Govt Pushes for OSH System Strengthening in Indonesia

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The improvement of Indonesia’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) system is seen as the key foundation for preventing workplace accidents. Minister of Manpower Yassierli has called on companies to strengthen their OSH systems to ensure safety measures are implemented effectively.

Minister Yassierli explained that improvements must include clear standard operating procedures (SOPs), an active OSH Advisory Committee (P2K3), routine inspections, pre-work safety briefings, regular training, thorough incident investigations, and practical technical engineering and safety measures.

“A robust OSH management system will protect workers while also maintaining company productivity,” Yassierli said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday, January 23, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He cautioned that a decline in accident numbers does not necessarily mean workplaces are safe, stressing that risks remain high if hazard controls are not applied consistently.

According to the minister, around 80 percent of workplace accidents are linked to human error, while 20 percent are due to equipment failure and environmental factors.

Of the human error cases, only 30 percent are due to individual negligence, while the majority, about 70 percent, are caused by weaknesses in organizational and work systems.

“Blaming workers does not solve the problem. The focus of improvements must be on strengthening systems and organizational practices,” Minister Yassierli said.

He urged companies to conduct regular OSH audits and implement system improvements, ensuring that risk findings are thoroughly followed up on rather than left as documentation.

Minister Yassierli also emphasized the importance of building a people-centric safety culture. “This approach places workers as part of the solution, so that a safety culture is built through trust, learning, and continuous system improvement,” he said.

Strengthening OSH culture, he added, requires a 5E approach: education, engagement, engineering, enforcement, and evaluation. These elements complement one another to ensure that safety is felt directly by workers on-site.

From the workers’ perspective, Yassierli encouraged employees to report unsafe conditions rather than remain silent. Reports can be submitted through the Ministry’s complaint channel at lapormenaker.kemnaker.go.id or to local manpower offices.

The Ministry of Manpower is also preparing to enhance digital-based OSH services. Initiatives include simplifying certification processes, improving the Teman K3 application at temank3.kemnaker.go.id, and developing a comprehensive database of workplace accidents and occupational illnesses. ***