Page 14 - IGC BOOK

The ILO provides technical assistance if necessary. In addition, representation and complaint
procedures can be initiated against countries for violations of a convention they have ratified.

Employers’ Responsibilities

According to ILO OSH Convention C155, employers have various responsibilities. The
responsibilities shall be ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’

“So far as is reasonably practicable” means that the degree of risk must be balanced against the
time, cost, effort, and degree of difficulty necessary to combat it. If these were so
disproportionate that it would be quite unreasonable to carry them out, then it would not be
reasonably practicable.

Convention C155 is backed up by ILO R164, 1981, which gives detailed information of employer
responsibilities defined in Article of 16 of C155.

Regardless of any legal background for protecting employees from harm, the general duty
placed on the employer is to -

“…. ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his

employees”.

The general duty includes

▪ the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are safe and without
risks to health.

▪ arrangements for ensuring the safety and absence of risks to health from the use,
handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.

▪ the provision of information, instruction, training, and supervision sufficient to ensure
the health and safety at work of his employees.

▪ Workplace is maintained in a safe condition without risk to health, including the means
of access and egress and

▪ provision and maintenance of the working environment for his employees which is safe
and without risk to health and adequate as regards the provision of and arrangements
for their welfare facilities.
In addition, the employer is responsible is for developing a health and safety policy, this policy
must demonstrate the statement of intent, the organisation (roles and responsibilities), general
and specific arrangements to implement the policy.

The employer is also held responsible for carrying out risk assessments to meet the specific
responsibilities set out in arrangements.

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 1 – Why We Should Manage Workplace Health and 6
Safety