About “Industrial Safety and Health Law”
Let's check what kind of laws have been enacted to protect the working environment where we work.
This time, we will introduce the “Occupational Safety and Health Act” which is the basis of this.
What is the “Industrial Safety and Health Law”?
In 1972, together with the Labor Standards Act (Act No. 49 of 1947), the Industrial Safety and Health Act established harm prevention standards for the prevention of occupational accidents, clarified the responsibility system, and promoted self-reliance. Established with the aim of ensuring the safety and health of workers in the workplace and promoting the formation of a comfortable working environment by promoting comprehensive and systematic measures to prevent such activities, such as taking measures to promote unprofessional activities. was given.
First of all, it is the responsibility of employers not only to comply with the minimum standards for the prevention of occupational accidents stipulated in this law, but also to ensure the safety and health of workers in the workplace through the realization of a comfortable working environment and the improvement of working conditions. It is stipulated that you must do so.
A person who designs, manufactures, or imports machines, instruments, or other equipment, a person who manufactures or imports raw materials, or a person who constructs or designs constructions may design, manufacture, or import Or, in construction, it is stipulated that efforts must be made to contribute to the prevention of occupational accidents due to the use of these materials.
Workers themselves are also required to comply with the necessary measures to prevent occupational accidents and to cooperate with the measures taken by employers and other parties concerned to prevent occupational accidents. increase.
About the “Industrial Accident Prevention Plan”
The "Work Accident Prevention Plan" is a medium-term plan that defines the items that the government should focus on in order to reduce occupational accidents. After hearing the opinion of the Labor Policy Council, the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare shall formulate a plan (hereinafter referred to as the "Industrial Accident Prevention Plan") that sets out major measures to prevent industrial accidents and other important matters related to the prevention of industrial accidents. ) must be formulated.
Under this law, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has formulated an occupational accident prevention plan, and currently the 13th Industrial Accident Prevention Plan is the latest version of the five-year plan. The goals of the 13th Occupational Accident Prevention Plan are as follows.
- Reduce fatalities by 15% more by 2022 compared to 2017
- Casualty accidents (occupational accidents requiring 4 or more days of absence from work, so reduce them by taking measures that focus on the type of accident
- Targets for priority industries are as follows:
- Reduce the number of fatalities in the construction, manufacturing, and forestry industries by at least 15% by 2022 compared to 2017
- Reduce the number of casualties by 5% or more by 2022 compared to 2017 for the land transportation business, retail business, social welfare facilities and restaurants.