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25 Sep 2026 -- 09:05 am
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OSHA Compliance in Kenya: 12 Requirements Every Employer Should Know

OSHA Compliance in Kenya

12 Requirements Every Employer Should Know

Safetec Solutions Limited

Safety professionals reviewing workplace compliance during an industrial inspection

www.safetec.co.ke

OSHA Compliance in Kenya

Occupational safety and health compliance involves more than displaying safety signs, issuing personal protective equipment or preparing documents shortly before an inspection.

A compliant workplace must identify its hazards, protect employees, maintain safe equipment, prepare for emergencies and retain evidence that required safety activities have been completed.

In Kenya, the principal legislation is the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007, commonly referred to as OSHA 2007. The Act provides for the safety, health and welfare of employees and other people who may be affected by workplace activities.

Different workplaces face different risks. The measures required in an office will not be identical to those required in a factory, construction site, warehouse, hospital or processing facility. Every organization should therefore determine which legal requirements apply to its activities, equipment, workforce and risk profile.

This guide explains twelve important areas employers and workplace occupiers should review when developing an OSHA compliance programme in Kenya.

What OSHA Compliance Means

OSHA compliance means meeting the duties established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act and its subsidiary regulations. These requirements cover:

• Workplace registration

• Safety and health policies

• Workplace risk assessments

• Safety and health audits

• Employee consultation

• Training and supervision

• Fire prevention and emergency preparedness

• First aid arrangements

• Machinery and plant safety

• Occupational hygiene and medical surveillance

• Incident reporting and investigation

• Workplace welfare

• Safety records and corrective actions

In the Kenyan context, “OSHA” refers to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007. It should not be confused with the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services, commonly known as DOSHS, administers and enforces occupational safety and health requirements in Kenya.

Why OSHA Compliance Matters

Organizations sometimes focus on compliance only when preparing for an audit or responding to a DOSHS inspection. This approach creates gaps because safety compliance depends on daily workplace practices.

Effective compliance helps an organization:

• Prevent workplace injuries and occupational illnesses

• Identify hazards before they cause incidents

• Protect employees, contractors and visitors

• Reduce equipment damage and operational disruption

• Prepare employees for workplace emergencies

• Strengthen accountability for safety responsibilities

• Demonstrate compliance during inspections and audits

• Improve employee confidence and participation

• Reduce legal, financial and reputational exposure

Compliance documentation is important, but workplace conditions must agree with what the records show.

1 Register the Workplace with DOSHS

A workplace should be registered with the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services as required under OSHA 2007.

DOSHS indicates that registration involves completing the applicable application and self-assessment forms. The application is reviewed through the relevant DOSHS office before a workplace registration certificate is issued.

Employers should confirm that:

• The workplace is registered

• Registration information is accurate

• The certificate is available for inspection

• Registration is renewed as required

• DOSHS is informed when relevant workplace details change

• Separate sites or projects are registered where applicable

Opening a new branch, factory, warehouse or construction project may create additional registration obligations. Registration should be completed when operations are being established instead of waiting for an inspection.

2 Develop a Workplace Safety and Health Policy

A written safety and health policy communicates the organization’s commitment to protecting employees and controlling workplace risks.

The policy should explain:

• The organization’s safety objectives

• Management and supervisors’ responsibilities

• Employees’ responsibilities

• Arrangements for managing workplace hazards

• Consultation and communication processes

• Emergency responsibilities

• Monitoring and review arrangements

The policy should reflect the organization’s actual activities. A general document copied from another organization may not address the hazards, structure or responsibilities of the workplace using it.

Management should approve and sign the policy, communicate it to employees and review it after significant changes. Displaying a policy is not enough when employees do not understand it or management does not implement it.

3 Conduct Workplace Risk Assessments

A workplace risk assessment helps an organization understand what could cause harm, who may be affected and whether existing controls are adequate.

A structured assessment should:

1. Identify workplace hazards.

2. Determine who may be affected.

3. Evaluate the likelihood and possible consequences.

4. Review existing controls.

5. Recommend additional measures where necessary.

6. Assign responsibility for each action.

7. Set completion dates.

8. Record the findings.

9. Verify whether the controls are effective.

Hazards may include machinery, electricity, working at height, fire, hazardous chemicals, noise, vibration, dust, fumes, manual handling, poor workstation design, vehicles, confined spaces and psychosocial risks.

DOSHS describes risk assessments as quantitative or qualitative assessments undertaken when a workplace is established and after major changes that may alter workplace risk levels.

Assessments should also be reviewed after an incident, the introduction of new equipment or materials, changes in processes, alteration of the workplace layout or identification of new hazards.

4 Arrange the Annual Safety and Health Audit

Section 11 of OSHA 2007 requires the occupier of a workplace to arrange a thorough safety and health audit at least once every twelve months. The audit should be conducted by an approved safety and health adviser.

