What Myanmar law says
Workplace accidents in Myanmar are governed by two main statutes:
- Occupational Safety and Health Law 2019 — duty of care, accident prevention, reporting, and investigation.
- Social Security Law 2012 — Employment Injury Benefit covering medical treatment and earnings replacement for work-related injuries.
The Factories Act 1951 adds factory-specific accident rules. The Settlement of Labour Disputes Law provides a dispute path for compensation disagreements that can't be resolved with the SSB and the employer.
Accident-handling duties
| Step | Duty | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| First aid + medical care | Provide on site or evacuate to facility | Immediately |
| Internal accident register entry | Date, employee, injury, severity, witnesses | Same day |
| Notify MoLES (serious accidents) | Death, hospitalisation, permanent disability | Within 24 hours |
| Notify township SSB office | Employment injury benefit claim | Promptly |
| Root-cause investigation | Committee-led; corrective actions | Within 14 days |
| Update risk assessment | If hazard not previously identified | Promptly |
| Records retention | Accident register + investigation file | ≥ 5 years |
Edge cases
- Near miss — record in the accident register; no MoLES report required, but treat as learning opportunity.
- Commute injury — generally not a workplace accident unless during employer transport; check SSB rules.
- Self-inflicted / off-duty — exclusion from injury benefit possible; investigate carefully.
- Contractor or visitor injury — site employer reports; coordinate with the contractor's payroll-side SSB if applicable.
- Long-tail occupational disease — separate notification; OSH-Law covers occupational disease alongside acute injury.
Records and inspections
The accident register, MoLES report copies, investigation files, and SSB claim records must be on file. Retention ≥ 5 years. The OSH inspectorate reviews these during routine and post-incident inspections. Late reporting is a separate offence with criminal exposure for serious cases. Buyer audits in export sectors demand the prior 12-month accident log.
Employer takeaway
Myanmar's primary workplace-accident law is the OSH Law 2019, supplemented by the SSB Law 2012 for benefits. Provide first aid, log every accident in the register, report serious accidents to MoLES within 24 hours, notify the township SSB office for injury-benefit claims, run a root-cause investigation within 14 days, and update the risk assessment. Retain records for 5 years. Late reporting is a separate offence.
Common mistakes
- Missing the 24-hour MoLES report on a serious accident.
- Skipping the root-cause investigation when the cause "seems obvious".
- Not coordinating SSB injury-benefit support, leaving the employee out of pocket.
- Letting near-misses go unrecorded — they predict the next accident.
Related reading: who pays for treatment, safety records to maintain, and what OSH Law 2019 covers.
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.