Capítulo VII. Vigilancia en el cumplimientio de la ley

The inspection and social visitation department of the Institute must watch that employers and insured persons comply with the prescriptions of this law and of its regulations, and its members have the obligations and powers that are expressed below:

a). They may visit the workplaces of whatever nature, at different hours of the day and even of the night, if the work is performed during the latter, with the exclusive purpose of watching over what the preceding paragraph expresses;

b). They may review accounting books, wage books, payrolls, proofs of payment and any other documents that effectively help them to perform their task;

c). Whenever they encounter unjustified resistance they must report what happened to the corresponding labor and social welfare court and, in special cases, in which their action must be immediate, they may request, under their responsibility, the aid of the authorities or police agents, with the sole purpose that they not be prevented from fulfilling their duties;

d). They may examine the hygienic conditions of the workplaces and the conditions of personal safety that these offer to the workers and, very particularly, they must watch that all the provisions in force on prevention of occupational accidents and personal diseases are complied with;

e). They enjoy telegraphic franking when they must communicate, in urgent cases and in matters proper to their office, with their superiors, with the police authorities or with the labor and social welfare courts;

f). The records that they draw up and the reports that they render in matters within their powers have full validity as long as their inaccuracy, falsity or partiality is not evidently demonstrated; and,

g). Whenever they disclose the data that they obtain by reason of the inspections; reveal industrial or commercial secrets of which they have knowledge by reason of their task; enter false facts in the records that they draw up or in the reports that they render; accept gifts from the employers or from the insured persons; exceed the limits in the performance of their functions or in some other form seriously violate the duties proper to their office, they must be dismissed, without prejudice to the other criminal, civil or other liabilities that correspond to them.

Every person may report to the inspectors or to the social visitors any infraction that the employers or the insured persons commit against this law or its regulations.