The International Labour Organization (ILO) and Jordan's Vocational Training Corporation (VTC), with funding the European Union (EU), have jointly completed the second round of a foundational occupational safety and health (OSH) capacity-building programme aimed at non-specialists across key export-oriented industries in Jordan. The initiative targeted production workers, supervisors, technical staff, and middle-management personnel in the garment, engineering, plastics, and chemical sectors.
Building practical OSH skills and awareness
Implemented under the European Union-funded project "Promoting Decent Work and Export Competitiveness under the Rules of Origin Framework in Jordan," the programme was designed to enhance practical OSH competencies and increase awareness of common workplace risks, including physical, chemical, and electrical hazards. Over the course of 20 hours, participants received instruction on hazard prevention, fire safety, emergency preparedness, first aid, the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the procedures for reporting and managing work-related incidents in accordance with national legislation and international labour standards.
This marks the second workshop delivered through the formal ILO-VTC partnership, established following joint assessments and advisory visits to factories operating under the Rules of Origin framework by the ILO and Jordan's Ministry of Labour. These visits revealed critical OSH gaps and widespread non-compliance across production facilities. In response, three training rounds were scheduled for June, July, and August 2025, each comprising three sessions and engaging 15 individuals per cohort.
Rand Al Araj, Enterprise Advisor at the ILO, underscored the importance of building safe and healthy workplaces across all sectors.
"At the ILO, we believe that every worker deserves a safe and healthy workplace. Through this foundational OSH training, developed with the Vocational Training Corporation under the EU-funded project, we aim to raise awareness of occupational safety and health among workers and supervisors in Jordan's garment, engineering, plastics, and chemical sectors. By equipping participants with practical knowledge to identify and prevent workplace hazards, we are supporting factories to strengthen their safety culture while advancing decent work and competitiveness," she said.
Factory-level impact and participant experiences
Engineer Kholoud Damra, OSH trainer at the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, explained that the course targeted both operational and managerial staff, with an emphasis on the national OSH regulatory framework. She noted strong engagement from participants, with discussions tailored to the real-world safety needs of their factories. Damra also pointed to persistent challenges, including limited responsiveness to OSH procedures among some categories of workers and the tendency in some enterprises to prioritize production volume over occupational safety.
Fadwa Al Shakhanbeh, a workforce supervisor at a factory, described the course as comprehensive and practical.
"The programme significantly improved workers' awareness of OSH principles and allowed us to meet with them daily to promote safe practices," she said. "It also strengthened our ability to oversee safety on the production floor and guide workers in recognizing and avoiding hazards." Al Shakhanbeh added that her factory's management is actively involved and highly supportive of these efforts.
Jihad Madi, an OSH supervisor at a factory in Dhuleil, highlighted the training's in-depth explanation of recent regulatory developments.
"The course covered the OSH legislation introduced by the Ministry of Labour in 2023 in great detail, which improved our understanding of the legal requirements and enforcement procedures," he said.
Madi, who had previously completed two OSH courses, said he now has a deeper understanding of workplace safety requirements and risk assessment procedures.
"This is especially important in my case," he explained, "as I work in a factory that employs nearly 3,000 workers, with numerous sources of occupational risk. I have already mapped all existing safety measures within the factory, and after this training, I will work on further developing and improving them."
In 2023, the MoL enacted two major OSH regulations: Regulation No. 31 of 2023 on "Occupational Safety and Health and the Prevention of Occupational Hazards", and Regulation No. 33 of 2023 on the "Formation of OSH Committees and Appointment of Supervisors in Institutions".
The MoL also issued implementing instructions under these frameworks, covering the identification of occupational hazard sources, workplace prevention measures, risk assessment procedures, and the classification of hazard levels across economic activities.
