Article 204 of the Saudi Labor Law
المادة 204 من نظام العمل · الباب الثالث عشر: تفتيش العمل
Article 204 allows doctors, engineers, chemists and occupational safety and health specialists to take part in labor inspection when needed, and authorizes the labor office director and inspectors to request help from executive authorities when necessary.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يشترك في التفتيش كلما دعت الحاجة أطباء ومهندسون وكيميائيون واختصاصيون في السلامة والصحة المهنية. ولمدير مكتب العمل وللمفتشين أن يطلبوا عند الضرورة من الجهات التنفيذية المختصة تقديم ما يلزم من مساعدة.
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 204 explained in plain English
This article is within Part Thirteen of the Labor Law on labor inspection, and addresses an important practical matter: a labor inspector is not necessarily an expert in every technical field he may need to examine inside an establishment. The article therefore provides two rulings:
- Using specialists: doctors, engineers, chemists and occupational safety and health specialists take part in inspection whenever the need arises. If an inspection concerns, for example, chemicals, machinery or workers' health conditions, a specialist with the technical expertise needed to assess the situation accurately can accompany the inspector.
- Requesting the help of executive authorities: the labor office director and the inspectors may, when necessary, request the competent executive authorities to provide whatever help is needed, enabling them to carry out their task.
What does this mean in practice?
- For the employer: the inspection team may arrive made up of the inspector accompanied by a doctor, engineer, chemist or safety specialist, which the Law expressly permits, and it is not an overstepping by the inspector.
- For the worker: this article ensures that technical occupational risks (such as exposure to hazardous materials or equipment safety) are examined by qualified people, and not only from an administrative angle.
- For the inspector: he is not left alone if he needs support; he and the labor office director may request the help of the competent executive authorities when necessary.
Note that the article ties the participation of specialists to the phrase "whenever the need arises" and requesting help to the phrase "when necessary," meaning this is not a mandatory step in every inspection but is assessed according to the nature of the establishment and the suspected violation. The article does not specify the details of how specialists are used or which executive authorities, and anyone facing a complex inspection may consult a lawyer specialized in labor cases.
Practical example
A labor inspector visited a paint factory in Yanbu after a number of workers complained of strong chemical odors and repeated fainting on the production line. Because assessing the danger of the materials used and the adequacy of ventilation requires technical expertise, the inspector, relying on Article 204, brought in a chemist and an occupational safety and health specialist who accompanied him on the tour, and a doctor also took part in examining the workers' health conditions. When the team needed additional support to complete its task, the labor office director asked the competent executive authority to provide the necessary help, which the article expressly permits.
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 204 of the Saudi Labor Law
Who may take part in labor inspection alongside the inspector?
According to Article 204, doctors, engineers, chemists and occupational safety and health specialists take part in inspection whenever the need arises.
Must specialists attend every inspection?
No. The article ties their participation to the phrase "whenever the need arises," meaning it depends on the nature of the inspection and the technical matters to be examined.
Can a labor inspector request help from other bodies?
Yes. The article authorizes the labor office director and the inspectors to request, when necessary, that the competent executive authorities provide whatever help is needed.
Can an employer object to a doctor or engineer being with the inspector?
The article expressly permits using these specialists in inspection when needed, so their presence with the inspector rests on a legal basis and is not an overstepping.
More articles on Labor Inspection
- Article 39Amended by M/44
Article 39 prevents a worker from working for anyone other than their employer or on their own account, and prevents an employer from employing another's worker, except by following the statutory rules and procedures, and regulates inspection and referral between the two ministries.
لايجوز -بغير اتباع القواعد والإجراءات النظامية المقررة- أن يترك صاحب العمل عامله يعمل لدى الغير أو يعمل لحسابه الخاص، ولايجوز للعامل أن يعمل لدى صاحب عمل آخر أو
- Article 190
The article requires the employer in mines and quarries to prepare a special register to record and account for workers before they enter the workplaces and when they leave them.
على صاحب العمل أن يعد سجلًّا خاصًّا لقيد العمال وحصرهم قبل دخولهم إلى أماكن العمل وعند خروجهم منها.
- Article 194Amended (1436 AH)
Article 194 assigns labor inspection to inspectors from the Ministry's employees or other Saudis specified by the Minister or his delegate, who hold the powers provided in the Law.
يتولى تفتيش العمل مفتشون من موظفي الوزارة، أو من غيرهم من السعوديين، يحددهم الوزير أو من يفوضه، وتكون لهم الصلاحيات والاختصاصات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام.
- Article 196Amended by M/44
Article 196 sets the six competences of labor inspectors: monitoring implementation of the Law, guiding employers and workers, reporting deficiencies, recording violations, verifying referred violations, and proposing fines.
يختص مفتشو العمل بما يأتي: 1- مراقبة تنفيذ أحكام هذا النظام واللائحة والقرارات الصادرة تنفيذاً له. 2- تزويد أصحاب العمل والعمال بالمعلومات والإرشادات الفنية الت
- Article 198Amended by M/44
Article 198 gives labor inspectors the right to enter any establishment covered by the Law during its working hours without notice, carry out examinations and investigations, question the employer and workers, inspect records, and take samples of harmful materials.
يحق لمفتشي العمل : 1- دخول أي منشأة خاضعة لأحكام نظام العمل في أي وقت من أوقات عمل المنشأة دون إشعار سابق. 2 - القيام بأي فحص أو تحقيق لازم للتحقق من سلامة تنفي
- Article 199Amended by M/44
Article 199 requires employers and their agents and officials to facilitate labor inspectors' work, provide the data requested, appear before them, and send a representative on request.
على أصحاب العمل ووكلائهم ومسؤوليهم في مكان العمل أن يقدموا للمفتشين والموظفين المكلفين بتفتيش العمل، التسهيلات اللازمة للقيام بأداء واجبهم، وأن يقدموا لهم ما يط
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.