Under the Grid: Occupational Safety and Health in Kenya’s Energy Sector

Last Updated 2 weeks ago by Kenya Engineer

East Africa’s energy revolution — booming renewables, expanding grids, new oil-and-gas plays, and nascent green-hydrogen projects — promises jobs, investment and cleaner power. It also brings complex, high-risk workplaces: live electrical networks, high-pressure gas systems, heavy-lift construction, chemical hazards and confined-space works. Protecting workers in this fast-moving environment depends on strong occupational safety and health systems — the laws, institutions, employers and cultures that prevent death, injury and disease on the job. This feature walks through Kenya’s legal frameworks, industry realities, enforcement gaps, regional comparisons, and practical steps the energy sector must take now.

The legal scaffolding: from the OSH Act to a stronger authority

Kenya’s principal legal framework for workplace safety is the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act (2007). The Act sets out employers’ duties — preparing safety policies, providing safe systems of work, training staff, and establishing safety committees — and creates structures for enforcement and reporting. Its core intent is clear: every worker has a right to a safe workplace.

Recognising gaps in institutional capacity and modern workplace hazards, the government produced an updated draft OSH Bill (2024) and a Draft National OSH Policy (2024) that aim to strengthen regulation, create a standalone OSH Authority and expand enforcement powers and reporting. If enacted, the new law and policy would modernise duties, reporting and the regulator’s mandate — a timely move for high-risk sectors such as energy.

On the operational side, the Directorate of Occupational Safety & Health Services (DOSHS) within the Ministry of Labour provides inspection, advisory and compliance services today — but it operates with finite resources against a growing, diverse economy. Strengthening a capable, well-funded authority is central to turning legal standards into everyday practice.

Why the energy sector needs special attention

Energy work concentrates multiple severe hazards:

• Electrocution and arc flash: line crews, substation technicians and meter technicians routinely work on live systems.
• Working at height and heavy lifting: construction of towers, turbines and transmission masts.
• Confined spaces and gas risks: wells, storage tanks and pipeline operations in petroleum and gas.
• Fire, explosion and chemical exposure: in petroleum, LNG or hydrogen handling.
• New tech, new risks: green hydrogen, battery storage and utility-scale solar farms introduce unfamiliar hazards and new emergency response needs.

Kenya’s recent national energy guidance — and the country’s rapid adoption of grid-scale projects including a green hydrogen pilot — highlights how quickly new technologies are entering the workplace and why OSH systems must keep pace.

The reality on the ground — enforcement, reporting and data gaps

Across East Africa, a recurring challenge is weak reporting and patchy enforcement. Reliable, sector-specific national statistics are limited; underreporting is common and many incidents are not captured in central databases, which hampers targeted policy responses. Several recent analyses and case studies inside utilities point to persistent patterns of preventable electrical fatalities and an unwillingness of some workers to report near-misses for fear of blame. Improving incident reporting and protective workplace culture is therefore essential.

A recent internal study examining incident reports at a major Kenyan power utility found worrying trends in electrical fatalities and major incidents tied to maintenance shortfalls and cultural barriers to reporting. The study calls for technological upgrades (predictive monitoring), better training and programs to encourage hazard reporting. These findings mirror frustrations voiced by engineers and safety officers across utilities: rules exist, but enforcement and resourcing lag.

Regional picture: lessons from Tanzania and neighbours

Tanzania has a distinct body called OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Authority) with its own Act (2003) and regulatory apparatus that focuses on inspection, standard setting and advisory functions. The presence of standalone authorities in the region shows one pathway: separating OSH enforcement into a dedicated agency can concentrate capacity and visibility, particularly for hazardous industries. However, all countries in the region face similar hurdles — resource limits, patchy compliance across small contractors, and the need to update rules for new technologies.

Where the energy industry is slipping — common failure modes

1. Contractor management: major projects rely on multiple contractors and subcontractors. Weak vetting and poor coordination mean the lowest safety standard often becomes accepted practice.
2. Safety culture vs. compliance culture: many firms focus on checklists to satisfy audits rather than building a culture where workers proactively report hazards.
3. Underinvestment in preventive tech: predictive maintenance, insulated tools, remote switching and automated isolation reduce exposure but require capital and planning.
4. Emergency preparedness: rural or remote project sites (wind farms, solar sites, pipeline corridors) often lack timely rescue/medical response plans.
5. Skills gap for emerging tech: hydrogen, battery-storage and high-voltage DC systems need specialised training that is still rare in the region.

