Guidelines for Promoting Worker Health at Worksites
Overview
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued the Guidelines for Promoting Worker Health at Worksites (Guideline Notice No. 13) on October 19, 2026, under Article 70-2, Paragraph 1 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, with the guidelines taking effect the same day. The revision clearly positions encouragement to undergo screenings and detailed examinations for cancer and women-specific health concerns as secondary prevention, in addition to the traditional focus on primary prevention, including lifestyle-related disease prevention. It also explicitly addresses coordination with health insurers and support for balancing treatment and work, aiming to further promote measures to maintain and improve workers’ health.
Key points
- The guidelines were issued as Guideline Notice No. 13 for the promotion of health maintenance and improvement.
- The revision clearly positioned secondary prevention through screenings and similar measures in the guidelines.
- The guidelines explicitly address coordination with health insurers and support for balancing treatment and work.
Overview
The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare published the guidelines on October 19, 2026, under Article 70-2, Paragraph 1 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (Act No. 57 of 1972). They took effect on the same date.
The guidelines emphasize preventing disease onset, preventing severe illness and death through early detection and treatment, and creating an environment where workers with illnesses can continue working while receiving treatment.
Impact
The revision aims to further promote measures to maintain and improve workers’ health.
Details
The guideline is titled “Guidelines for Promoting Worker Health at Worksites.” In addition to primary prevention through lifestyle improvements and similar measures, the revision clarified encouragement to undergo screenings and detailed examinations for cancer, women-specific health concerns, dental diseases, osteoporosis, and eye diseases as health measures for secondary prevention. Women-specific concerns listed include menstrual irregularity, dysmenorrhea, heavy menstrual bleeding, premenstrual syndrome, and menopausal disorders.
The notice is dated October 19, 2026, and is signed by Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno. The notice includes the full guidelines and a comparison table showing the old and new versions.