Safety at work: your rights and your employer's duties
Occupational Safety and Health Act; Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services · sources read 2 Oct 2026
Your employer must keep the workplace safe and can't charge you, or cut your pay, for protective gear or anything else the safety law requires. If you reasonably believe there is imminent and serious danger, report it: you can't be made to go back until it is fixed, or be punished for leaving.
- Where
- Your supervisor first; then the DOSHS county office (offices in 29 counties)
Steps
- Report the danger to your immediate supervisor. Until it is fixed, the employer can't make you go back to that spot.
- Contact the DOSHS county office. Its officers inspect workplaces and can issue an improvement or prohibition notice.
- If you were dismissed or disadvantaged for a safety complaint, the employer commits an offence; on conviction the court can order damages or your reinstatement.
Watch out
- Workers have duties too: wear the protective gear provided, follow safety instructions, and report accidents and injuries to your supervisor. Breaking these is an offence.
- Where there is imminent and serious danger, the employer must stop the work straight away and evacuate workers as needed.
- A workplace with 20 or more workers must have a safety and health committee, and members can't be penalised for committee work.
Who this covers
- Everyone working at the workplace: the occupier must ensure their safety, health and welfare.
- Workers exposed to wet, harmful or offensive substances must get suitable protective clothing and gear, such as gloves, footwear, goggles and head covers.
Official sources (2)
- Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 (No. 15 of 2007) labour.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Occupational Safety and Health Services labour.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026