Occupational safety International framework and country guides
What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Uzbekistan?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Uzbekistan: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
Officials who break OSH law are fined 5 to 10 base calculation amounts (2.2 to 4.4 million sum in 2026), more for repeats. If a breach causes serious injury or death, the responsible person faces criminal liability up to 5 years in prison (Criminal Code Art. 257).
Fines and, after serious harm, criminal penalties. An official who breaks labour or OSH law is fined 5 to 10 times the base calculation amount (BCA) under Art. 49 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility, which is 2.2 to 4.4 million sum at the BCA of 440,000 sum in force from 1 September 2026. If a breach of safety rules by the responsible person causes moderately severe or severe injury, Art. 257 of the Criminal Code applies, with up to three years in prison, and up to five years if someone dies.
Short answer
- Administrative fines are imposed on officials (managers responsible for compliance), not as a percentage of turnover.
- BCA: fines are set in multiples of the BCA (bazaviy hisoblash miqdori); Presidential Decree UP-115 of 23 June 2026 set it at 440,000 sum from 1 September 2026.
- Criminal liability applies when a breach by the person responsible for compliance causes moderately severe or severe bodily harm, death or other grave consequences.
- Other measures: state technical labour inspectors can suspend an organisation's activity or the use of equipment, ban non-compliant protective equipment and give binding orders (Law ZRU-410, Art. 28).
- Civil liability: the employer must compensate harm to the worker's health in full (Law ZRU-410, Art. 33).
Fines and sentences
| Breach | Legal basis | Penalty | 2026 amount (BCA 440,000 sum) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breach of labour or OSH law by an official | Code of Administrative Responsibility, Art. 49, part 1 | 5 to 10 BCA | 2,200,000 to 4,400,000 sum |
| Same breach repeated within one year of a penalty | Art. 49, part 2 | 10 to 15 BCA | 4,400,000 to 6,600,000 sum |
| Breach committed against a minor | Art. 49, part 3 | 10 to 20 BCA | 4,400,000 to 8,800,000 sum |
| Employing a minor in work harmful to health, safety or morals | Art. 49-1 | 10 to 20 BCA | 4,400,000 to 8,800,000 sum |
| Not complying with compulsory employer's civil liability insurance | Art. 49-2 | Citizens 7 to 10 BCA, officials 10 to 15 BCA (repeat 10 to 15 and 15 to 30) | Officials 4,400,000 to 6,600,000 sum |
| Industrial safety breach at a facility under the industrial safety authority | Art. 97 | Citizens 1 to 3 BCA, officials 3 to 5 BCA (repeat 3 to 5 and 5 to 10) | Officials 1,320,000 to 2,200,000 sum |
| OSH rule breach by the responsible person causing moderately severe or severe injury | Criminal Code, Art. 257, part 1 | Fine 25 to 50 BCA, or ban on certain posts up to 5 years, or correctional work up to 3 years, or restriction of liberty 1 to 3 years, or prison up to 3 years | Fine 11,000,000 to 22,000,000 sum |
| Same breach causing death or other grave consequences | Art. 257, part 2 | Restriction of liberty 2 to 5 years or prison up to 5 years, with a ban on certain posts | No fine option |
Breaches of mining, construction and blasting safety rules (Art. 258) and of fire safety rules (Art. 259) have their own criminal articles, with the same penalty ranges. The amounts in sum change whenever the BCA is raised, so recalculate at the date of the offence.
Example: An inspector finds that a site manager let an untrained worker operate a crane. The manager may be fined 5 to 10 BCA under Art. 49. If, six months later, the same manager is caught again, the range is 10 to 15 BCA. If the untrained worker had been severely injured because of the breach, the case would go to the investigating authorities under Art. 257 of the Criminal Code.
Compensation and other consequences
Under the Labour Protection Law the employer pays monthly compensation in proportion to the loss of working capacity, a lump sum of at least one year's earnings and additional costs such as treatment and retraining; after a death the dependants get monthly payments and a lump sum of at least six times the worker's average annual earnings (Art. 33). The detailed calculation rules were re-issued with CM Resolution No. 505 of 2026. Compulsory insurance of the employer's civil liability helps fund these payments, but does not remove administrative or criminal liability.
Failing to notify an accident through the electronic system within one day is itself a breach of OSH law under the 2026 accident regulation. Obstructing the State Labour Inspectorate or ignoring its orders is prohibited and leads to liability (Labour Code, Art. 538).
Common mistakes
- Quoting fines without the BCA date. The sum amounts above are valid only from 1 September 2026 until the next change.
- Assuming insurance covers the fine. Fines and criminal penalties are personal to the official.
- Thinking only directors are liable. Liability falls on the person responsible for the rules, often a site or unit manager.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Uzbekistan: law, authorities and employer duties
- What is the main OSH law in Uzbekistan and who enforces it?
- How must a workplace accident be reported in Uzbekistan?
- Labour inspection, suspension of work and fines in Türkiye
Standards and further reading
- Code of Administrative Responsibility of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Arts. 49, 49-1, 49-2 and 97: https://lex.uz/docs/97664
- Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Arts. 257 to 259: https://lex.uz/docs/111453
- Presidential Decree UP-115 of 23 June 2026 "On increasing wages, pensions, stipends and allowances" (BCA 440,000 sum from 1 September 2026): https://lex.uz/ru/docs/8283680
- Law No. ZRU-410 of 22 September 2016 "On Labour Protection", Arts. 28, 33 and 36: https://lex.uz/docs/3031427
- Labour Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2022), Arts. 356 and 538: https://lex.uz/docs/6257288
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.
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Part of: Occupational safety and health in Uzbekistan: law, authorities and employer duties