Law on Occupational Safety and Health

Serbia’s Law on Occupational Safety and Health governs measures preventing injury and harm in the working environment. It covers risk assessment, training, equipment, work-related health protection, specialist tasks and inspection. Its practical purpose is to identify and control risk before harm occurs, rather than merely record an accident afterwards.

Employers organise protection within their statutory duties. Employees and other covered people have corresponding rights and duties, including training and proper equipment use. Coverage depends on a person’s status and activity. Particular defence, policing or rescue work may have a special regime. Every provision should not be assumed to apply identically to every workplace or category of person.

Ask for understandable information about a task’s risks, appropriate training and protective equipment. Record unsafe conditions, earlier warnings and the employer’s response. Keep training information and records of any incident. Refusing work is subject to statutory conditions; it is not an unlimited right to reject every work obligation. Immediate danger also requires examination of the particular rules protecting life and health.

Labour inspection supervises application within its jurisdiction. Safety professionals and occupational medicine have different functions. Reporting to inspection does not replace medical treatment or a separate compensation claim. The law interacts with employment, insurance and other liability rules; these should also be examined after an actual injury.

The new law was published in Official Gazette 35/2023 and replaces the earlier law. Transitional provisions set particular compliance periods, including two years for employers’ operations and special licensing and professional rules. Earlier implementing acts remain until replaced where consistent with the new law. The official source is the complete enacted text hosted by the responsible ministry.

This is Avangarda’s editorial information overview, rather than the statutory text or advice for an individual case. This translation is editorial and is not an official translation of Serbian legislation. Check the current official text, special legislation and your documents for a specific situation, and obtain qualified legal assistance where needed.

Helps check prevention, training, equipment and responses to unsafe conditions.

Employers, employees, other statutorily covered persons, safety professionals, occupational health services and inspectors.

For a new task, missing training or equipment, workplace risks and work-related injury.