What is the main occupational safety and health law in Azerbaijan and who enforces it?

The main occupational safety and health (OSH) law in Azerbaijan is Part IX "Labour protection" (Əməyin mühafizəsi) of the Labour Code of 1999, Articles 207 to 239. It is enforced by the State Labour Inspection Service under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, while the Ministry of Emergency Situations supervises technical safety at hazard-potential facilities and mines under the 1999 Law on Technical Safety.

Short answer

• No separate OSH act. The Law on Labour Protection of 29 September 1992 is repealed; OSH duties sit in the Labour Code (Əmək Məcəlləsi). The main recent changes came from Law No. 332-VIIQD of 30 December 2025 (in force 16 January 2026); Law No. 394-VIIQD of 27 April 2026 (in force 19 May 2026) added narcological examinations to Art. 226.
• Labour inspectorate: the State Labour Inspection Service (Dövlət Əmək Müfəttişliyi Xidməti) controls compliance, chairs accident investigations and can stop dangerous work.
• Emergency ministry: its State Agency for Control of Safe Work in Industry and Mining supervises hazard-potential facilities (oil and gas, chemicals, lifting and pressure equipment, mining) under Law No. 733-IQ of 2 November 1999.
• Trade unions and worker representatives exercise public control (Labour Code Arts. 236 and 237).
• Inspection moratorium: most inspections of businesses are suspended until 1 January 2027, with exceptions that include hazard-potential facilities; legal duties still apply.

What the Labour Code requires

Part IX applies to every employer and to all workplaces, including those of foreign companies. Its key articles are:

Detailed rules are in Cabinet of Ministers decisions, such as Decision No. 27 of 28 February 2000 on accident investigation and Decision No. 38 of 6 March 2000 on attestation of workplaces, and in ministry regulations on training.

Who enforces what

State Labour Inspection Service. It is part of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population and works through a head office, regional divisions and labour protection laboratories. Under Art. 235 its decisions are binding and can be appealed to a higher authority or a court. It also issues the certificate-passport needed before a new or rebuilt enterprise or production facility goes into operation (Art. 218.5) and must agree to any reorganisation or abolition of an employer's OSH service (Art. 223.5). Offences are punished under the Code of Administrative Offences.

Ministry of Emergency Situations. Its agency (Sənayedə İşlərin Təhlükəsiz Görülməsi və Dağ-Mədən Nəzarəti Dövlət Agentliyi) keeps the register of hazard-potential facilities, receives technical safety declarations, approves technical safety expertise, organises certification of technical devices used at such facilities, and forms the special commission for the technical investigation of accidents there. Its statute was approved by Presidential Decree No. 695 of 28 December 2007.

Trade unions. Union representatives and persons authorised by the workforce may inspect workplaces, demand that breaches be removed, take part in accident investigations and ask the inspectorate to suspend dangerous work (Arts. 236 and 237).

What this means for a new employer or contractor

Example: A foreign engineering contractor opens a site office in Baku with 70 local and expatriate employees. It falls under the Labour Code from the first day: it needs an OSH service with an OSH engineer (more than 50 workers), employment contracts must contain the employer's commitment to safe conditions, workers must be instructed before starting, and any accident must be reported to the regional labour inspection division the same day. If the site is inside a refinery or gas plant, the operator's facility is a hazard-potential facility and the emergency ministry's rules and supervision also apply.

Common mistakes

• Searching for a "Law on Labour Protection" in force: it was repealed, and the Labour Code took its place.
• Dealing only with the labour inspectorate at an oil, gas or chemical site: technical safety there falls under the emergency ministry.
• Relying on an unofficial English translation: only the Azerbaijani text on e-qanun.az is binding.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Azerbaijan: law, authorities and employer duties
• Penalties for breaking OSH rules in Azerbaijan
• Safety professional and physician requirements in Azerbaijan
• Major-hazard chemical sites in Azerbaijan

Standards and further reading

• Labour Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Part IX, Arts. 207 to 239: https://e-qanun.az/framework/46943
• Law No. 332-VIIQD of 30 December 2025 amending the Labour Code: https://e-qanun.az/framework/61202
• Law No. 394-VIIQD of 27 April 2026 amending the Labour Code (Arts. 48, 74 and 226): https://e-qanun.az/framework/61866
• Law on Labour Protection of 29 September 1992 (status: repealed): https://e-qanun.az/framework/7913
• Law on Technical Safety No. 733-IQ of 2 November 1999: https://e-qanun.az/framework/21
• Statute of the State Agency for Control of Safe Work in Industry and Mining (Decree No. 695, 2007): https://e-qanun.az/framework/14328
• Law No. 1410-IVQ on suspension of inspections: https://e-qanun.az/framework/31093 and Law No. 348-VIIQD: https://e-qanun.az/framework/61328
• State Labour Inspection Service: https://sosial.gov.az/en/ministry/state-labour-inspection-service

This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.