Cap. 424 Art. 16Powers of officers.

(1) An officer shall have the following powers:

(a) to enter freely and without previous notice in any work place at any time of day or night;

(b) to request the assistance of a member of the Police force in the execution of the officer’s duties;

(c) to question, alone or in the presence of witnesses, including the person, if such is the case, putting forward the complaint, any employer or worker, including any person acting on behalf of any employer or carrying out work for such employer, on any of the matters falling under this Act or under any regulations made thereunder;

(d) to inspect any document the keeping of which is prescribed by this Act or by any regulation made thereunder, or any book, document, design, plan, or list of technical specifications which may throw light with regard to occupational health and safety at any particular work place;

(e) to take possession, upon giving receipt therefore, of any object required for tests or as evidence of any occupational accident, injury or disease, or of any alleged violation of this Act or of any regulations made thereunder;

(f) to examine or see to the examination of work places and of any object therein, and to take samples for examination of any article, substance or material found in any workplace or within its curtilage for the purpose of protecting occupational health and safety, and to ensure that such samples are preserved for use as evidence in any proceedings taken in accordance with this Act;

(g) to order that nothing be disturbed at a work place for any period which may be reasonably required for the purpose of any examination, investigation or inspection referred to in the foregoing paragraphs;

(h) to require the operation or the setting in motion of any equipment, machine, device, thing or process, as well as the operation of any system or procedure which, in the opinion of the officer, may be relevant to any examination, investigation or inspection referred to in paragraphs (a) to (e);

(i) to require any employer to provide at the employer’s expense -

(i) a certificate signed by an architect and civil engineer relating to the safety of any building or structure, including any temporary structures;

(ii) a certificate signed by a mechanical or electrical engineer regarding the safety of any mechanical or electrical installation, as the case may be, including any temporary installation;

(iii) a certificate signed by a medical practitioner relating to the occupational health of any worker or any class of workers, which shall be presented to a medical officer of the Authority;

(iv) any information relative to occupational health and safety, including information which refers to protective measures;

(j) to require any employer, agent, manufacturer, importer, supplier, user or other person to provide at their expense any document, certificate or list of technical specifications in relation to any matter concerning occupational health and safety, the method of handling or use of any plant, installation, equipment, machinery, article, substance or chemical which is used or intended to be used at work; and

(k) for the purposes of a prosecution for any offence under this Act, or for the purposes of any appeal to the Appeals Board against an order by an officer, to disclose to the Court or to the Appeals Board such results or information received or collected during the course of the investigations.

(2) An officer shall not enter a work place which is at the time used as a dwelling house without the consent of the occupier, or unless that officer is accompanied by a police officer not below the rank of Inspector.