Labour Minister Emphasises Importance of OHS as Workplace Culture

The Ministry of Manpower continues to encourage OHS not only to be understood as compliance with regulations but to become an ingrained workplace culture in every work environment. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Manpower (Menaker) Yassierli emphasised the importance of Occupational Safety and Health (OHS) awareness as a culture implemented in the world of work. “The Ministry of Manpower continues to encourage OHS not only to be understood as compliance with regulations but to become a workplace culture that adheres in every workplace,” Yassierli stated in his remarks in Jakarta on Wednesday. The Minister asserted that strengthening the competencies of OHS Experts is also an important part in supporting the transformation of the increasingly dynamic and high-risk world of work. Therefore, the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) held the Evaluation of Guidance and Certification for General OHS Experts Phase 2, attended by 2,100 participants from various regions in Indonesia on 12–13 May 2026. The event, organised together with Occupational Safety and Health Service Companies (PJK3), continued Yassierli, is a strategic step by Kemnaker to strengthen the competencies of prospective OHS Experts in promoting a safe, healthy, and productive workplace culture. The evaluation was conducted simultaneously in various regions in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar, as part of efforts to expand OHS competency strengthening in the world of work. The Minister assessed that the presence of 2,100 prospective General OHS Experts is an important investment in strengthening the national labour ecosystem. Meanwhile, the Director General of Labour Supervision Guidance and Occupational Safety and Health (Binwasnaker and OHS) of Kemnaker, Ismail Pakaya, said that the evaluation is an important stage to ensure that prospective General OHS Experts have adequate competencies in understanding and applying OHS standards in the workplace. “This evaluation activity is not merely an administrative process but an important instrument to ensure that prospective OHS Experts truly understand OHS norms and principles, so they can carry out their roles professionally in creating a safe, healthy, and productive workplace culture,” said Ismail. The material tested in this activity includes OHS basics, supervision of mechanical work safety standards, steam boilers and pressure vessels, lifting and transporting equipment, electrical work safety, fire prevention, building construction safety, work environment, OHS Management System (SMK3), and risk management. According to Ismail, the evaluation is a mandatory stage before participants obtain certification and appointment as General OHS Experts in accordance with Kemnaker provisions. “We hope that the prospective General OHS Experts who pass the evaluation can become agents of change for OHS culture in the workplace, capable of identifying potential hazards, carrying out accident prevention efforts, and promoting the effective implementation of SMK3 in their respective companies,” he stated.