The Department of Factories Inspectorate of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations provides national leadership in Occupational Safety and Health.  The Department seeks to find and share the most effective ways to get results to save lives, prevent injuries and diseases at all workplaces. The Department performs its functions in accordance with the Factories, Offices and Shops Act 1970, Act 328 and its related regulations.

For efficient promotion of safe and healthy working environment which is an essential component of national economic and social development, and having regard to the extent of its administrative responsibility, there is the need to provide the basic operational facilities, in the form of transportation and scientific instruments/equipment respectively.

In order to fulfill its objective of promoting occupational safety and health at all workplaces, the Department has opened new regional offices in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region and plans are far advanced to secure accommodation within the newly created regional capitals to bring safety and health services closer to workplaces, to ensure quick response to the problems of occupational safety and health.

Vision

The vision of the Department is of safe and healthy workplaces within a viable Occupational Safety and Health System which reduces the impact of workplace injuries by providing the highest level of service to workers and employers.

Mission

The Department of Factories Inspectorate promotes measures that would safeguard the health and safety of persons employed in premises, which fall within the purview of the Factories, Offices and Shops Act, 1970 (Act 328).

Objectives

The objective of the Department is to prevent occupational accidents and diseases that arise from exposure to stresses in the working environment, by the promotion and enforcement of measures that would safeguard the health and safety of workers, using as a basis, the provisions of the Factories, Offices and Shops Act and its related regulations.

Functions

• Inspection of workplaces to ensure that reasonable standards of safety and health of workers are maintained.
• Investigation of notifiable occupational accidents and dangerous occurrences as provided under the Factories, Offices and Shops Act.  The investigation affords identification of the contributory factors in the series of events that lead to an accident and therefore enable advice on appropriate measures to prevent future recurrence.
• Approval of building plans for premises which are intended to be used as Factories, so as to ensure that the provisions for health and safely of persons intended to be employed are adequate and satisfactory, having regard to the requirements of the Factories, Offices and Shops Act and its related regulations.
• Registration of Factories and Renewal of Certificates of registration.
• Supervision of the statutory examination and or test of potentially hazardous plant and equipment to ensure that they are safe to operate.
• Prosecution of offences under the Factories, Offices and Shops Act, 1970 (Act 328)
• Occupational Health and Safety educational programmes in the form of Lectures, Discussions, Audio-Visual Aids and Practical Visits to Industries.
• Organisation of Health and Safety courses for specific target groups of Workers and Management.