Safety Supervisor

in the USSR, an inspector who supervises occupational safety, the state of industrial hygiene, and the observance of legislation on labor protection in transportation and at industrial enterprises, construction sites, institutions, kolkhozes, and sovkhozes. Technical supervision of safety has been the responsibility of trade unions since 1933. The safety supervisors are staff members of the trade union councils, the central committee of the trade union of a given industry, or some other trade union body.

The safety supervisor must take steps to eliminate detected violations of legislation on labor protection and of safety rules, and it is his responsibility to carry out measures designed to improve working conditions and prevent accidents and occupational diseases. He has the right to demand from the enterprise administration required documents and explanations concerning questions of labor protection, to inspect buildings and structures in order to eliminate possible shortcomings, and to prohibit work with malfunctioning equipment. The safety supervisor may impose a penalty up to 10 rubles (for a safety superintendant, up to 50 rubles) on officials guilty of violating labor protection rules and standards, and he may also send to investigatory bodies materials for instituting criminal proceedings against guilty parties.

Supervision and control over the observance of labor legislation are also carried out by trade union legal officers.