TBILISI, October 27 – Workplace safety incidents in Georgia remain alarmingly high compared to the European Union average, according to a new report by the State Audit Office, which warns that while fatal accidents have declined, the overall number of workplace incidents has risen.
The report, covering the years 2021 to 2023, found that the most dangerous sectors continue to be manufacturing, construction, and trade. It cites International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates showing that nearly three million people worldwide die each year from work-related accidents or occupational diseases, generating global economic losses of EUR 2.68 trillion annually, including EUR 476 billion in Europe alone.
Georgia’s own safety data, auditors said, remains incomplete due to years of deregulation that effectively suspended workplace supervision between 2006 and 2015. During that period, no official oversight of labor safety was carried out, which “hindered the development of a culture of occupational safety,” the report states.
In the past few years, however, Georgia has taken major steps to rebuild its inspection mechanisms, particularly under commitments made through its EU Association Agreement. The government has created new formal and institutional frameworks for labor safety, partially aligned national laws with EU directives, and increased the Labor Inspection Service’s budget from 4 million to 7 million lari between 2021 and 2024.
The improvements have helped reduce the number of deadly workplace accidents, but nonfatal incidents have risen sharply. Data in the report show that fatal cases fell from 59 in 2018 to 34 in 2023, while nonfatal cases climbed from 199 to 347 over the same period.
Auditors attributed this partly to better reporting and expanded monitoring. Still, Georgia’s rate of both fatal and nonfatal workplace accidents per 100,000 employees remains above the EU average, indicating that enforcement and safety standards are still catching up.
The audit covered the Labor Inspection Service under the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Social Affairs, noting that the country’s labor safety system “is still in its early stages.” It called for continued investment in data collection, updated safety standards, and public awareness to ensure the reforms lead to lasting improvements.
