The enhancement of occupational safety and health (OSH) following national

standards and regulations, and international treaties and agreements, to

which the Kingdom is a party, is considered a vital necessity. Such efforts are

compatible with economic and social development in the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia, and reaffirm its status at the regional and international levels.

In pursuit of the objectives of the national transformation program, and in

keeping pace with the Kingdom’s vision (2030), the National Policy on OSH

has been prepared. This was done in cooperation with the International

Labor Organization (ILO) and the relevant government agencies, and in

consultation with the workers and employers’ representatives. The Policy

aims to achieve the national vision in the field of OSH which is based on protecting

the right of the worker against any danger that poses a threat to his

safety or health and to promote the main priorities that the government of

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeks to achieve.

Setting, adoption, and application of OSH standards are regarded as essential

to the protection and enhancement of the physical, mental and

social health of the worker, and the protection of the workplace environment

and the public. The pursuit of safety and health has a direct impact on

the achievement of a sustainable environment, and the promotion of socio-

economic development and safety culture which contribute to effective

governance.

The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeks, through the National Policy on OSH, to strengthen and develop the OSH system, and to support the protection of workers in various workplaces, at the national level, by local regulations, international treaties, and agreements to which the Kingdom is a party, and the best global practices which are appropriate to the Saudi labor market.

The National Policy on OSH is based on the following pillars:

• Firstly: The principles of the National Policy on OSH.

• Secondly: The over-all objective and detailed objectives of the National Policy on OSH.

• Thirdly: Commitment to the enhancement and development of OSH.

• Fourthly: Regulating OSH and monitoring related performance indicators.

• Fifthly: Developing partnerships at the regional and international levels in the field of OSH.

The National Policy on OSH is based on the following principles:

• 1.Coverage of different work sites and sectors, as well as all workers without any discrimination.

• 2. Consultation and cooperation with workers and employers and their representatives during the stages of preparing, implementing, and reviewing the Policy.

• 3. Protection of the workers’ rights to a healthy and safe work environment.

• 4.The application of the prevention principle is directly related to the protection and promotion of the physical, mental and social health of workers.

• 5.Enhancement of the compliance with OSH requirements, by spreading a preventive national culture that includes awareness-raising programs, and providing consultations, training, and research.

• 6- Identification and evaluation of work environment hazards, and managing, and addressing them radically by controlling and preventing them at source.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to coordinate integrative efforts that seek to enhance the safety and health of workers at the workplace, by launching a National Policy on OSH that can be measured, implemented, and continuously improved with the participation of the three social partners (government agencies concerned with OSH, representatives of employers, and representatives of workers). These efforts shall aim to assess and prevent hazards at source, reduce occupational injuries and diseases, build a national OSH culture based on information, provide advice and training, and achieve a set of main objectives that contribute to enhancing OSH at the national level, namely:

• 1. Development of legislation, rules, regulations, programs, and any other regulatory tools related to OSH.

• 2. Establishment of a defined and clear OSH governance structure, and development of mechanisms to effectively monitor compliance with legislation and regulations.

• 3. Definition of the roles and responsibilities of the government agencies concerned with OSH clearly and transparently to avoid duplication and conflict of efforts.

• 4. Creation of cooperation mechanisms between employers and workers and their representatives, to enhance OSH.

• 5. Provision of a comprehensive information system for OSH statistics.

• 6. Follow up on the impact of OSH activities on the work environment of establishments at the national level, and their sustainability, through inspection, evaluation, and measurement of compliance.

• 7. Implementation of national programs and initiatives in coordination with the concerned government agencies, to control occupational hazards.

• 8. The development of human resources through training and habilitation, to enhance the protection of workers and the stability of the workforce.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, is committed to the enhancement of the protection of workers from occupational safety and health hazards, and to make the workplace more attractive through the application of the best regional and international practices.

The Ministry is also committed to working with government agencies concerned with OSH to define roles and responsibilities and integrating efforts to achieve the efficient performance of human, technical and financial resources. The Ministry will also work to define the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders who are covered by OSH regulations and legislation, such as the employers, workers, suppliers, and manufacturers of machinery and equipment, in consultation with the three social partners (government agencies concerned with OSH, employers and workers’ representatives), with the view to taking the necessary measures and ensuring their implementation.

In addition to the above, the Ministry will review and update the National Policy periodically to improve OSH procedures and regulations to prevent and reduce workplace accidents, injuries, occupational diseases, and fatalities at work. This will be done in consultation and coordination with the relevant authorities. besides working on rising the suggestions that improve the regulations related to OSH, and preparing training programs to build and develop national abilities in the OSH area continuously, and to help in raising the workers’ awareness about taking the required actions of the OHS to protect them inside the workplace of diseases, and occupational hazards, this will also cover the development of training programs, and the promotion of a safety culture.

The Ministry will work in consultation with the OSH partners and concerned government agencies on the monitoring, follow up and evaluation of the performance of OSH. This will be achieved through the development of strategies in line with the approved work standards. It will also involve the provision of information, guidance, and advice to both employers and workers on matters relating to adherence to regulations and legislation, taking into account the imposition of statutory penalties on perpetrators of violations related to OSH.

The Ministry will also work on the implementation of OSH governance at the national level, define and coordinate roles between relevant government agencies, and follow up the implementation of the national policy for OSH. This will be achieved through the establishment of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, under the jurisdiction of His Excellency the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, with membership including representatives from OSH concerned authorities, while ensuring that the Council will be able to carry out its role with high efficiency, in the following areas:

• 1. Revision of national legislations, laws, regulations, programs, and any other OSH-related organizational tools; and recommendation of necessary amendments in this regard by the legal procedures.

• 2.Establishment of an effective and comprehensive OSH monitoring and evaluation system.

• 3. Development of a comprehensive national program for reporting and documenting work accidents, injuries, and occupational diseases.

• 4. Provision of advice and technical support in the field of OSH.

• 5. Development and adoption of a specific and clear governance structure for OSH at the national level, to ensure an effective and flexible system for implementing OSH provisions at the workplace.

• 6. Coordination of the roles and responsibilities of government agencies concerned with OSH, to avoid duplication of efforts.

• 7. Adoption of national programs and initiatives related to OSH, in coordination with the relevant government agencies.

• 8. Enhancement of cooperation between employers, workers, and their representatives in OSH.

• 9. Evaluation and follow-up of the impact and sustainability of OSH activities on the work environment.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a member of several regional, Arab, and international organizations related to OSH, the most important of which is the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Arab Labor Organization (ALO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). The Kingdom is therefore committed to the implementation of agreements, decisions, and regulations which are issued and approved by the above organizations, and is active in the following areas:

• 1. Call for the organization of national and regional conferences in the field of OSH in the Kingdom.

• 2. Work to support cooperation between regional and international parties in the field of OSH.

• 3. Twinning with leading regional and international OSH institutions.

• 4. Exchanging experiences and expertise in the field of OSH with the relevant regional and international parties.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is determined to move forward in developing the field of OSH at the national level by the Kingdom’s vision (2030) and reaffirms the allocation of the needed financial resources. The Kingdom is also adamant about putting forward strategic projects in this context that contribute mainly to achieve basic requirements in the field of OSH and to enhance the protection of workers from the risks of occupational diseases and injuries.