Labour inspectors and provincial officers in Cambodia are now better equipped to support enterprises in creating safer and healthier workplaces through the adoption of occupational safety and health management systems (OSH-MS). This progress follows a two-day Training of Trainers session held in Phnom Penh on 12–13 March 2026, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the National Institute of Labour under the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT).
The training was designed to strengthen the Ministry’s capacity to guide and supervise enterprises in developing and implementing OSH management systems, in preparation for Cambodia’s upcoming new occupational safety and health law. OSH-MS provides a practical and structured framework for continuous improvement in workplace safety, helping reduce work-related injuries, illnesses, diseases, incidents, and deaths by encouraging enterprises to systematically manage occupational risks.
A total of 30 participants took part in the training and received in-depth instruction on the core components of OSH-MS. These included workplace safety and health policies, worker participation, the role of OSH committees, risk assessment and control measures, workplace OSH planning, and systems for recording and reporting occupational accidents and diseases. Participants were also trained to help high-risk sectors integrate HIV and AIDS prevention measures into their occupational safety and health management systems, reflecting a broader and more inclusive approach to workplace wellbeing.
During the training, Cambodian officials and ILO representatives emphasized the importance of strengthening national capacity and ensuring continuous improvements in workplace safety systems. They highlighted the key role labour inspectors play in addressing occupational accidents and diseases, particularly as Cambodia’s industries continue to expand rapidly. The Training of Trainers approach was presented as a way to empower these officials to transfer their knowledge to peers and provide practical support to workplaces in managing sector-specific safety and health risks more effectively.
The initiative was co-organized under the project Promoting a Safe and Healthy Working Environment in Thailand and Cambodia, which is funded by the Government of Japan through the ILO’s global Safety + Health for All flagship programme. The training marks an important step in Cambodia’s efforts to modernize its occupational safety and health framework and improve workplace conditions through more structured, preventive, and sustainable management systems.
