety, and first-aid kit are the most-checked items.
- WFH — duty of care extends to home workstations; document via OSH home-workstation policy.
Records and inspections
The OSH inspectorate under MoLES inspects safety records — committee minutes, training rosters, accident register, PPE issuance log, and risk assessments. Retention ≥ 5 years for OSH records (≥ 7 for hours-related records). Serious accidents must be reported within 24 hours; late reporting is a separate offence.
Employer takeaway
The OSH Law 2019 is Myanmar's primary workplace safety statute, supplemented by the Factories Act 1951. Constitute a safety committee at 50+ employees, run risk assessments, supply PPE, train staff at hire and on refresher cadence, hold fire drills, maintain a first-aid kit, and report serious accidents to MoLES within 24 hours. Retain OSH records for 5 years. Penalties for non-compliance are fines plus remediation orders; repeat offences can suspend operating licences.
Common mistakes
- Constituting the safety committee on paper but holding no meetings.
- Skipping the 24-hour MoLES report on serious accidents.
- Treating PPE as employee-purchased — under OSH Law, employer must provide.
- Missing fire-drill cadence and finding out at inspection.
Related reading: what OSH Law 2019 covers, safety records to maintain, and law on workplace accidents.
- Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019 — Primary safety statute
- Factories Act 1951 — Factory-specific safety provisions
- Compliance Calendar — Accident reporting deadlines
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