An audit may examine:

• Workplace registration and policies

• Risk assessments

• Safety committee arrangements

• Machinery and electrical safety

• Fire prevention and emergency preparedness

• First aid arrangements

• Occupational hygiene

• Employee training

• Welfare facilities

• Incident records

• Previous audit findings

• Corrective-action follow-up

The report should be treated as an improvement tool. Management should review every finding, prioritize serious risks, assign responsible persons and retain evidence that corrective measures have been completed.

5 Establish and Train the Safety and Health Committee

Section 9 of OSHA 2007 requires an occupier to establish a workplace safety and health committee where twenty or more people are employed or where the Director directs the workplace to establish one.

The committee should include fair representation from management and workers. Its responsibilities include:

• Conducting workplace inspections

• Identifying hazards

• Reviewing employee complaints

• Investigating accidents and dangerous occurrences

• Recommending preventive measures

• Monitoring corrective actions

• Promoting safety awareness

• Improving communication between workers and management

Committee members must receive the prescribed training. DOSHS states that the course should comprise 30 contact hours, be completed within six months after the committee is established and remain valid for three years.

Training certificates, appointment records, meeting minutes, inspection reports and corrective-action records should be maintained.

6 Provide Information Training and Supervision

Employees need sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to work safely. Training requirements should be based on the hazards and responsibilities associated with each job.

Depending on the workplace, training may include:

• General safety induction

• Job-specific safe work procedures

• Fire safety and first aid

• Work at height

• Machinery operation

• Manual handling

• Chemical and electrical safety

• Confined-space work

• Personal protective equipment

• Emergency response

• Hazard and incident reporting

Training should be provided when an employee joins the organization, changes roles, begins using new equipment or becomes exposed to new hazards. Contractors and temporary workers should also receive relevant information before beginning work.

Training records should identify the date, subject, trainer, attendees, assessment results and certification expiry dates where applicable. Training should be followed by suitable supervision because attendance alone does not prove that safe procedures are being applied.

7 Maintain Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Workplaces should identify their fire hazards and provide suitable prevention, detection, evacuation and response arrangements.

Important measures include:

• A current fire-safety audit

• Suitable detection and alarm systems

• Appropriate firefighting equipment

• Clearly marked emergency exits

• Unobstructed escape routes

• Emergency lighting where necessary

• A designated assembly point

• Displayed evacuation procedures

• A trained firefighting team

• Fire drills and recorded observations

• Inspection and servicing records

• Arrangements for visitors and people requiring assistance

Employees should know how to raise the alarm, where to assemble and what actions to avoid during a fire. Fire equipment must be accessible and suitable for the hazards present. Providing extinguishers alone does not create a complete fire-safety system.

8 Provide Compliant First Aid Arrangements

Every workplace should be able to provide suitable initial assistance when an employee or visitor becomes injured or ill.

First aid arrangements should reflect the number of employees, workplace hazards, shifts, layout, distance from medical assistance and previous incidents.

The Occupational Safety and Health First Aid in the Workplace Regulations, 2024 strengthened Kenya’s requirements concerning first aid needs, first aid boxes, trained first aiders and workplace first aid audits. The Regulations require an occupier to arrange a first aid audit at least once every twelve months by an approved first aid auditor.

Employers should ensure that:

• Trained first aiders are available

• First aid boxes are accessible and complete

• First aider names and contacts are displayed

• Employees know how to request assistance

• Treatment records are maintained appropriately

• Emergency transport arrangements are available

• The annual first aid audit is completed

First aiders should work within their training and should not administer medication unless legally authorized and appropriately qualified.

9 Examine and Maintain Machinery and Plant

Unsafe or poorly maintained equipment can cause crushing, entanglement, falls, burns, electrocution and other serious injuries.

Machinery and plant should be:

• Suitable for the intended task

• Installed correctly

• Properly guarded

• Inspected and maintained

• Operated by authorized and competent persons

• Isolated before maintenance

• Provided with suitable emergency controls

• Used according to safe procedures

• Examined and certified where legally required

Certain equipment must be examined and tested by approved plant examiners. This may include lifts and hoists, cranes, lifting tackle, boilers, steam receivers, air receivers and other pressure systems.

Examination reports and certificates should be current, available and consistent with the equipment in use.

10 Control Occupational Health Hazards

Some exposures do not cause immediate injury but can result in long-term illness. Organizations should assess noise, vibration, dust, fumes, poor air quality, heat, biological agents, hazardous substances, repetitive work and poor ergonomics.

Controls may include:

• Eliminating the hazardous process

• Substituting safer materials

• Enclosing noisy or dusty processes

• Providing extraction and ventilation

• Automating hazardous activities

• Limiting exposure time

• Maintaining equipment

• Providing suitable protective equipment

• Conducting occupational hygiene measurements

• Providing medical surveillance where necessary

DOSHS identifies noise surveys, air-quality monitoring, thermal-environment surveys and ventilation audits among the services used to evaluate workplace contaminants and hazards.

Monitoring results should lead to action. Measurements provide little protection when identified exposures are not controlled.

11 Report and Investigate Workplace Incidents

Employees should be encouraged to report injuries, occupational illnesses, dangerous occurrences, near misses, equipment failures, fires and chemical releases.

