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Labour Inspection (Organisation) Law, 5714-1954

חוק ארגון הפיקוח על העבודה, תשי"ד-1954

Published: 1954-09-03Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-05-29 · Last amended 2023-11-21✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Chapter II: Trustees, Committees and Safety Officers

Definitions§

9.

In this Chapter –

"factory" means a place to which the Work Safety Ordinance [New Version], 5730-1970, applies, in whole or in part;

"the employer" means the occupier of the factory;

"safety trustee" means a person who is a trustee for matters of safety or hygiene by virtue of sections 19 or 20.

Establishment of Safety Committees§

10.
(a)A factory employing at least 25 employees shall have a safety committee composed equally of representatives of the employees and representatives of the employer; in a factory where the number of employees is fewer than 25, the employees and the employer may establish a safety committee by agreement; however, the Minister of Labour and Welfare may, with the approval of the Labour and Welfare Committee of the Knesset, prescribe in Regulations provisions regarding the obligation to establish a safety committee even in a factory where the number of employees is fewer than 25, provided that the number of members of the safety committee in such a factory shall not exceed four;

such Regulations may apply according to types of factories, branches of work, occupations or areas.

(b)Where either or both of the parties have not appointed their representatives to the safety committee or some of them, a Regional Labour Inspector may require in writing from the party concerned to appoint the representatives within the time he has prescribed for that purpose, and upon doing so shall send a copy of his requirement to the workers' organisation that represents the largest number of employees in the State or to an employers' organisation which in the opinion of the Minister is concerned in the matter, as the case may be; where the requirement has not been complied with, the inspector may appoint members to the safety committee at his discretion, both from among the employees of the factory and from outside the employees of the factory, who shall serve until representatives are appointed in their stead; the Minister of Labour and Welfare may prescribe in Regulations rates of attendance fees and expenses to be paid by the employer to a person who is not an employee of the factory and has been appointed as aforesaid as a member of the safety committee.
(c)The failure of either party to appoint its representatives to the safety committee or some of them shall not affect the competence of the committee to act or the validity of its decisions.

Composition of a Safety Committee§

11.
(a)Employee representatives on a safety committee shall be employees of the factory who are elected or appointed by the employees therein or by the employees' committee, all as shall be prescribed in Regulations.
(b)Employer representatives on a safety committee shall be appointed by the employer, and shall, to the extent possible, include work managers and persons responsible on behalf of the employer for safety matters.
(c)The term of office of members of a safety committee and the qualifications to be taken into account in their election or appointment shall be prescribed in Regulations.

Notification of a Safety Committee§

12.
(a)Where a safety committee has been established, the secretary of the committee shall, as soon as possible and by registered letter, send notice thereof to a Regional Labour Inspector specifying the names of the members of the committee, the chairperson and the secretary; in the same manner the secretary shall notify the Regional Labour Inspector of any change that has occurred in the particulars furnished in the notice of the establishment of the committee.
(b)Copies of notices under this section shall be sent by the secretary of the safety committee to the institute established under section 26.

Procedure of a Safety Committee§

13.
(a)A safety committee shall elect from among its members by majority vote a chairperson of the committee. In the absence of such a majority, the safety committee shall have two chairpersons, one from among the employer's representatives on the committee appointed by the employer for that purpose, and the other from among the employee representatives on the committee elected by the representatives; the chairpersons of the committee shall conduct its meetings in rotation as determined by the committee, and each of them may convene it. The safety committee shall appoint the secretary of the committee.
(b)In every vote in a safety committee, the representatives of each side, when voting unanimously, shall have a number of votes equal to the votes of the representatives of the other side.
(c)A labour inspector and a representative of the institute for safety and hygiene referred to in Chapter III may participate in meetings of a safety committee without voting rights, whether on their own initiative or at the invitation of the committee or a member thereof.
(d)The committee shall determine its procedures for deliberation and work to the extent that they have not been prescribed in this Law or in Regulations.

Duties and Powers of a Safety Committee§

14.
(a)The following are the duties and powers of a safety committee:
(1)to investigate the causes and circumstances of work accidents at the enterprise and to recommend measures for their prevention;
(2)to examine safety and hygiene conditions, to recommend improvements and to advise on the establishment of safety rules;
(3)to receive reports from safety trustees, to supervise and coordinate their activities;
(4)to accompany a labour inspector on his visits to the enterprise.
(b)Where an employer has not complied with the recommendations of a safety committee as referred to in paragraphs (1) or (2) of subsection (a), a regional labour inspector may direct him by Order to do so, after having given him an opportunity to state his case; an Order as aforesaid shall remain in force for as long as it has not been revoked by the regional labour inspector, the chief labour inspector, or a regional Labour Court upon an application filed by the employer.
(c)A person who has not complied with an Order under subsection (b) shall be treated as a person who has not complied with an improvement order, and the provisions of section 8c shall apply with the necessary modifications.

