How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Azerbaijan?

On the same day. Under Article 217 of the Labour Code, the employer must report every industrial accident, regardless of severity, to the State Labour Inspection Service on the day it happens. The inspectorate then sets up an investigation commission, and the employer must draw up the accident act (İZ form) no later than one day after the investigation ends and give a copy to the injured worker.

Short answer

• To whom: the local division of the State Labour Inspection Service (or its head office); also the Ministry of Emergency Situations if the injury resulted from an accident at a hazard-potential facility.
• Also informed at the same time: the superior central executive authority (where there is one) and the trade union confederation if the workers are members.
• Insurer: within 3 working days of the accident.
• How: by telephone, telegraph or electronically, using the notice form in Annex 3 of the accident rules; the e-social.gov.az portal has an electronic service for accident reports.
• Investigation: a commission chaired by the inspectorate, normally within 20 days.
• İZ act: within one day after the investigation ends; records kept for 45 years.

Step by step after an accident

1. Immediate response. The injured worker or a witness tells the employer at once (also a worker duty under Art. 216). The employer organises first aid and transport to a medical facility and keeps the scene and equipment as they were at the time of the accident, unless this would endanger others.
2. Same-day notice. The employer notifies the inspectorate, and the emergency ministry where relevant. Hospitals and clinics that treat an injured worker also inform the inspectorate.
3. Commission. The inspectorate forms a commission chaired by its official with representatives of the employer and the trade union; for group accidents or one death, the sector trade union and any superior body join. Accidents with two to four deaths and those with five or more deaths are investigated by a commission formed by order of the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population. At hazard-potential facilities and mines, the emergency ministry also forms a special commission for the technical investigation. The person directly responsible for safety where the accident happened cannot sit on the commission.
4. Investigation. The commission works for 20 days, extendable on a reasoned request. The employer must provide experts, tests, photographs, transport and copies at its own cost. The file includes site plans, witness statements, training and instruction records, the medical opinion and insurance details.
5. İZ act. Within one day after the investigation ends, the employer draws up the İZ form act and gives one copy to the injured worker. Accidents that cause incapacity for work, or transfer to other work on medical advice, for more than one day are recorded with an İZ act and in the accident register. Materials are kept for 45 years.

Worked example

Example: A scaffolder falls on a Baku construction site at 15:40 on Tuesday and is taken to hospital. The site manager phones the regional labour inspection division the same afternoon and sends the written notice before the end of the day. The contractor's insurer is informed by Friday, the third working day. The commission starts on Wednesday and has 20 days; when it signs its findings, the contractor issues the İZ act the next day at the latest. If the scaffolder was employed by a subcontractor, the accident is investigated with that employer's representative and recorded by the employer to which the worker belongs.

What happens if you report late or conceal it

These ranges were set by Law No. 178-VIIQD of 11 April 2025. If a concealed accident comes to light, the inspectorate investigates the reasons and may run the investigation without the employer. A late claim by the worker (an accident that was not reported or did not cause immediate incapacity) is investigated within one month of the worker's application.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for the medical outcome before reporting: the duty applies to every accident, whatever its severity.
• Reporting only to the insurer or to the client: the inspectorate must be told directly.
• Letting the supervisor responsible for the area lead the investigation.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Azerbaijan: law, authorities and employer duties
• Penalties for breaking OSH rules in Azerbaijan
• OSH law compared: reporting deadlines

Standards and further reading

• Labour Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Arts. 216 and 217: https://e-qanun.az/framework/46943
• Cabinet of Ministers Decision No. 27 of 28 February 2000, Rules on investigation and recording of industrial accidents: https://e-qanun.az/framework/232
• Code of Administrative Offences, Art. 555: https://e-qanun.az/framework/46960, as amended by Law No. 178-VIIQD of 11 April 2025: https://e-qanun.az/framework/59769
• Law on Technical Safety, Art. 13 (technical investigation): https://e-qanun.az/framework/21
• Electronic accident report service: https://e-social.gov.az/en/e-services/receipt-and-investigation-of-reports-on-occupational-accidents-55

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.