Best-practice roadmap for energy employers and regulators

For Government / Regulators

• Enact and resource the updated OSH law and establish a well-funded, technically staffed OSH Authority with powers for inspections, prosecutions and sector guidance. (The draft 2024 Bill is a step in the right direction.)
• Develop sector-specific regulations for electricity, petroleum and new technologies (hydrogen, battery storage) and publish clear guidance for contractors and SMEs.
• Create a central, accessible incident database with anonymised near-miss reporting to help identify systemic risks.

For Utilities, IPPs and Project Owners

• Move from reactive to preventive safety: invest in predictive asset monitoring, automated isolation devices and insulated tools to reduce worker exposure.
• Standardise contractor pre-qualification and enforce minimum safety performance indicators in contracts.
• Build a just reporting culture — protect whistleblowers, reward near-miss reports and use them as training material.
• Prioritise emergency response planning for remote sites: medevac agreements, local first-responder training, and staged drills.

For Training Institutions & Professional Bodies

• Update curricula to include safe work practices for emerging technologies: HVDC, energy storage, hydrogen handling and solar site O&M.
• Strengthen certification programs for lineworkers, substation technicians and confined-space entrants.

EBK & OSHA: Quotes, Funding and Signals

In recent interviews and announcements, Eng. Margaret Ogai, CEO & Registrar of the Engineers’ Board of Kenya (EBK), has shared key observations and steps taken by EBK that enrich the picture above with concrete recent actions and commitments.

• EBK has partnered with the Lloyd’s Register Foundation to strengthen safety training and OSHA compliance in engineering practice. The partnership will focus on training engineers on OSHA standards, embedding safety and ethics into engineering education and CPD programs. kenyaengineer.co.ke
• On this:

“We have seen far too many buildings collapse due to non-compliance with safety standards,” said Eng. Margaret Orgai. “It’s not just about faulty design — sometimes, it’s because people without licenses are undertaking work meant for qualified engineers.” kenyaengineer.co.ke

• EBK is tightening regulatory oversight:

“You cannot submit drawings or sign off on any technical document unless you are licensed. We are clamping down on quacks, and we are asking the public and county governments to work with us to ensure compliance.” kenyaengineer.co.ke

• Regarding the funding: the Lloyd’s Register Foundation grant, of nearly £300,000, has been awarded to EBK to deliver a capacity development programme aimed at improving safety skills among engineering students, practitioners and workers in the construction industry in Kenya.
• The programme will deliver curricula, courses and monitoring tools so that practitioners and workers “have the capacity, capability and understanding to identify and address risks to safety on construction sites around the country.” lrfoundation.org.uk

These developments reinforce several of the suggested actions in this article: curriculum reform, CPD, tighter licensing, stronger regulatory oversight, and developing tools for monitoring and evaluation. They also show EBK stepping into a more active role, not just as a certifier but as a safety promoter.

Checklist for Utilities and Contractors

This checklist is for utilities, IPPs, large contractors, and subcontractors in the energy sector to ensure actionable safety improvement. Use it internally, include in contracts, and ensure accountability.

How safety strengthens business case and public trust

Safety is not only a moral imperative — it’s a financial and reputational one. Preventable accidents cost companies millions in compensation, lost production and delayed projects. Governments too lose when a major accident triggers shutdowns or tightens investor confidence. Conversely, companies that show consistent safety leadership attract investment, skilled labour and smoother permitting.

In Conclusion

Kenya and her neighbours stand at an inflection point: the energy transition brings opportunity, but also a higher bar for workplace safety. Passing modern OSH legislation, empowering a capable authority, investing in preventive technologies, and building a culture that encourages reporting can together reduce the toll of workplace injuries and fatalities. For the energy sector — where a single lapse can trigger fires, explosions or loss of life — there is no substitute for rigorous safety systems.

If Kenya moves fast on the draft OSH reforms and pairs them with sector regulations, training and an empowered regulator, it can turn rising energy ambition into sustainable, safe jobs — a win for workers, industry and the public. The recent EBK-Lloyd’s Register Foundation grant and EBK’s commitments are promising signals in that direction.

Sources & further reading

• Occupational Safety and Health Act (2007) — Government of Kenya.
• Draft Occupational Safety and Health Bill (2024) & Draft National OSH Policy (2024) — State Department of Labour.
• Directorate of Occupational Safety & Health Services (DOSHS) — State Department of Labour resources.
• EBK and Lloyd’s Register Foundation Partner to Boost Safety and OSHA Training in Engineering. Kenya Engineer. kenyaengineer.co.ke
• New grant to improve skills for safety and reduce the rate of accidents amongst Kenyan engineers and construction workers. Lloyd’s Register Foundation. lrfoundation.org.uk