Armenia recently revised its Labor Code to improve employee safeguards, creating a Labor Inspectorate in 2005 to enforce these regulations. However, public knowledge of worker safety issues is low and institutional capacity needs to be developed in effective and risk-based regulation enforcement.Armenian workers deserve a safe and healthy working environment, which starts with worker-employer collaboration. In order to help foster workplace safety, the SPSS project is: helping to develop occupational health and safety norms for Armenia and to refine labor legislation in accordance with international standards, raising awareness on these issues, especially among the private sector, developing capacity for and support to “risk-based” enforcement on the part of the Labor Inspectorate (SLI).
2007-2008 accomplishments include: - Supported SLI to become a full and participating member of the International Association of Labor Inspectorates (IALI) and trained inspectors on international good practices.
- At request of the MoE and MLSI, drafted Regulations on Safety in Petroleum Stations and for Bulk Storage of Petroleum.
- Baseline survey of 200 firms conducted throughout Armenia on perceptions of the Inspectorate and the Labor Code.
- Engaged SLI in objective data analysis to identify high injury risk work-places so it can be efficient with inspection resources and finalized Access-based data management system.
- Offered to GOAM an analysis of international practices in inspectorate coordination that gives guidance to 17 inspection agencies.
- In a step promoting Labor Inspectorate transparency, a first edition of 1000 copies of a handbook for employers regarding occupational safety and health was distributed.
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