Article 122 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 122 من نظام العمل · الباب الثامن: الوقاية من مخاطر العمل والوقاية من الحوادث الصناعية الكبرى وإصابات العمل والخدمات الصحية والاجتماعية
Article 122 requires the employer to take precautions protecting workers from work hazards and machinery, and to post safety instructions in Arabic and a language the workers understand, without charging them anything.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
على كل صاحب عمل أن يتخذ الاحتياطات اللازمة لحماية العمال من الأخطار والأمراض الناجمة عن العمل، والآلات المستعملة، ووقاية العمل وسلامته، وعليه أن يعلن في مكان ظاهر في المنشأة التعليمات الخاصة بسلامة العمل والعمال، وذلك باللغة العربية وبأي لغة أخرى يفهمها العمال عند الاقتضاء، ولا يجوز لصاحب العمل أن يحمّل العمال أو يقتطع من أجورهم أي مبلغ لقاء توفير هذه الحماية.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 122 explained in plain English
Article 122 of the Labor Law sets a basic rule in the field of occupational safety: protecting the worker from work hazards is the employer's responsibility and at its expense. By the text of the article, it applies to every employer without exception.
The article contains three main obligations:
- Taking the necessary precautions to protect workers from the hazards and diseases arising from work, and from the machinery used, and to ensure the prevention and safety of work. The article does not specify these precautions in detail, but leaves that to the nature of each activity, noting that Article 121 refers the rules and levels of protection, safety and occupational health to what the Minister specifies by decision.
- Posting safety instructions in a visible place inside the establishment, so that workers can see them easily. These instructions must be in Arabic, and in any other language the workers understand where necessary; if the establishment has workers who do not know Arabic, the instructions must be provided in a language they understand so that they serve their protective purpose.
- Barring the charging of workers for the cost of protection: the employer may not ask workers to pay any amount for the means of protection, nor deduct any amount from their wages for them. Prevention is part of the cost of running the establishment and not a burden on the worker.
This article is completed by the two articles next to it: Article 121 requires the employer to keep the establishment in a healthy and clean condition, light it and provide drinking and washing water, and Article 123 requires it to inform the worker, before starting work, of the hazards of their occupation, to provide suitable personal protective equipment, to train them in its use, and to require them to use it. Articles 121 to 123 thus form an integrated system: a healthy work environment, announced and free precautions, and awareness and training for the worker.
In practice, if a worker notices the absence of safety precautions, the lack of posted instructions, or amounts being deducted from their wage for protective equipment, that violates Article 122. To learn the appropriate steps in a particular case, it is advisable to consult a lawyer who specializes in labor cases.
Practical example
A contracting company in Dammam works with a large number of workers, some of whom do not speak Arabic. When operating its steel-cutting machines, the company posted safety instruction boards in both Arabic and Urdu at the workshop entrance and next to the machines, and fitted guards on the moving parts. When one supervisor suggested deducting SAR 150 from each worker's wage for providing helmets and gloves, the company's management refused because Article 122 bars charging workers or deducting from their wages any amount for this protection, so the company bore the full cost.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Active contributorFrequently asked questions about Article 122 of the Saudi Labor Law
Can an employer deduct the price of safety equipment from a worker's salary?
No. Article 122 expressly provides that an employer may not charge workers or deduct from their wages any amount for providing protection from work hazards.
In what language must safety instructions in the establishment be written?
Safety instructions must be posted in Arabic, and in any other language the workers understand where necessary, and they must be posted in a visible place in the establishment.
What does Article 122 require the employer to do?
It requires it to take the necessary precautions to protect workers from the hazards and diseases arising from work and the machinery used, and to ensure the prevention and safety of work, while posting safety instructions and not charging workers their cost.
How does Article 122 relate to Articles 121 and 123?
Article 121 deals with keeping the establishment in a healthy and clean condition as the Minister specifies, and Article 123 requires the employer to inform the worker of the hazards of their occupation, provide personal protective equipment and train them on it, while Article 122 sets the general obligation of precautions, posting the instructions and making protection free.
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The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.