Balgarianovinite.com By mid-April 2026, the overall number of workplace accidents has declined, General Labour Inspectorate Executive Director Ekaterina Asenova told BTA on Tuesday. A total of 126 workplace accidents have been reported so far, compared with 157 during the same period in 2025.
Fatal workplace accidents stood at 26, down from 36 in the same period of 2025. A slight decrease has also been recorded in non-traumatic fatal incidents, with 14 cases reported compared with 19 in the corresponding period of 2025, Asenova said.
Statistics show that 90% of workplace accidents could be prevented if occupational safety rules were followed, Asenova also commented on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the International Workers’ Memorial Day, observed on April 28. Workplace accidents are caused by crushing, being trapped, falls from height and being struck by falling objects, she added.
High-risk sectors
As of mid-April 2026, the high-risk sectors remain construction, crop and livestock farming, the manufacture of metal products excluding machinery and equipment, and trade, according to Labour Inspectorate data. Increased inspection activity in construction has had a positive effect, with reported accidents decreasing from 12 by mid-April 2025 to six in April 2026, while no significant change has been observed in the other sectors, Asenova said.
A serious decrease has also been recorded in land transport. In 2025, four workplace accidents, including one fatality, were registered, while in 2026 no accidents have been reported so far, Asenova added.
Responsibility of workers and employers
According to Asenova, April 28 serves as a reminder that excessive self-confidence in performing work without following regulations or using personal protective equipment can sometimes cost human lives. Employers bear full responsibility for ensuring healthy and safe working conditions, she stressed, adding that effective control guarantees compliance with safety measures. “I would like us not to think about safety only today, it should be part of our mindset every day, from the moment we go to work until we return home,” she said.
Role of institutions
The institution competent to recognize and register workplace accidents is the National Social Security Institute. The Labour Inspectorate is required to participate in investigations of fatal workplace accidents, incidents suspected of causing disability, and accidents involving more than three injured persons, Asenova explained. Information campaigns on the rights and obligations of workers and employers also remain important, she said.
Campaigns to ensure compliance with labour legislation across all sectors are planned again in 2026, alongside inspections focusing on high-risk sectors such as construction and agriculture. Since the beginning of the year, inspections have also targeted risks related to work with chemical agents, carcinogens and mutagens, Asenova said. A special measure is also planned for enterprises producing weapons and ammunition due to increased workloads and higher risks of accidents.
The focus will also be placed on young people through a campaign promoting the lawful employment of minors amid an increase to 19,470 work permits issued last year. Young people may work only with authorization from the Labour Inspectorate and under eased conditions, without heavy physical labour or hazardous activities, Asenova recalled. Information campaigns continue, and in October 2025, over five days, they reached 50 educational institutions with the aim of building a culture of safety from an early age. Workplace Accident Numbers Down in First Months of 2026, Says Labour Inspectorate Executive Director 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-28 05:44:56 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law