Relationship between the Safety Committee and a Labour Inspector§

15.
(a)A labour inspector shall send to the safety committee and to the workers' committee at the enterprise a copy of every document he has sent to the employer on matters of safety and hygiene that may assist the committee in the performance of its functions.
(b)The secretary of the safety committee shall send to the regional labour inspector the minutes of the committee's meetings or a summary thereof.

Infringement of Safety Rules§

16.
(a)A safety committee may recommend to the employer disciplinary measures against an employee who does not comply with safety rules, whether express or customary, and an employer may take the measures recommended, including the following measures:
(1)deduction from his wages – but not more than one week's wages;
(2)suspension of his work for up to a fortnight;
(3)in special cases that justify it – transfer to another suitable position in which the degree of risk is lower, and where transfer is not possible – dismissal.
(b)A sum deducted by an employer from an employee's wages under subsection (a) shall be placed by the employer at the disposal of the safety committee, so that it may use it for the promotion of safety conditions or for the improvement of hygiene or welfare at the enterprise, which the employer is not obliged to provide under any enactment.

Employer's Duties towards a Safety Committee§

17.
(a)The employer –
(1)shall facilitate the work of the safety committee in the performance of its function;
(2)shall not harm the conditions of employment or the employment status of a member of a safety committee on account of his activities as a member of the committee, and shall not dismiss him on that account; where differences of opinion arise between a member of the committee and an employer in connection with an act of the employer as aforesaid, the member of the committee may apply to the Minister of Labour and he shall decide the matter after having given the parties an opportunity to state their arguments, and his decision shall be final; the Minister of Labour shall not entertain an application by a member of a safety committee who has been dismissed as aforesaid that was made more than thirty days after the date of the dismissal.
(b)The Minister of Labour and Welfare may, with the approval of the Labour and Welfare Committee of the Knesset, prescribe by Regulations provisions regarding the ways in which the employer shall assist the safety committee in the performance of its functions; such Regulations may be general or according to types of enterprises, branches of work, occupations or areas.

Transfer of Powers§

18.

The Minister of Labour may transfer any of his powers under section 17(a), and notice thereof shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Safety Trustees in an Enterprise in which a Safety Committee Exists§

19.

In an enterprise in which a safety committee exists, the representatives of the employees on the committee, as well as other employees appointed by the committee, shall be the trustees for matters of safety and hygiene at that enterprise.

Safety Trustees in an Enterprise in which there is no Safety Committee§

20.
(a)In an enterprise in which there is no safety committee, the employees may elect from among themselves or appoint trustees for matters of safety and hygiene in a number approved by a regional labour inspector.
(b)The manner of election or appointment of trustees under subsection (a), their term of office and the qualities to be taken into account in their election or appointment, shall be prescribed by Regulations.

Notification of a Safety Trustee and Commencement of his Term of Office§

21.

A person who has been elected or appointed as a safety trustee and has accepted the position shall notify his employer thereof in writing, and if there is a workers' committee at the place, the committee shall confirm the notification; a copy of the notification shall be sent by the employer by registered post to a regional labour inspector and the commencement of the trustee's term of office shall be from the date on which the notification was given to the employer.

Duties and Powers of a Safety Trustee§

22.

The following are the duties and powers of a safety trustee:

(1)to examine safety and hygiene conditions and to act for their improvement;
(2)to guide the employees and advise them on all matters relating to the improvement of safety and hygiene;
(3)to notify the employer or his representative in writing of deficiencies in the field of safety and hygiene; a copy of the notification letter shall be delivered by hand or by registered post to a regional labour inspector;
(4)to inspect any register, certificate, report or any other document relating to safety and hygiene that is required to be kept, maintained or submitted under any enactment whose implementation is vested in the Minister of Labour;
(5)to accompany a labour inspector on his visits to the enterprise.

Employer's Duties§

23.

The employer –

(1)shall provide the safety trustee with the appropriate facilities for the performance of his function and shall encourage him in his activities;
(2)shall take appropriate measures to remedy deficiencies of which he has been duly notified by a safety trustee, and if he has not done so shall deliver to the safety trustee, within a reasonable time, a reasoned notification in writing and shall send a copy of his notification by registered post to a regional labour inspector.

Protection of a Safety Trustee§

24.

An employer shall not harm the conditions of employment of a safety trustee or his employment status, and shall not dismiss him on account of his activities as a safety trustee; the provisions of section 17(a)(2) shall apply, with the necessary modifications according to the matter, to differences of opinion between a safety trustee and an employer in connection with acts of the employer as aforesaid.

Safety Officer§

25.
(a)The Minister of Labour may, whether by way of general Regulations or by special written notice, direct an employer to appoint a suitably trained person to be the safety officer at the enterprise so that this shall be his principal function; a direction as aforesaid in respect of a gas enterprise within the meaning thereof in section 8d(h) shall be given after consultation with the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
(b)The Minister of Labour shall not give a special notice under subsection (a) unless he has found that the scale of the enterprise, the work process and the degree of risk justify it, and after having consulted the council of the Institute established under section 26.
(c)The Minister of Labour may prescribe, by Regulations, provisions regarding the appointment and disqualification of a safety officer, regarding his duties towards a labour inspector and a safety committee, and regarding the penalty to which he shall be liable for non-performance of his duties.

