Deputy Labour Minister Emphasises Importance of Occupational Health and Safety Audit Independence

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Labour Minister (Wamenaker) Afriansyah Noor has emphasised the importance of independence for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) audit bodies. In a statement issued in Jakarta on Sunday, the Deputy Minister said this is necessary because OHS aspects are non-negotiable, as a single oversight in workplace safety can halt operations, damage corporate reputation, and drastically alter a family’s life.

“Independence as an audit body must be maintained. There must be no loopholes or tolerance for potential risks of workplace accidents and occupational diseases,” he said.

According to him, audits of the implementation of OHS Management Systems (SMK3) are not merely document reviews, but must ensure that safety systems are actually functioning in the field through hazard identification, risk control, and corrective action before incidents occur.

“For workers, rigorous audits mean genuine protection—a system that ensures workplaces are safe and risks are not ignored,” he stated.

Furthermore, Afriansyah emphasised that weak or compromising audits create greater risk exposure. When safety standards are not enforced, the impact extends beyond workers to the sustainability of the business itself.

He called on inspection and audit bodies for management systems, such as PT IDSurvey (Persero), to take a firm stance against service users who fail to meet required standards in compliance with applicable regulations.

The Deputy Minister believes every instance of non-compliance must be recorded and communicated objectively.

“Workplace safety is a right. The system must function and audits must be honest. If not, what is at stake is not merely reputation, but the future,” he said.