Serious incidents must also be reported to DOSHS within the applicable timelines. DOSHS states that a fatal workplace accident should be reported within 24 hours, while non-fatal accidents should be reported within seven days using the prescribed process.

An investigation should determine:

• What happened and where it occurred

• Who was affected

• The immediate and underlying causes

• Which controls failed or were missing

• What corrective action is required

• Who will complete each action

• How recurrence will be prevented

The investigation should seek to improve workplace controls rather than focus only on employee error. Reporting under OSHA should also be coordinated with the applicable requirements of the Work Injury Benefits Act.

12 Maintain Records and Close Corrective Actions

A workplace should be able to demonstrate compliance through current and reliable records.

Documents that may be examined include:

• Workplace registration certificate

• Safety and health policy

• Risk assessments

• Annual safety and health audit reports

• Safety committee records

• Training certificates

• Fire-safety audit and drill reports

• First aid audit reports

• Plant examination certificates

• Equipment maintenance records

• Occupational hygiene survey reports

• Medical surveillance records

• Accident and incident reports

• Inspection checklists

• Personal protective equipment records

• Safe work procedures

• Corrective-action registers

Records should reflect the workplace as it currently operates.

Corrective-action field	Purpose
Finding or hazard	Describes the problem
Risk level	Helps prioritize the response
Corrective measure	States what must be done
Responsible person	Assigns ownership
Target date	Establishes a deadline
Status	Shows progress
Completion evidence	Demonstrates that action was taken
Verification	Confirms the control is effective

An audit finding should not be marked as complete merely because a document was prepared. The organization should verify that the corrective measure has improved the actual workplace condition.

Common OSHA Compliance Gaps

Frequent gaps include:

• Expired workplace registration

• Annual audits completed late

• Outstanding findings from previous audits

• Risk assessments that no longer reflect operations

• Untrained safety committee members

• Incomplete committee minutes

• Blocked emergency exits

• Overdue extinguisher servicing

• Missing fire-drill records

• Inadequate first aid supplies

• Unexamined lifting or pressure equipment

• Missing noise or air-quality assessments

• Employees operating machinery without adequate training

• Incidents that were recorded internally but not reported as required

• Corrective actions without owners or deadlines

• Documents that do not match workplace conditions

These gaps can often be prevented through a structured compliance calendar and regular management review.

Creating an OSHA Compliance Calendar

Monthly activities

• Workplace inspections

• First aid box checks

• Fire-equipment visual checks

• Review of open corrective actions

• Safety meetings

• Incident and near-miss review

Quarterly activities

• Safety committee workplace inspections

• Committee meetings and action reviews

• Review of high-risk activities

• Emergency equipment checks

Annual activities

• Workplace registration renewal

• Safety and health audit

• Fire-safety audit

• First aid audit

• Fire drill

• Plant examinations

• Occupational hygiene surveys where required

• Medical surveillance where applicable

• Safety-policy review

• Compliance training review

Some equipment, hazards and licence conditions may require different intervals. The calendar should therefore be tailored to the organization.

Practical OSHA Compliance Checklist

The workplace is properly registered with DOSHS.

• The registration certificate is current.

• An approved safety and health policy is available.

• Workplace hazards have been assessed.

• The risk assessment reflects current operations.

• The annual safety and health audit has been completed.

• Previous audit findings have been addressed.

• A safety committee has been established where required.

• Committee members have completed prescribed training.

• Committee meetings and inspections are documented.

• Fire-safety arrangements are adequate.

• A fire drill has been conducted and recorded.

• The annual first aid audit has been completed.

• Trained first aiders are available.

• Regulated plant is examined and certified.

• Occupational exposure risks have been assessed.

• Medical surveillance is provided where necessary.

• Employees are properly trained and supervised.

• Accidents are reported and investigated.

• Corrective actions are assigned and verified.

• Workplace records reflect actual conditions.

Every unchecked or uncertain item should become an action for further review.

OSHA Compliance Is a Continuous Process

A workplace can pass an audit and still develop serious safety gaps later. Equipment changes, new employees, altered layouts, different materials and new working methods can introduce hazards that were not considered during the previous assessment.

Compliance should therefore be integrated into procurement, employee induction, equipment installation, maintenance, contractor management, production planning, inspections, incident investigations and management meetings.

Strong compliance programmes identify problems early, assign responsibility and verify that safety measures work in practice.

How Safetec Solutions Limited Can Help

Safetec Solutions Limited supports organizations in understanding and meeting occupational safety and health requirements in Kenya.

Safetec’s services include:

• Occupational safety and health audits

• Workplace inspections and risk assessments

• Safety and health committee training

• Fire-safety audits and training

• Occupational first aid training

• Work-at-height training

• Plant and equipment examination

• Noise and vibration surveys

• Air-quality assessments

• Environmental audits and monitoring

• Corrective-action guidance

Whether your organization is preparing for an audit, establishing a new workplace or addressing compliance gaps, professional support can help you prioritize risks and develop practical corrective measures.

Visit www.safetec.co.ke or contact Safetec Solutions Limited to discuss your workplace compliance needs.