Article 89. (Investigation, etc. by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare)
• (1) The Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare may investigate those plans which require advanced technical investigation out of the plans notified pursuant to the provision of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (including the case where the said provision is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (2) of the same Article), or paragraph (3) or (4) (except in the following Article, hereinafter referred to as “notification”).
• (2) The Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare shall, in carrying out the investigation under the preceding paragraph, hear the opinion of the person with relevant knowledge and experience as provided for by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
• (3) The Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare may, where it is deemed necessary from the results of the investigation under paragraph (1), make necessary recommendation or request on matters concerning the prevention of industrial accidents to the employer who submitted the notification.
• (4) The Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare shall, in making recommendation or request under the preceding paragraph, in advance hear the opinion of the employer who submitted the said notification.
• (5) The person with relevant knowledge and experience who were asked their opinions on the plan referred to in paragraph (1) under the provisions of paragraph (2) must not disclose the confidential information they have learned in connection with the said plan.
Article 89-2. (Investigation by the Director of the Prefectural Labor Bureau)
• (1) The Director of the Prefectural Labor Bureau may investigate the plan which is prescribed as the one pursuant to those requiring the advanced technical investigation in paragraph (1) of preceding Article by taking into account buildings or machines, etc., or scale of work and other matters in the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, among plans notified under the provisions of paragraph (1) of Article 88 (including case applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (2)of same Article) or paragraph (4). However, as provided for by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, said investigation shall not be carried out where it is deemed that said plans have undergone a technical inspection equivalent to said investigation.
• (2) The provisions of paragraphs (2) to (5) of the preceding Article shall apply mutatis mutandis to the investigations provided for in the preceding paragraph.
Article 90. (Chief of Labor Standards Office and Labor Standards Inspector)
• The Chief of the Labor Standards Office and the Labor Standards Inspector shall be in charge of the business concerning the enforcement of this Act as provided for by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Article 91. (Authority of Labor Standards Inspector)
• (1) The Labor Standards Inspector may, when he/she finds it necessary, in order to enforce this Act, to enter workplaces, question persons concerned, inspect books, documents and other articles or conduct the working environment measurement, or collect without compensation samples of the products, raw materials or implements to the extent necessary for the inspection.
• (2) The Labor Standards Inspector who is a physician may conduct medical examination on workers who seem to have contracted a disease referred to in Article 68.
• (3) In a case that falls under the preceding two paragraphs, the Labor Standards Inspector shall carry an identification card certifying his or her status and show it to the persons concerned.
• (4) The power of spot inspection under the provisions of paragraph (1) shall not be interpreted as authorization for the purpose of criminal investigation.
Article 92.
• With regard to the crime of violation of this Act, the Labor Standards Inspector is authorized to perform the judicial police officers' duty prescribed in the Criminal Procedure Act (Act No. 131 of 1948).