Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems
Ministry of Labour Notification No. 53, April 30, 1999
Amendment: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification
No. 113, March 10, 2006
(Purpose)
Article 1. The purpose of these Guidelines is to raise the level of safety andhealth in workplaces. To achieve these objectives, these Guidelines havebeen designed to encourage employers to adopt, with the cooperation of
their workers, a series of processes, and to engage in continuous andvoluntary safety and health activities, thereby preventing industrial
accidents, promoting workers’ health and facilitating the establishment of acomfortable working environment.
Article 2. These Guidelines do not stipulate specific measures thatemployers are required to adopt in accordance with the Industrial Safety
and Health Act (Act No. 57, 1972, hereinafter referred to as the “Act”), in
order to reduce or eliminate hazards or health impairments associated withmachinery, equipment, chemical substances, etc.
(Definitions)
Article 3.The terms that appear in these Guidelines are used in accordancewith the following definitions.
1. Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS)An Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS)
constitutes a framework for a series of voluntary safety and healthmanagement activities, based on which the following measures areimplemented systematically and continuously in workplaces. Thesemeasures are implemented as part of overall business management
activities including production management.
a. Release of a safety and health policyb. Risk assessments and control measures based on theresults
c. Establishment of safety and health objectives
d. Formulation, implementation, evaluation andimprovement of safety and health plans
2. System audit
A system audit is a review and assessment carried out by anemployer in order to determine whether the measures to be taken inaccordance with its OSHMS are being properly implemented, taking
into consideration the period of its safety and health plan.
(Scope)Article 4. Measures to be taken in accordance with the OSHMS shallprincipally be implemented for each workplace as a single unit. However,1

an employer in the construction industry shall implement such measures byregarding all workplaces where all subcontractors conduct related work asa single workplace.
(Release of Safety and Health Policies)
Article 5. Employers shall specify their safety and health policies, and ensurethat all their workers, related contractors and other persons concerned are
fully informed of such policies.
2. The safety and health policy presents the philosophy of safety and healththat guides all workplaces to improve the level of safety and health, and shall
include the following items.
1. Prevention of industrial accidents
2. Implementation of safety and health activities with cooperation ofworkers
3. Compliance with the Act, any orders under the Act, all rules
pertaining to safety and health established at workplaces(hereinafter referred to as “workplace safety and health rules”), etc.
4. Proper implementation of measures to be taken in accordance withthe OSHMS(Incorporation of Workers’ Opinions in Safety and Health Measures)
Article 6. Employers shall establish specific procedures for incorporating
workers’ opinions in setting safety and health objectives and in formulating,
implementing, evaluating and improving safety and health plans. Suchprocedures may include, for example, the use of a safety and healthcommittee, etc. (meaning a safety and health committee, a safetycommittee or a health committee; hereinafter the same). Employers shallincorporate workers’ opinions in their safety and health measures inaccordance with these procedures.
(Establishment of an OSHMS Implementation Structure)
Article 7. In order to establish a structure for properly implementing
measures to be taken in accordance with the OSHMS, employers shall
implement the following measures.
1.

Employers shall clearly stipulate the roles, responsibilities andauthority of workers engaged in system management at eachorganizational level (referring to a general manager supervising
the overall business operations of a workplace, and managerial orsupervisory personnel in production, safety and health, andrelated departments, such as senior managers, managers, section
chiefs, and foremen who are in charge of the OSHMS; hereinafterthe same). Employers shall ensure that all workers, contractors
and other persons concerned are fully informed of such roles,responsibilities and authority of said parties.

2.

Employers shall designate workers who engage in systemmanagement at each organizational level.

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3.

Employers shall make a reasonable effort to provide sufficientpersonnel and budget for the OSHMS.

4.

Employers shall provide their workers with education and training
about the OSHMS.

5.

Employers shall use a safety and health committee,etc. for the implementation of measures to be taken in accordancewith the OSHMS.

