Labor safety law applies to all areas of economic activity from September

The tightened Labor Safety law entered into force from September which means that labor safety will apply to all fields of economic activity and all kinds of organizations in the country.

Under the tightened law, the employer is obliged to appoint or invite a certified labor security specialist to their company in order to comply with labor safety standards.

More precisely, the Labor Inspectorate informs that if an employer has 20 or fewer employees they can personally perform the duties of a labor security specialist.

But if an employer has from 20 to 100 employees, he or she has to have at least one labor security specialist. Moreover, if the employer has 100 or more workers, the company needs to have at least two labor security specialists at the workplace.

In addition to these requirements, the labor security specialist must have undergone a relevant accreditation program.

Moreover, the carried-out amendments extended the powers of the labor inspectors, who now are entitled to inspect any workplace subject at any time without prior notice. Before the changes, the labor inspectors were allowed to enter the enterprise, request documents, suspend the operation of the enterprise, seal the property, examine the enterprise and check the quality of the goods produced, only if they had an order issued by a judge.

However, from September 2019, the labor Inspector has the authority to check any workspace subject to inspection, at any time of day or night, to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the labor safety norms.

In case of discovery of violations, the inspectorate will be authorized to warn, fine or suspend the activity of the enterprise. Fines were increased from 100 GEL to 50,000 GEL. The sanctions are categorized into three types and will depend on the size of an enterprise. The companies will also be given time for the elimination of the violations.

Under the same law, the employee is entitled, among other things, to claim and receive compensation for injuries received at the workplace, including injuries resulting from occupational illness.

The main goal of the changes is to define the main requirements of labor safety and general principles of preventive measures in the workplace.