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Chapter II-A: Safety Assistants – Temporary Provision

Definitions – Chapter II-A§

25a.

(cbfn) (1) (cbfn) (2) (cbfn) (cbfn) (cbfn) (cbfn) (cbfn) (cbfn) (cbfn) (cbfn)

Appointment of a Safety Assistant, his Functions and Powers§

25b.
(a)(cbfn)
(1)(cbfn)
(2)(cbfn)
(3)(cbfn)
(4)(cbfn)
(b)(cbfn)
(c)(cbfn)
(d)(cbfn)
(e)(cbfn)

Qualification Requirements§

25c.

(1) (cbfn) (2) (cbfn) (3) (cbfn)

Employment of a Safety Assistant at a Construction Site§

25d.
(a)(cbfn)
(b)(cbfn)
(c)(cbfn)

Duties of Reporting and Rectification of Breaches of Safety Provisions§

25e.
(a)(Expired)
(b)(Expired)
(c)(Expired)
25f.§

(Repealed — תשע״ט)

Register§

25f1.
(a)(cbfn)
(b)(cbfn)
(c)(cbfn)
25g.§

(Repealed — תשע״ט)

25h.§

(Repealed — תשע״ט)

25i.§

(Repealed — תשפ״ד)

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Chapter III: The Institute for Safety and Hygiene

The Institute for Safety and Hygiene§

26.
(a)There is hereby established an Institute for Safety and Hygiene (hereinafter – the Institute), whose purpose is to promote safety conditions at work and occupational hygiene.
(b)The Institute is an incorporated body and may enter into contracts, acquire, hold and transfer assets, and be a party to any negotiation, whether legal or otherwise.

Activities of the Institute§

27.

The Institute –

(1)shall conduct public information activities;
(2)shall conduct and publish research;
(3)shall assist in the election of safety trustees and in the establishment of safety committees, shall guide and encourage them in their activities, and upon the request of a safety committee or some of its members shall send, insofar as possible, a representative to the committee's meetings;
(4)shall assist the inspection service in its activities;
(5)shall advise the Minister of Labour on general matters relating to safety and hygiene;
(6)shall be entitled to award a certificate of distinction to those who excel in the field of care for safety and hygiene at an enterprise.

Council of the Institute§

28.
(a)The supreme authority of the Institute is the Council of the Institute (hereinafter – the Council), whose members shall be representatives of employees and employers in equal numbers, representatives of the Government and representatives of institutions which, in the opinion of the Minister of Labour, have an interest in the matter.
(b)Members of the Council shall be appointed by the Minister of Labour, provided that representatives of employees on the Council shall be appointed after consultation with the national workers' organisation representing the largest number of employees in the State, and representatives of employers shall be appointed after consultation with national employers' organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are representative and have an interest in the matter.
(c)The Minister of Labour shall prescribe, by Regulations, provisions regarding the term of office of the Council and the conditions for the termination of membership therein.
(d)Notice of the composition of the Council of the Institute shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Committees§

29.

The Council may appoint, from among its members or from outside its membership, standing or temporary committees, and may determine their functions and delegate to them its powers.

Chairperson of the Council§

30.

The Minister of Labour, and in his absence – a person appointed for that purpose by him – shall be the Chairperson of the Council.

Procedure§

31.

The Council shall determine its rules of deliberation and work to the extent that these have not been prescribed by Regulations.

Directorate of the Institute§

32.
(a)The Institute shall be managed by a directorate whose members shall be the representatives of the Government on the Council, who shall be appointed to the directorate by the Minister of Labour, and representatives of employees and employers on the Council in equal numbers, whose number shall be determined by the Council and who shall be elected to the directorate by the representatives of the employees on the Council and by the representatives of the employers on the Council, each category separately and by separate vote.
(b)The representatives of the Government on the directorate who are present at a meeting and voting unanimously shall have a number of votes equal to the votes of all other members of the directorate present at the meeting and voting.
(c)The directorate shall determine its rules of deliberation and work to the extent that these have not been prescribed by Regulations.

Budget of the Institute§

33.
(a)The directorate shall prepare an annual budget proposal for the Institute and shall submit it to the Council on a date to be determined by the Council.
(b)The Council shall deliberate on the budget proposal and shall transmit it, together with its comments and recommendations, for approval by the Minister of Labour.
(c)The Minister of Labour may approve the budget as proposed or with such modifications as he sees fit, after consultation with the directorate.

Revenues of the Institute§

34.

The budget of the Institute shall be covered by allocations from the State Treasury and by allocations from workers' and employers' organisations that have representatives on the Council. The Institute may also receive donations and revenues from its supporters' organisation, from publications and from other activities.

Transmission of Documents to the Institute§

34a.

Upon demand by the Institute, any person who is required to send a document to a regional labour inspector under sections 15(b), 21 or 23 shall also send a copy thereof to the Institute.

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