𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐫𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫

…𝒆𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑶𝑯𝑺 𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒚 2026 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒕𝒚

By Sonam Choden

The country’s construction sector is preparing for a major shift as the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment moves to strictly enforce Occupational Health and Safety regulations beginning January 2026. The recent notification requires all enterprises employing more than twenty workers to appoint certified Safety Officers, Construction Safety Supervisors and functional Safety Committees before foreign worker applications are processed.

A grace period for compliance will remain until December 13, 2025, after which the rules will be fully enforced. The initiative, discussed in the National Assembly following a question from Sonam Tashi, the Member from Lamgong Wangchang Constituency, signals a significant change in how workplace safety will be regulated.

In his response, Namgyal Dorji, the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Employment, stated that the reform introduces a System Based Occupational Health and Safety Management Enforcement framework intended to improve compliance and reduce workplace risks. He noted that while OHS obligations have long been part of Bhutanese law, enforcement has been weak because of limited manpower.

“In Thimphu alone, an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 active workplaces operate with only four Labour Officers assigned to inspections, an approximate ratio of one officer per 1,000 workplaces,” the Minister explained. “As a result, only 15 to 20 percent of workplaces can be inspected annually,” a situation that has left many unsafe practices unaddressed.
To overcome these constraints, the Ministry is introducing a preventive enforcement system. “The reformed approach integrates OHS compliance directly into the labour administration system, particularly within the foreign worker management process,” Lyonpo said. He explained that this integration will connect OHS compliance with approvals for foreign worker quotas and renewals.

“From January 2026, applications will be approved only upon submission of proof of a certified Safety Officer, a certified Construction Safety Supervisor and a functional OHS Committee,” he clarified. “Applications that do not meet these criteria will be automatically rejected,” ensuring that essential safety mechanisms are in place before work begins rather than being verified only after incidents occur.

Lyonpo described this as a gatekeeper approach that shifts enforcement from reactive inspections to proactive checks within the system. “This administrative gate-keeping significantly reduces reliance on limited inspection manpower and ensures that essential safety structures are in place prior to the deployment of foreign workers,” he stated. The reform also introduces multi agency enforcement by expanding national oversight in collaboration with technical bodies and local authorities.

“We are training and designating officials from other agencies such as Thromde engineers and MoIT field staff as OHS enforcement partners,” he said. “Forty three participants have already been trained across Thimphu, Paro and Phuentsholing.”

To address persistent safety challenges in urban areas, the Ministry outlined targeted interventions focusing on issues such as unsanitary labour camps, construction materials spilling onto public roads and the absence of safety signage.
“We are integrating welfare and accommodation standards into the OHS MS requirements,” he said. “Permit approvals will now be linked to submission of compliant accommodation plans.” He also highlighted joint enforcement with municipal authorities to prevent obstruction of public spaces and property damage. Mandatory fencing, signage and protective measures will be required at worksites, with employers, Safety Officers and Construction Safety Supervisors held personally accountable for lapses.

To strengthen monitoring, the Ministry will introduce the use of technology. “Drone assisted inspections will be used to detect fall hazards, unsafe heights and perimeter issues,” Lyonpo explained. Remote monitoring systems will enable more frequent assessments of site conditions and improve responsiveness despite limited manpower. Employers who remain non compliant will face rejection of foreign worker quota applications and withholding of permit renewals until they meet the requirements. The Minister described this as a practical deterrent that is more effective than traditional fines.

He added that the reform represents a fundamental shift in the governance of workplace safety. “We are moving from manpower limited, inspection based model to a system driven, OHS MS anchored enforcement architecture,” he said. “By integrating safety compliance into the core of the labour administration system, we ensure that safety leadership becomes an essential responsibility of every enterprise.” He stated that the reform is both timely and necessary so that from 2026 onward, “OHS regulations will not only remain legal obligations but will be practically implemented and effectively enforced nationwide.”

As the construction sector continues to expand, the success of these reforms will depend not only on institutional vigilance but also on sustained commitment from contractors, employers and workers to treat safety as a shared responsibility rather than a procedural formality.