Occupational safety International framework and country guides
What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Kazakhstan?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Kazakhstan: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
Administrative fines under Arts 93 to 96 of the Code of Administrative Offences, in monthly calculation indices (MCI): 20 to 200 MCI by business size, doubled for most repeats; 1 MCI is 4,325 tenge in 2026. Harm through breach of OSH rules is a crime under Criminal Code Art. 156.
Breaches of occupational safety and health (OSH) rules in Kazakhstan are punished mainly by administrative fines under Articles 93 to 96 of the Code of Administrative Offences, expressed in monthly calculation indices (MCI, МРП) and graded by the size of the business: from 20 MCI for a small business up to 200 MCI for a large one, doubled for a repeat within a year under Articles 93, 95 and 96. In 2026 one MCI is 4,325 tenge. Where a breach causes moderate or serious harm or death, the responsible person can be prosecuted under Article 156 of the Criminal Code.
Short answer
- Unit: the MCI, fixed each year by the republican budget law; 4,325 tenge for 2026 (Law on the republican budget for 2026-2028, Article 7).
- Article 93: no OSH service or specialist, medical examinations, PPE and nutrition, training and testing: 20, 30 or 120 MCI; briefings or OSH documents: 40, 60 or 120 MCI.
- Article 94: breach of attestation rules: 20, 35 or 50 MCI.
- Article 95: failure to ensure accident investigation: 60, 100 or 200 MCI.
- Article 96: failure to report an accident on time: 100, 150 or 200 MCI.
- Repeat within a year: double under Articles 93, 95 and 96 (Article 94 has no repeat tier). Criminal Code Article 156: fines, arrest, restriction or deprivation of liberty up to 5 years (7 years for two or more deaths) and disqualification.
Administrative fines in 2026
The table shows the first-offence amounts for small businesses (also officials and non-profit organisations where the article names them), medium and large businesses. Amounts in tenge use the 2026 MCI of 4,325.
| Article and breach | Small / official | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93 parts 1-4: no OSH service or specialist; medical examinations; therapeutic nutrition and PPE; OSH training and knowledge tests | 20 MCI = 86,500 | 30 MCI = 129,750 | 120 MCI = 519,000 |
| 93 part 6: briefings not given (except the introductory one) or OSH documents missing | 40 MCI = 173,000 | 60 MCI = 259,500 | 120 MCI = 519,000 |
| 94: breach of the rules on attestation of production facilities | 20 MCI = 86,500 | 35 MCI = 151,375 | 50 MCI = 216,250 |
| 95: failure to ensure investigation of a work accident | 60 MCI = 259,500 | 100 MCI = 432,500 | 200 MCI = 865,000 |
| 96: failure to report a work accident within the legal time | 100 MCI = 432,500 | 150 MCI = 648,750 | 200 MCI = 865,000 |
Repeat offences within a year after a penalty raise the fines: Article 93 parts 1-4 to 40, 60 and 240 MCI; part 6 to 80, 120 and 240 MCI; Article 95 to 120, 200 and 400 MCI; Article 96 to 200, 300 and 400 MCI (400 MCI is 1,730,000 tenge in 2026).
Product rules carry their own fines. Placing on the market products covered by a technical regulation without the required conformity assessment, for example uncertified Ex equipment or PPE, is fined under Article 415 at 195, 310 or 600 MCI for small, medium and large businesses, with higher amounts and possible confiscation for a repeat.
Criminal liability
Article 156 of the Criminal Code (No. 226-V of 3 July 2014) punishes a breach of safety, industrial hygiene or other labour protection rules by a person responsible for organising or ensuring compliance, where it causes harm through negligence:
| Consequence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Moderate harm to health | fine up to 160 MCI, corrective work, community service up to 160 hours or arrest up to 40 days |
| Serious harm to health | fine up to 200 MCI, corrective work, community service up to 200 hours or arrest up to 50 days, with a ban on certain posts or activities for up to 2 years |
| Death of one person | restriction or deprivation of liberty up to 5 years, with a ban for up to 3 years |
| Death of two or more | restriction or deprivation of liberty up to 7 years, with a ban for up to 4 years |
Criminal liability is personal: it falls on the manager, engineer or supervisor who had the duty to organise or enforce the rules, not on the company.
Other consequences
State labour inspectors issue binding orders and conclusions that the employer must carry out (Labour Code Article 182), and an accident investigation names the people who breached the rules. The employer must also compensate harm to the injured worker, alongside the compulsory accident insurance that every employer must hold; the investigation commission may assign up to 25 % of fault to a worker whose gross negligence contributed to the harm.
Example: A medium-sized construction company has no OSH specialist and its workers' annual OSH exams are overdue. An inspection in 2026 finds both breaches; under Article 93 parts 1 and 4 each can lead to a fine of 30 MCI (129,750 tenge). If the same breaches are found again within a year, each rises to 60 MCI. If a worker then dies in a fall that the site manager failed to prevent through the required measures, the site manager risks prosecution under Article 156 part 3.
Common mistakes
- Quoting amounts in tenge without a year. Fines are set in MCI; recalculate with the MCI of the year of the breach.
- Assuming only the company pays. Officials can be fined under Article 93, and criminal liability is personal.
- Overlooking the reporting fine. Failing to report an accident within 24 hours (Article 96) carries some of the highest first-offence fines.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Kazakhstan: law, authorities and employer duties
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Kazakhstan?
- What is the main occupational safety and health law in Kazakhstan and who enforces it?
Standards and further reading
- Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Administrative Offences No. 235-V of 5 July 2014, Articles 93 to 96 and 415 (as amended by Law No. 155-VIII of 10 January 2025): adilet.zan.kz
- Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 226-V of 3 July 2014, Article 156 (as amended by Law No. 210-VIII of 16 July 2025): adilet.zan.kz
- Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 239-VIII of 8 December 2025 on the republican budget for 2026-2028, Article 7 (MCI of 4,325 tenge from 1 January 2026): adilet.zan.kz
- Labour Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 414-V of 23 November 2015: adilet.zan.kz
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.
More questions on this topic
- What is the main occupational safety and health law in Kazakhstan and who enforces it?
- Must an employer in Kazakhstan appoint a safety professional or an occupational physician?
- Is a written risk assessment mandatory in Kazakhstan, and how often must it be reviewed?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Kazakhstan?
- What OSH training must employers provide to workers in Kazakhstan?
- Are pre-employment and periodic medical examinations required for workers in Kazakhstan?
- Is a safety committee or a worker safety representative required in Kazakhstan?
- How are explosive atmospheres and Ex equipment regulated in Kazakhstan?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Kazakhstan: law, authorities and employer duties