What OSH training must employers provide to workers in Egypt?

Every worker must be trained in the safe basics of the job, told about the hazards before starting work, and given suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) with training in its use, and the employer may not charge the worker or deduct from wages for protective equipment (Article 267 of the Labour Law issued by Law No. 14 of 2025). Further training is required for hazardous chemicals, emergency plans, and for OSH staff, committee members and managers, whose courses are given by the ministry, the National Centre for OSH Studies or licensed providers.

Short answer

• All workers: training in the proper basics of the job; information on the hazards of the job before work starts; PPE and training in its use; no cost or wage deduction (Art. 267).
• Chemicals: training on handling hazardous chemicals and carcinogens, their hazards and protective measures (Art. 249).
• Emergencies: training to meet the requirements of the emergency plans, which must be tested by practical drills (Art. 253).
• OSH staff, committee members, managers and production supervisors: training matched to their responsibilities (Art. 259), at basic, advanced, specific (sector) and specialised levels (Art. 261; Decree 134 of 2003).
• Durations and refresher periods for ordinary workers: not fixed in the law or in the decrees we checked; for OSH specialists and technicians, Decree 134 sets at most three years between basic and advanced training.

Training every worker must receive

Article 267 creates two duties before a worker starts: train him in the sound basics of his trade, and inform him of the risks of the job and require him to use the prescribed protective measures, providing suitable PPE and training him to use it. The employer may not charge the worker or deduct anything from wages for protective equipment. In return, the worker must use the protective equipment, look after it and follow safety instructions (Art. 268).

Other articles add topic training:

Because the law sets no hours, keep evidence that training happened and was understood: attendance sheet, content, trainer, language and a short test.

Training of OSH specialists, technicians and committee members

Article 259 requires training of the OSH unit staff, the OSH committee members and those responsible for management and production at all levels, in line with their responsibility. Article 261 assigns basic, advanced, specific and specialised training to the ministry, the National Centre for OSH and Work Environment Studies and bodies licensed by the minister (colleges, institutes, associations and companies); the licence fee may not exceed EGP 50,000.

Decree 134 of 2003, still applied until replaced, adds:

• the establishment must train its OSH specialists, technicians, committee members and managers responsible for administration, production and utilities, including doctors, at basic, advanced, specific and specialised levels;
• the interval between basic and advanced training is at most three years;
• holders of postgraduate qualifications in OSH, occupational health, public health, industrial medicine, occupational environment or environmental studies are exempt, as are ministry and National Centre OSH inspectors and specialists trained by those bodies;
• a ministry committee sets curricula, licensing rules and examinations and approves certificates.

The decree named the training institutions of 2003; since 2025 the providers are those listed in Article 261.

Common mistakes

• Treating a toolbox talk as the only training. Article 267 requires job-specific training before work, plus chemical and emergency training where relevant.
• Charging for PPE or deducting replacement costs. Prohibited by Article 267.
• Using unlicensed trainers for OSH staff courses. Training for specialists, technicians and committee members must come from the bodies in Article 261.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties
• Must an employer in Egypt appoint a safety professional or physician?
• Is a safety committee or a worker safety representative required in Egypt?

Standards and further reading

• Law No. 14 of 2025 issuing the Labour Law, Articles 249, 253, 259, 261, 267 and 268: https://manshurat.org/content/qnwn-lml-ljdyd-rqm-14-lsn-2025
• Ministerial Decree No. 134 of 2003, Part Three on training (Arts. 14 to 19): https://manshurat.org/node/12136
• Ministerial Decree No. 211 of 2003: https://manshurat.org/node/12155

This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.