Loading QHRM…

What does the Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019 cover in Myanmar?

Short answer

Myanmar's OSH Law 2019 covers all workplaces, requiring risk assessment, PPE provision, safety training, fire drills, first-aid kits, and accident reporting to MoLES within 24 hours of serious incidents. A safety committee with employee representation is mandatory at workplaces with 50 or more employees, with extended duties for factories, construction, mines, and other high-hazard industries.

What Myanmar law says

The Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019 ("OSH Law") covers all workplaces in Myanmar — factories, construction sites, mines, oil & gas installations, agricultural operations, offices, retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, and similar. Some duties are universal; others scale up with headcount or hazard. The law sits alongside the Factories Act 1951 for factories, with no double-counting — the more specific provision applies to factories.

OSH Law 2019 — what it covers

AreaCoverage
ScopeAll workplaces; factories, construction, mines, offices, retail
Risk assessmentRequired for all hazardous operations
Personal protective equipmentEmployer-provided; use enforced
Safety trainingAt hire + refresher cadence
Fire drillsTypically twice/year
First-aid kitMandatory at every workplace
Safety committee≥ 50 employees: composition incl. employee reps + safety officer
Accident reportingSerious accidents (death, hospitalisation, permanent disability) → MoLES within 24 hours
RecordsAccident register, training log, committee minutes, PPE log; retention ≥ 5 years
PenaltiesFines, remediation orders; repeat offences risk operating-licence action

Edge cases

  • Construction sites — site-safety officer, fall protection, scaffolding rules; bespoke notifications layered on top.
  • Mining — sector-specific OSH duties under mining notifications.
  • SME offices < 50 employees — no mandatory committee, but PPE, training, drills, first-aid, and accident reporting still apply.
  • WFH workstations — duty of care extends; document via OSH home-workstation policy.
  • Visitors and contractors — included in safe-workplace duty; document induction.
OSH Law 2019 compliance pack — free download Localised Myanmar templates covering committee charter, risk-assessment matrix, training curriculum, drill checklist, accident report form.
Download templates →

Records and inspections

The OSH inspectorate (under MoLES) inspects committee minutes, training rosters, PPE issuance log, accident register, and risk-assessment files. Township labour office handles accident report intake at first instance for many sectors. Retention ≥ 5 years for OSH records. Buyer audits in export sectors specifically demand recent training rosters and accident-investigation reports.

Employer takeaway

The OSH Law 2019 covers all Myanmar workplaces. Run risk assessments, provide PPE, train staff at hire and refresh, hold fire drills (typically twice a year), maintain a first-aid kit, and constitute a safety committee at 50+ employees. Report serious accidents to MoLES within 24 hours. Retain records for 5 years. Construction, mining, and high-hazard industries face additional sectoral duties.

For HR teams managing factory or multi-site compliance
Stay on the right side of the labour office. QHRM tracks attendance, OT caps, weekly-off, and surfaces compliance flags before the township office does — used by 350+ Myanmar employers.
Book a 15-min demo Start free trial

Common mistakes

  • Assuming OSH Law applies only to factories — it covers offices and retail too.
  • Forgetting the safety committee threshold at 50 employees.
  • Letting PPE issuance lapse — the issuance log is the audit evidence.
  • Missing the 24-hour accident report when a worker is hospitalised.

Related reading: workplace safety law, first-aid kits mandatory, and law on workplace accidents.

Sources

  • Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019 — Scope and core duties
  • Compliance Calendar — Accident reporting deadlines
  • Factories Act 1951 — Factory-specific overlay