Knowledge Co-Creation Program, 202208288J001

Self Introduction
Name: Karma LodroeTitle/Designation: Deputy Chief Labour Officer
Division: Labour Protection, Relation and Foreign Worker Division.
Department: Regional Office of Industry, Commerce and Employment
Organization: Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE)
Country: Bhutan Work Experience: 13 years
Current Task:
Inspecting enterprise (enforcement of Laws and regulations), provide education andawareness, dispute mediation and approval of foreign workers.

Organisation ChartDirector
RegionalDirectorLabourProtectionDivisionLabour Relation
DivisionForeign Worker
Division

Brief introduction of my Department

The Department of Labour serves as both a regulatory body and an
educational institution.
Implementing Labour and Employment Act of Bhutan, 2007 and its
regulations (Custodian)Service is limited to approval of Foreign Workers

MandateLabourProtection
Division

To Protect, Prevent and Improve the working
conditions and environment.

LabourRelation
Division

Promoting and ensuring harmony at the work place
and promote social protection of the employees

Foreign
WorkerDivision

Assessing the need of Foreign Workers and providing
the approval accordingly.

Principles of Labour Protection Division

We stand for boththe employer andemployees.

We avoid overregulation andunder regulation(middle path)

We focus on boththe enforcementand education.

Green marketing is a practicewhereby companies seek to go
above and beyond.

2020

Source: Department of Labour Annual Report2022-2023

Accident Statics
Types of Accidents

Accident by Sector

Slips/Trips

Transportation, Storage and communication

DrownedWholesales and Retails Trade

Crushing of Body Parts
Contact with/by Moving machinery

Electricity and Water Supply

Vehicle/HelicopterServices

Stcuk by Moving Object (Flying/Falling)
ManufacturingElectricity or electicial discharge
Fall from Hight

Construction
01Injury

2Fatal

345678901Injury

Fatal

234567

Data collection methods for statistics• We collect the data from our direct observation and personal
interviews (employees and employers) and also through emails andLabour Administration System (LAS).
• We get data by way of reporting accidents (mandatory) cases.

• Earlier we use a hard copy data and now we record in the system(Labour Administration System) since 2022.

Safety and Health related Laws and Regulations
1. Chapter IX of Labour and Employment Act of Bhutan, 2007;
2. Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety for Construction Industry, 2022 [2nd Edition];
3. Regulation on Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare, 2022 [2nd Edition];
4. Guidelines on Assessment and Evaluation on Occupational Health and Safety Practice at
Workplace, 2017

5. Risk Assessment Guidelines 2018

Routine Inspection: The purpose of Routine

Labour Inspection System

Inspection is to proactively identify and prevent

issuesbyeducating

bothemployeesandemployers about legal requirements, offering
guidance on how to adhere to these regulations,and, when needed, ensuring compliance with theAct andits

associatedRegulations

throughenforcement measures. Routine visits typicallyencompass a comprehensive assessment of all
relevant areas subject to inspection..

Special Inspection is unplanned and is based oncomplaints and specific issues constituting apriority matter as determined by the Departmentof Labour.

Follow-up Inspection: This stage concentrates
on addressing issues and violations of the Act
and its Regulations that were identified during
prior routine inspections. It aims to assess how

the enterprise has addressed the findings fromthe previous routine visit.

Workers’ accident compensation & insurance
Medical leave and expenses• Where the employee is not able to return to work due to incapacity whether totalor partial permanent results from the injury, the employee shall be entitled tofull earnings for a period of 90 days, and thereafter to a further periodical
payment of an amount equal to 75 percent of employee’s last basic wage
earnings during the incapacity or during a period of one years.
• The employer or the insurer shall compensate an injured employee or one
suffering from an occupational disease for all expenses related to emergency
care, medical and nursing care, including ambulance and related expenses
surgery, hospital fees, medication, X-rays, diagnostic testing, and all other formsof treatment, to the extent such services are not provided free of charge by theRoyal Government’s health services.

Compensation
1. Permanent and partial disablement
The compensation shall be a lump sum
payment which shall be obtained bymultiplying 30 days of the National
Minimum Wage by appropriate age
factors according to the age on the next
birthday of the employees at the time of
the accident times the percentage ofincapacity.

*The authorized medical practitioner shall determine the percent
of permanent and partial disablement

For example, let the age of disabled (loss two limbs)
workers is 20.
30 x 125 x 174 x 100%= 652500/-

Continued……..

Compensation
2. Death
The compensation shall be a lump sum
payment which shall be obtained bymultiplying 30 days of the National Minimum
Wage by appropriate age factors according tothe age on the next birthday of the employees.

For example, let the age of employee who died be
20.
30 x 125 x 132 = 495000/-

Insurance An employer shall insure all employees with an authorized
financial institution to ensure that all types and level ofcompensation prescribed in the regulations are covered by aninsurance policy. (This does not apply to those employers holding
Micro Trade business licenses.) The agreed premium shall be paid by the employer and shall not
be deducted from the employee’s wage/salary.

Safety Equipment and Facilities
 During routine and special inspection in
those hazardous sites or dangerous
machinery or plants are involved, LabourInspectors are mandated to carryrequired devices like Decibel Meter,
luxmeter, PCE instrument, etc., to test
the permissible levels.
 In addition to that, Labour Inspectors
are required to wear personal protective
equipment and inspection uniform while
visiting a site.

Activities of Industrial/Occupational Safety andHealth Organizations other than government.
 The enterprise with 20 or more employee are required to have OHS
committee and every OHS committee should have one trained
Safety Officer for the following purposes:• Assist management in terms of OHS;
• Prepare and implement OHS programs;• Advise & carry out risk management in the workplace;• Deal with all other matters concerning Health, Safety &Environment.

Campaign/ Event/ National Convention/
Exhibition
 The department has come up with the initiative of OHS Auditing

System in 2015 where all enterprises with registered OHS
committee are assessed annually and rewarded for their efforts inmaintaining good OHS practices at workplace.
 Coinciding with World Safety Day (28th April), all assessed
enterprises are call for day long celebration where enterprisescoring 70% and above in OHS assessment are rewarded withcertificate of appreciation and medal for top three enterprises.

Issues and Challenges in Implementing OHS inBhutan The division(Regional Office) at present has only one Labour
Inspectors guided by above laws and regulation in implementing
the OHS.
 The followings are some challenges:o Lack of trained officials in OHS field and also no separate unit
or divisionoResistant from the employer and employees (old mindset)o Lack of full-time safety officer in the companyo Lack of awareness and trainings

o Workplace accidents are not reported to the Department.