ILO, EU, and Jordan Scale Up Workplace Safety in Export Industries

In a concerted push to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) standards across Jordan’s export-driven sectors, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Vocational Training Corporation (VTC), with support from the European Union (EU), have successfully completed the second round of foundational OSH capacity-building training. This initiative is part of a broader effort to promote decent work, enhance export competitiveness, and ensure alignment with international labour standards and national OSH legislation.

Focus on High-Risk, High-Impact Industries

The capacity-building programme specifically targets non-specialists operating in key export-oriented sectors — including the garment, engineering, plastics, and chemical industries — which collectively employ tens of thousands of workers and contribute significantly to Jordan’s economy. Participants included production line workers, shift supervisors, technical staff, and middle managers — all of whom play a pivotal role in shaping the safety culture at the factory level.

Developed under the EU-funded project titled “Promoting Decent Work and Export Competitiveness under the Rules of Origin Framework in Jordan,” the training aimed to raise awareness of workplace risks and build practical safety skills to mitigate occupational hazards.

Practical Training Anchored in Jordanian Legislation

Delivered over 20 hours, the sessions covered a wide range of essential OSH topics, such as:

• Identification and prevention of physical, chemical, and electrical hazards

• Fire safety protocols and emergency preparedness

• Basic first aid

• Proper use and maintenance of personal protective equipment (PPE)

• Procedures for reporting and managing workplace accidents

• Overview of national OSH laws and ILO standards

The curriculum was designed to be interactive and practical, with factory-specific examples to ensure direct applicability.

The initiative stems from extensive joint factory assessments by the ILO and Jordan’s Ministry of Labour (MoL), which revealed serious OSH gaps and non-compliance patterns under the Rules of Origin Framework — a trade facilitation mechanism that provides tariff-free access to the EU market for Jordanian exports, contingent on meeting certain labour standards.

In response, the ILO and VTC launched a three-phase training series scheduled for June, July, and August 2025, each round including three sessions with 15 participants per cohort.

Institutional Voices and First-Hand Accounts

Rand Al Araj, Enterprise Advisor at the ILO, emphasized the long-term vision behind the programme:

“At the ILO, we believe that every worker deserves a safe and healthy workplace. Through this foundational OSH training, we aim to support factories in building a sustainable safety culture while advancing decent work and improving export competitiveness.”

Engineer Kholoud Damra, an OSH trainer from the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, noted that the workshops bridged a crucial knowledge gap between operational staff and management.

“Many factories still place production over safety,” she said. “We need to shift that mindset through training and consistent enforcement.”

For participants, the impact has been both immediate and tangible. Fadwa Al Shakhanbeh, a workforce supervisor at a garment factory, shared:

“The training was hands-on and relatable. It helped us not only reinforce safety practices but also engage with workers daily to ensure these practices are implemented.”

Jihad Madi, an experienced OSH supervisor at a large factory in Dhuleil employing nearly 3,000 workers, described the course as a much-needed update.

“The training gave me a better understanding of the new OSH legislation introduced in 2023. I’ve already started mapping current safety practices and plan to expand them significantly.”

Legislative Backbone: OSH Reforms of 2023

The programme is tightly aligned with Jordan’s evolving OSH regulatory environment. In 2023, the Ministry of Labour enacted two major regulations:

1. Regulation No. 31/2023 – Occupational Safety and Health and the Prevention of Occupational Hazards

2. Regulation No. 33/2023 – Formation of OSH Committees and Appointment of Supervisors in Institutions

These regulations include implementing instructions that require factories to:

• Identify and mitigate occupational hazards

• Conduct formal risk assessments

• Implement preventative measures

• Classify hazard levels across different industries

• Establish OSH committees and appoint qualified supervisors

The ILO’s training programme incorporates these new frameworks, ensuring that participants not only understand their responsibilities but also know how to act on them effectively.

Broader Goals: From Compliance to Culture Change

This initiative represents more than just a compliance exercise — it’s a foundational step in cultivating a culture of safety and accountability in Jordan’s industrial landscape. By targeting a broad spectrum of personnel — from the production floor to middle management — the programme helps bridge communication gaps and encourages a bottom-up and top-down approach to workplace safety.

As Jordan continues to strengthen its position in global supply chains, such efforts are critical for protecting workers, ensuring sustainability, and upholding trade privileges under preferential frameworks.

What’s Next?

With one more training round scheduled for August 2025, the ILO and VTC plan to use lessons from these initial workshops to develop sector-specific safety toolkits, enhance factory-level auditing systems, and replicate the model in other high-risk sectors.

For now, the focus remains on consolidating gains, sharing best practices, and preparing workplaces to not just comply with OSH laws — but to embrace them as essential to decent work and competitive enterprise.