What Myanmar law says
The Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019 requires Myanmar employers to maintain a documented evidence trail of safety practices. The records support both regulatory inspection (by MoLES, the OSH inspectorate, and the township labour office) and buyer-audit scrutiny in export sectors. Many records are also relied upon if a workplace accident escalates to a workplace-injury benefit claim or civil dispute.
Records can be paper or digital provided entries are timestamped, attributable, and tamper-evident. Multi-site groups should keep site-level files; consolidated dashboards are encouraged but cannot replace the underlying records.
Required safety records
| Record | Captures | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Accident register | Date, employee, injury, severity, root cause, corrective action | ≥ 5 years |
| MoLES accident report file | Copy of 24-hour serious-accident report + acknowledgment | ≥ 5 years |
| Safety training log | Date, attendees, topic, trainer, materials | ≥ 5 years |
| PPE issuance log | Item, date, employee, signed acknowledgment | ≥ 5 years |
| Safety committee minutes | Meeting date, attendees, agenda, decisions | ≥ 5 years |
| Risk assessments | Operation, hazard, control, residual risk, review date | ≥ 5 years |
| Fire-drill records | Date, time to evacuate, observations, follow-ups | ≥ 5 years |
| Health-surveillance records (where applicable) | Pre-employment + periodic medicals | ≥ 5 years |
Edge cases
- Construction sites — site induction logs, safety briefing logs, scaffolding inspection records also required.
- High-hazard industries — chemical inventory and exposure logs needed under sector notifications.
- Multi-tenant offices — fire-drill record can be shared with the building landlord's drill, but employer must keep own copy.
- Buyer audit demands — Better Work and brand-specific programs commonly request the full records set for the prior 12 months.
- Digital migration — preserve historic paper records until 5-year retention horizon lapses.
Records and inspections
The OSH inspectorate under MoLES inspects safety records during routine and complaint-driven visits. The township labour office can also demand records during a hours/OT inspection. Late accident reporting or missing PPE log are the two most common findings in factories. Retention ≥ 5 years for OSH records.
Employer takeaway
Maintain accident register, training log, PPE issuance log, safety committee minutes, risk assessments, and fire-drill records. Retain for at least 5 years. Construction sites, mining, and high-hazard industries have additional records under sector notifications. The OSH inspectorate and township labour office both can demand records on inspection. A complete records set is the strongest defence in any accident or buyer-audit follow-up.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the PPE issuance log because PPE is "kept on the floor".
- Failing to record fire-drill timing and follow-up actions.
- Holding committee meetings without keeping minutes.
- Reporting accidents verbally to the labour office without keeping a paper trail.
Related reading: what OSH Law 2019 covers, law on workplace accidents, and first-aid kits mandatory.
We publish practical, legally-grounded HR guidance for Myanmar employers. Each piece is reviewed by our compliance team against current MLIP and Labor Law requirements.