Call for Expression of Interest - Terms of Reference for developing a National OSH profile for Lebanon as part of the project: ‘’Implementation of the GHS, preventing chemical accidents, and strengthening occupational safety and health’’

BACKGROUND

Occupational safety and health continues to be a major challenge in Lebanon, particularly in hazardous and informal sectors. The August 2020 port explosion in Lebanon more than ever highlights the urgent need to work towards enhancing OSH and chemicals management, while implementing frameworks for the prevention of major industrial accidents. This tragedy was entirely preventable, reminding the world that safe chemicals management, including the implementation and oversight of effective workplace policies, are essential to protecting human and environmental health, and supporting sustainable economic development.

In order to prevent accidents and injury to health arising from, linked with or occurring during the course of work, by minimizing, as far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment, the International Labour Organization is implementing system approaches in Lebanon to strengthen national occupational safety and health systems.

The procedures and requirements to develop national OSH profile and programmes will be focusing on unratified conventions such as C187-Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) and its affiliated Recommendation (No. 197, 2006), as a means to place occupational safety and health at high in the national agenda and as a framework for the systematic approach for continual improvements in the OSH performance and National OSH Systems.

The National OSH Profile will provide an inventory of all tools and resources available in Lebanon to implement and manage OSH designed to provide the data necessary for setting national priorities for action aimed at progressive and continual improvement of National OSH System and workplace safety and health.

The OSH profile describes and analyses the OSH national situation by identifying all relevant legislations and practices, institutional infrastructures and available resources.

The analysis spotlights the strengths and weaknesses of the system and stimulates the discussion on possible ways to improve the current approach to OSH while providing recommendations on possible improvements of the system in line with the international labour standards (ILS) and good practices.

The key focus of the national OSH profile is the strengthening of the labour inspection system and the improvement of the occupational safety and health (OSH), in line with relevant international practices.

The National OSH Profile is a valuable source of information for policy-makers, government officials, workers, and employers to raise their awareness on labour inspection, OSH and fundamental principles and rights at work, so they can better engage in programmes to promote compliance with labour legislations.

Development of National OSH Profile will be a basis for Lebanon to understand the present situation, identify gaps in OSH management system, develop strategic national action plans in OSH, and ways to diagnostically measure progress.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the consultancy is to develop a National OSH Profile following a tripartite consultative process with the following objectives:

• Situation analysis to describe the current OSH situation, including the available human and technical resources,  and identify strong points and gaps in the country's OSH system/framework
• Identification of priorities for national action to improve level of OSH
• Development of National OSH policy and Programme (action plans) for agreed priorities, including indicators of success
• Establishment of sustainable mechanisms for continual improvements including periodic review, updating of data, and eventual designation of new priorities for action through the establishment of a new National OSH programme based on an updated national profile document.

METHODOLOGY

The international consultant will work with the competent authorities and key stakeholders to compile information based on a combination of qualitative descriptions and quantitative data that may influence the sound management of OSH with the primary focus on:

• Regulatory framework including laws and regulations, and OSH guidelines and technical systems.
• Legal provisions and mechanisms relating to the notification and recording of work-related injuries and diseases with the aim of updating them if needed.
• Competent authorities or bodies responsible for occupational health and safety and mechanisms of coordination and collaboration among them.
• Inspection and enforcement systems, and other initiatives and strategies, having a significant role in the application of, and compliance with, the national OSH laws and regulations.
• Coordination and collaboration mechanisms with the social partners at all level.
• National review mechanisms for legislation, policies and actions in the area of OSH.
• Any training, information and advisory services and mechanisms related to OSH.
• Any OSH Research Institutes and OSH Laboratories and information centers
• Educational, training and awareness raising structures
• Social security, insurance schemes and compensation services covering occupational, injuries, and diseases.
• Specialized technical, medical and scientific institutions such as poison controlled centers, and institution and laboratories specialized in occupational hazard and risk assessment.
• Overall national level of human resources active in the area of OSH.
• Statistics of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases and related regular activities, including labour inspection, for the years 2018-2020
• Policies and programmes of employers’ and workers’ organizations.
• Regular activities and initiatives at the national level designed to improve the level of prevention and protection.
• Promotion and elimination programmes such as elimination of violence and harassment at work, and promotion of well-being programmes including healthy life styles and stress prevention.
• A brief of the national and economic context of Lebanon, including general country data, such as demographics and literacy levels, and statistics of manpower and enterprises under the purview of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs categorized by nationality, economic activity and geographical distribution.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, health, engineering or a related field
• Understanding of the OSH context and issues in Lebanon
• Understanding of ILO Conventions and Recommendations on OSH and Labour Inspection, and core international human rights instruments
• Understanding of Lebanon’s safety and health, social and labor laws and policies in Lebanon
• Having a previous experience of developing national OSH profiles, policies and programmes.
• Ability to read and write fluently in English and Arabic

DELIVERABLES

The consultant will be responsible for developing:

1. A detailed work plan of activities mentioning the sources of information and ways to collect data that are foreseen.
2. A first draft of the national OSH profile in line with the relevant ILO guidelines, conventions and recommendations.
3. A Power Point presentation of the main contents of the draft national OSH profile, to be presented in a tripartite workshop, to be organized by the ILO, in Lebanon, for this purpose. The consultant will finalize his/her report in line with the comments of the ILO constituents and concerned technical departments and specialists.
4. A final OSH profile to be submitted to the ILO in both Arabic and English languages.