Labour inspection is an important public function provided by the State and is an essential part of the labour administration system. Labour inspection plays a key role to ensure fairness in the workplace and good governance of the labour market. Labour inspection has a three-fold role:

• secure the enforcement of the legal provisions relating to conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work (provisions relating to hours, wages, safety, health and welfare, the employment of young persons);
• supply technical information and advice to employers and workers concerning the most effective means of complying with the legal provisions;
• bring to the notice of the competent authority defects or abuses not specifically covered by existing labour law provisions.

The ILO has adopted a number of international labour standards relating to labour inspection, the most important one being the Labour Inspection Convention No. 81, which establishes the principles, functions and main characteristics of labour inspection, with a focus on industry and commerce.

In supporting ILO member States, LABADMIN/OSH (the ILO Service responsible for Labour Administration, Labor Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health), has developed a programme curriculum for developing the capacity of Labour inspectorates to fulfill their functions and maximize their impact. To this end, and based on this training curriculum, the ILO International Training Centre offers this online course to increase the skills of managers and field labour inspectors as well as for other relevant stakeholders.