Bulgaria: Health and safety

Original and updating authors: Kalina Tchakarova and Youliana Naoumova, DGKV

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Summary

• Employers are obliged to provide safe and healthy working conditions, and to ensure health and safety at work, so that any dangers to employees' lives and health are eliminated, restricted or mitigated. (See General)
• Employers have numerous specific statutory health and safety duties, while employees also have various obligations in this area. (See Duties on employers and employees)
• A joint employer-employee working conditions committee or group, with an information and consultation role on health and safety, must be established at all enterprises with five or more employees. (See Safety representatives)
• The Labour Inspectorate within the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy is the main public body responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with health and safety legislation, and has various inspection and enforcement powers. (See Enforcement and penalties)
• Employees are insured under an occupational injury and illness scheme that forms part of the statutory social security system, while employers have civil financial liability for any occupational injury or illness resulting in an employee's permanent loss of working capacity of 50% or more, or death. (See Compensation for occupational injury or illness)