Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health

The Government of Sierra Leone, through the Factory Act No.3 of the 1974 empowers the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health (Factory Inspectorate) to ensure health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment. Therefore the rules and regulations guiding inspection systems are in accordance with the Factory Act of 1974 and its associated rules.

This Act is currently under review and will be known as the Occupational Safety and Health Act after enactment. The Directorate will be also be known as the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health.

The main functions of the Factory Inspectorate are:

  • To conduct factory inspections and to monitor and enforce compliance with the Factory Act of 1974
  • Coordinate trade test activities and issuance of relevant certificates to successful applicants
  • Inspection and providing practical guidance and encouraging employers and employees in their efforts to reduce the incidences of occupational risks at workplaces and to improve occupational safety and health
  • Investigation of and recommendation for work related accidents and dangerous occurrences, their causes and measures for prevention of future re-occurrence
  • Prosecution and control as deterrent for violation of laws
  • Examination, testing and certification of stability of buildings, machineries and equipment being used in factories
  • Promotion of safety and health awareness through training programmes, seminars and workshops
  • Monitoring of work environment for mitigation of temperature, noise level, etc, and to arrest and eliminate occupational diseases in the factories
  • Collection, compilation and furnishing of statistical data on employment in factories including work related injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences
  • Coordination of activities geared towards the implementation of the Sierra Leone Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS
  • To provide advice, educate and give technical information and support services to empower employers and employees and to prevent labour disputes, workplace accidents and diseases.

STATUTORY INSPECTION OF PLANTS AND MACHINERY

In industries or factories, there are certain machines which are considered dangerous if not properly maintained. Such machines are required by law to be periodically examined and tested. The Factory Inspectorate, which is an integral part of the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, has in its employment qualified engineers and technicians who have been specifically trained in Occupational Safety and Health to effectively carry out these responsibilities. The Statutory inspection comprises of visits to factory premises, wherein the inspectors carry out physical and technical tests on plants and machinery at the premises. These tests are done half yearly or annually, depending on the type of plant and machinery.

The first aspect of the statutory inspection is the Electrical Inspections comprise of visual and electrical tests by use of electrical instruments to determine the safety of electrical installations. The visual tests are to detect easily recognizable defects on electrical installation and circuits like naked wires and defective electrical appliances or gears.

The electrical tests are conducted by the use of electrical instruments to determine the safety and material fitness of the electrical installations. By such tests the correctness of the polarity effectiveness of the earthling systems and the insulation resistances of the cables are tested in accordance with recognized international standards.

The second aspect of the statutory inspection is the Mechanical Inspection. It comprises visual as well as mechanical tests. The types of appliances on which the mechanical inspection are carried out are: lifts (passenger and goods), cranes, boilers, pressure vessels, compressors, etc.

For lifts, visual tests are done on the lifting equipment like the rope, shacles, machines, and cages. Actual load tests are also carried out to determine the maximum load capacity of the lift.

For boilers, mechanical tests like steam tests and thickness tests are done to determine the material fitness

For pressure vessels and compressors, we also carry out the hammer test to determine the wear and tear of the metal/part of the compressor due to excessive internal corrosion over time.