Here is the ergonomics legislation from
Zimbabwe
The information here was collated from official online sources by Ergo Global ergonomists. All information is for general purposes and cannot be considered 1-to-1 legal advice. Ergo Global disclaim any liability relating to the information provided on this page.
To Note
Zimbabwe does not have a single “ergonomics act,” but ergonomics regulation is integrated into its Occupational Safety and Health Bill, 2025.
As per Part 1, Section 3: "workplace” means all places where workers need to be or to go by reason of their work and which are under the direct or indirect control of the employer. Hence all regulations within are applicable to both office and remote workers.
Page last updated: 18/05/2026
The Duties of
The Employer
- Information - The Department shall take necessary measures to ensure that every employer and employee is kept informed of and adequately advised on matters which they ought to take reasonable steps concerning the safeguarding and improvement of the health of workers and persons at the workplace.
-
Risk assessments - Every employer must have occupational health services programmes and systems for the purposes of surveillance of the working environment which include—
(a) hazard identification and risk assessment;
(b) assessment of personal protective equipment and clothing;
(c) assessment of exposure of workers to hazardous agents by valid and generally accepted monitoring methods;
(d) assessment of control systems designed to eliminate or reduce exposure. - Surveillance - Every employer shall carry out risk based surveillance of workers’ health assessments to protect the health of workers as prescribed.
-
Data recording - Every employer shall—
(a) keep a record of data resulting from the surveillance of the working environment and make such data available to the employees and their representatives;
(b) use the data referred to in paragraph (a) solely to provide guidance on measures to improve the working environment conditions;
(c) upon demand by an inspector give access to the working environment surveillance data to such inspector. - Confidentiality - Every worker’s health data with personal information shall remain confidential and may be communicated to others only with the informed consent of the worker concerned.
- Reporting - The employer shall report all diseases to the Bureau in accordance with the procedures that may be prescribed by the Minister.
- Working environment - Every employer shall provide and maintain, a working environment that is safe and without unacceptable risk to the health of the employees and workers.
- System management - The employer must establish, implement and maintain occupational safety and health management system as may be prescribed from time to time.
The Duties of
The Employee
- Right to refuse - Every worker, shall have the right to refuse to do work which is likely to cause imminent danger to his or her safety or health which has not been rendered safe.
- Right to information - Workers and their representatives in an undertaking shall be entitled to adequate information on measures taken by the employer to secure occupational safety and health and may consult their representative organisations about such information.
- Right to training - Workers and their representatives in the undertaking shall be entitled to appropriate training in occupational safety and health during paid working hours.
- Right to consultation - Workers shall be entitled to be consulted by the employers on all aspects of occupational safety and health associated with their work and may propose preventive measures.
- Right to protection from prejudice - Workers shall be entitled to protection from dismissal and other measures prejudicial to them while exercising their functions in the field of occupational safety and health.
- Right to contribution - Workers shall be entitled to contribute their views regarding occupational safety and health issues in the organisation.
- Right to free costs - Workers shall not be levied for anything done or provided in pursuant of this Act.
- Right to specialist advice - Workers may have recourse to specialist advice on particular occupational safety and health issues.
-
Duties at work - It shall be the duty of every worker while at work to—
(a) take reasonable care for the safety and health of himself or herself and of other persons who may be affected by his or her acts or omissions at work; and
(b) as regards any duty or requirement imposed on his or her employer or any other person by or under any relevant statutory provisions, co-operate with him or her so far as is necessary to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with;
(c) subject to subsection Right to information, carry out any lawful order given to him or her;
(d) obey the safety and health rules and procedures and codes of practice laid down by the employer or anyone authorised to do so by the employer;
(e) report to the employer, supervisor, safety and health professional or safety and health representative—(i) an accident; or (ii) the existence of any situation which may adversely affect safety or health; -
Duty of care - No person shall—
(a) wilfully or negligently injure or interfere with; or
(b) misuse; or
(c) in a negligent manner use;
any means, appliance, convenience or other thing provided in pursuance of this Act for securing the safety and health of employees in any workplace.
What's next?
Step 1
Run an ergonomics audit following these regulations.
Step 2
List out the gaps in your ergonomics policy.
Step 4
Contact Ergo Global for more support where needed.
