Investigation & remediation · Definitions
Libera concepts, defined
Libera Europe uses a small set of product terms — Worker Access Verification, Evidence Chain, Due Diligence Passport, structural risk and worker-originated signals — to describe how forced labour risk moves from an indicator to a human decision and a dated record. These are Libera terms, not ILO or EU legal standards.
Each definition below is written to stand on its own, states what the concept does not establish, and links to the method behind it. Where a legal or ILO term is relevant, it is named separately so the two are not confused.
Published by Libera Europe · Last reviewed 5 October 2026
In brief
- A risk indicator in Libera is a prompt for human review, never a finding that forced labour occurred.
- Structural risk comes from external data about countries, sectors and labour models; worker-originated signals come from the people at the site.
- The Evidence Chain shows which links between indicator, evidence, decision, action and verification exist — and which are missing.
- The Due Diligence Passport is a chronological record for one site. It never labels a site safe, certified or compliant.
- Claimed remediation and verified effectiveness are recorded as different states.
From risk indicator to evidence
In Libera, forced labour risk follows one sequence: risk indicator → human review → investigation → action → evidence. Software produces and groups indicators; a named person decides whether to investigate; the investigation and any remediation are recorded with owners and dates; and verification is recorded separately from completion.
| Stage | Produced by | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Risk indicator | Screening data and grouped worker signals | A finding or accusation |
| Human review | A designated reviewer | An automated score threshold |
| Investigation | The customer's team, recorded as a case | Proof that forced labour occurred |
| Action | Remediation tasks with owners and due dates | Evidence that the problem is resolved |
| Evidence | Documents, decisions and verification notes in the case file | A legal determination |
Structural risk versus worker-originated signals
Structural risk is the forced labour risk suggested by external context — country, sector, labour-provider model, public lists — before anyone at the site has said anything. Worker-originated signals are concerns raised by workers through a confidential channel, mapped to ILO indicators and grouped per site, supplier and labour provider.
| Structural risk | Worker-originated signals | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | Where should we look first? | What are people at this site experiencing? |
| Source | Public datasets and supplier data | Workers at the site |
| Typical blind spot | Cannot see a specific site's conditions | Silent when access is unknown or trust is low |
| In Libera | Scoring methodology | Worker reporting |
Evidence Chain
The Evidence Chain is Libera's view of a case file that links indicator, evidence reviewed, investigation step, assessment, remediation action and verification, and marks each link as complete, partial or missing. Its purpose is to make missing links visible — for example a completed remediation task that was never verified.
A dated Evidence Chain can show what was known, what was done and when. It cannot prove that forced labour did or did not occur, that the evidence collected was complete, or that a regulator will accept it. Evidence events are append-only and tamper-evident, not cryptographically sealed.
Claimed remediation versus verified effectiveness
Libera records remediation effectiveness as a category — unverified, partially verified, verified effective or ongoing monitoring — derived from verification notes, access status and whether related worker signals recurred after remediation. A completed task is never, on its own, treated as a resolved issue.
Due Diligence Passport
The Due Diligence Passport is a chronological, factual record for one supplier site: risk screening, worker rollout, Worker Access Verification, grouped signals, investigation, evidence, remediation and effectiveness verification. It documents what was known, which steps were taken and what remains open.
The Due Diligence Passport is audit-supporting documentation. It never labels a site safe, certified or compliant, and it is not a certificate or a legal document.
Worker Access Verification
Worker Access Verification is Libera's method for documenting whether workers at a supplier site can actually access and understand the reporting channel made available to them. See the full definition and limits.
Sources and method
These definitions describe Libera's own product. External sources are listed for the legal and ILO vocabulary the product refers to; they do not define or endorse Libera's terms. This is general information, not legal advice.
- ILO — Indicators of Forced Labour
- OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct
- Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 — EUR-Lex
Libera produces risk indicators as prompts for human review, not findings. It does not determine that forced labour occurred, does not guarantee compliance with any law and is not legal advice.