(Documentation)
Article 8. Employers shall specify the following items in written form.
1. Safety and health policy
2. Roles, responsibilities and authority of workers engaged in systemmanagement at each organizational level
3. Safety and health objectives
4. Safety and health plans
5. Procedures established in accordance with the provisions ofArticle 6, Paragraph 2 of this Article, Article 10, Article 13,Paragraph 1 of Article 15, Article 16 and Paragraph 1 of Article 17
2. Employers shall establish specific procedures to maintain the documents
specified in the preceding paragraph and maintain them in accordance withthese procedures.
(Records)
Article 9. Employers shall record the activities related to the implementationof measures to be taken in accordance with the OSHMS, including theimplementation status of their safety and health plans, the results of system
audits, etc. Employers shall keep these records properly.
(Risk Assessment and Control Measures)
Article 10. Employers shall establish specific procedures for risk assessmentin accordance with the guidelines adopted pursuant to Paragraph 2, Article28-2 of the Act, and shall implement risk assessment in accordance with theseprocedures.
2. Employers shall establish specific procedures to determine measures to be
implemented in accordance with the Act, any orders established under the Act,workplace safety and 81 health rules, etc. and necessary measures to reduceor eliminate hazards or workers’ health impairments based on the result of therisk assessment in the preceding paragraph. Employers shall determine thecontrol measures in accordance with these procedures.
(Establishment of Safety and Health Objectives)
Article 11.Employers shall establish safety and health objectives based on
their safety and health policies and by taking into consideration the following
items. Employers shall clarify the level of achievement during a specific period
for each objective. Employers shall ensure that all their workers, related
contractors and other persons concerned are fully informed of the objectives.

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1. The results of the risk assessment specified in Paragraph 1 of Article10
2. Status of achievement of the safety and health objectives
established in the past
(Formulation of a Safety and Health Plan)
Article 12. In order to achieve their safety and health objectives, employers
shall formulate a safety and health plan by specifying a fixed period forimplementation of such a plan based on the results of the risk assessment in aworkplace.
2. A safety and health plan shall stipulate specific measures and an associatedschedule to achieve safety and health objectives, including the followingmatters.
1. The specific contents of the measures determined pursuant toParagraph 2 of Article 10 and the timing of the implementationof such measures
2. Matters related to the implementation of routine safety andhealth activities
3. The specific contents of safety and health education andtraining, and the timing of providing such education andtraining
4. The specific contents of measures to be taken for related
contractors and the timing of the implementation of suchmeasures
5. Matters related to the applicable period of a safety and healthplan
6. Matters related to reviews of a safety and health plan
(Implementation of Safety and Health Plans)
Article 13. Employers shall establish specific procedures to properly andcontinuously implement their safety and health plans, and shall implement theplans in accordance with these procedures.
2. Employers shall establish specific procedures to fully inform all workers,related contractors and other persons concerned of measures necessary toproperly and continuously implement their safety and health plans. Employers
shall inform them in accordance with these procedures.
(Responses to Emergencies)
Article 14. Employers shall assess in advance the possibility of an imminent
risk of the occurrence of an industrial accident (hereinafter referred to as“emergency situation”), and shall determine measures to prevent theoccurrence of an industrial accident if such an emergency situation takes
place. At the same time, employers shall take these measures to properly
respond to such a situation if it occurs.
(Routine Monitoring, Improvements, Etc.)

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Article 15. Employers shall establish specific procedures for conducting
routine monitoring and making improvements with respect to theimplementation of a safety and health plan. Employers shall monitor andimprove the plan in accordance with these procedures.
2. When employers formulate a new safety and health plan, they shallincorporate into the plan the results of the monitoring and improvements
specified in the preceding paragraph and the results of investigation specified
in Article 16.
(Investigation of Causes of Industrial Accidents)
Article 16. Employers shall establish specific procedures to determine acause, identify a problem and to take corrective actions if an industrial
accident or any accident occurs. Employers shall determine the cause, identify
any problems and take corrective actions in accordance with these procedures
if such an accident occurs.
(System Audits)
Article 17. Employers shall formulate a plan for periodic system audits, andestablish specific procedures to properly implement system audits on thematters specified in Articles 5 through 16. Employers shall conduct the auditsin accordance with these procedures.
2. Employers, where they deem it necessary as a result of such a system audit,
shall take corrective actions for measures to be taken in accordance with theOSHMS.
(Management Review)
Article 18. Employers shall periodically review the OSHMS based on theresults of system audits specified in Paragraph 1 of Article 17 to maintain thevalidity and effectiveness of the OSHMS. In this process, the overall OSHMS.

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