Project Owners to be Held Accountable for Construction Safety; Ministry of Labor Announces New Regulations
Taiwan's Ministry of Labor will include project owners (clients) in the occupational safety and health prevention system. Owners of high-risk projects will be required to implement safety design and risk management from the planning stage, with fines up to NT$4.5 million for major accidents.
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- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 14:06
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(CNA, Taipei, 28th) To incorporate project owners into the occupational safety and disaster prevention system, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Ministry of Labor stated today that owners of high-risk projects above a certain scale must introduce occupational safety design and risk management starting from the planning and set-up stages. The regulations will feature a three-stage implementation buffer period.
In the past, disaster prevention responsibility in the construction industry was concentrated on contractors. To prevent occupational disasters from the source, OSHA collaborated with various departments and professional groups to hold briefing sessions. Recently, it announced the draft 'Engineering Safety Design and Integrated Management Measures.'
Chen Guang-hui, Director of the Occupational Safety Division at OSHA, explained that the draft incorporates owners of high-risk construction projects of a certain scale into the prevention system, requiring disaster prevention from the planning and design phases.
Chen explained that for high-risk projects, owners must now adjust design schemes, compile safety and health drawings, and set construction specifications and budgets to reduce risks from the source during the planning and design phases.
Additionally, the draft requires owners to consider contractors' safety and health performance when selecting vendors. During the construction phase, owners must urge contractors to implement risk assessments and include necessary safety facilities in their execution plans, with ongoing supervision and verification.
If the owner uses parallel subcontracting with multiple contractors, they must designate a lead contractor to coordinate overall safety to prevent accidents caused by miscommunication or conflicting operations.
The measures are expected to officially launch on July 1. However, a three-stage buffer will be provided. The first stage, starting July 1, 2027, will cover large-scale projects valued at NT$1 billion or more. The second stage, in 2028, will include medium-sized projects, with full implementation in 2029. This phased approach aims to allow the industry to gradually adapt.
Chen emphasized that the ultimate goal is to have owners take the lead in construction safety. If inspections find non-compliance, fines of NT$30,000 to NT$750,000 can be imposed. If a major occupational disaster occurs due to non-compliance, fines can reach NT$3 million to NT$4.5 million. (Editor: Zhang Ming-kun) 1150428
In the past, disaster prevention responsibility in the construction industry was concentrated on contractors. To prevent occupational disasters from the source, OSHA collaborated with various departments and professional groups to hold briefing sessions. Recently, it announced the draft 'Engineering Safety Design and Integrated Management Measures.'
Chen Guang-hui, Director of the Occupational Safety Division at OSHA, explained that the draft incorporates owners of high-risk construction projects of a certain scale into the prevention system, requiring disaster prevention from the planning and design phases.
Chen explained that for high-risk projects, owners must now adjust design schemes, compile safety and health drawings, and set construction specifications and budgets to reduce risks from the source during the planning and design phases.
Additionally, the draft requires owners to consider contractors' safety and health performance when selecting vendors. During the construction phase, owners must urge contractors to implement risk assessments and include necessary safety facilities in their execution plans, with ongoing supervision and verification.
If the owner uses parallel subcontracting with multiple contractors, they must designate a lead contractor to coordinate overall safety to prevent accidents caused by miscommunication or conflicting operations.
The measures are expected to officially launch on July 1. However, a three-stage buffer will be provided. The first stage, starting July 1, 2027, will cover large-scale projects valued at NT$1 billion or more. The second stage, in 2028, will include medium-sized projects, with full implementation in 2029. This phased approach aims to allow the industry to gradually adapt.
Chen emphasized that the ultimate goal is to have owners take the lead in construction safety. If inspections find non-compliance, fines of NT$30,000 to NT$750,000 can be imposed. If a major occupational disaster occurs due to non-compliance, fines can reach NT$3 million to NT$4.5 million. (Editor: Zhang Ming-kun) 1150428