Occupational safety International framework and country guides
What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Egypt?
Part of: Occupational safety and health in Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties
Short answer
Breaching the OSH articles of Egypt's Labour Law 2025 is punished by a fine of EGP 5,000 to 100,000, doubled for a repeat (Art. 296). Obstructing inspectors costs EGP 5,000 to 20,000, and imminent danger can lead to closure or a machine stop.
Breaking the occupational safety and health (OSH) provisions of Book Four of the Labour Law issued by Law No. 14 of 2025 is punished by a fine of EGP 5,000 to 100,000, doubled for a repeat offence (Article 296). Obstructing inspectors is fined EGP 5,000 to 20,000 (Article 297), the authority can close a site or stop a machine when there is imminent danger, and harsher penalties in the Penal Code still apply, for example after a fatal accident.
Short answer
- OSH breaches: fine EGP 5,000 to 100,000, doubled on repetition (Art. 296). This covers the hazard-control duties, risk assessment and emergency plans, OSH units and committees, reporting, training licences, medical examinations, PPE and training, daily inspections, first aid and welfare (Arts. 245 to 255, 259 to 262, 266 to 272).
- Obstruction: failing to facilitate inspection, provide documents or answer a summons: EGP 5,000 to 20,000, doubled on repetition (Arts. 277, 278 and 297).
- Administrative closure: in imminent danger the authority must order full or partial closure or the stopping of machines until the danger is removed; wages continue (Arts. 253 and 257).
- Managers: the person in actual management of a company receives the same penalty if he knew of the breach and his failure contributed; the company is jointly liable for fines and compensation (Art. 298).
- Criminal law: any harsher penalty in the Penal Code or another law applies (Art. 280).
- Year: the amounts are written into the 2025 law (in force since 1 September 2025); the penalty articles contain no yearly re-valuation mechanism, so they change only if the law is amended.
The penalty articles of Book Five
| Breach | Article of the 2025 law | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Physical, engineering, biological, chemical, indirect and fire risks, confined spaces, risk and disaster analysis, emergency plans (Arts. 246 to 253) | 296, para. 2 | EGP 5,000 to 100,000 |
| Compliance offices (Art. 245), harassment-free workplace (Art. 254), safety limits and precautions set by decree under Art. 255 | 296, para. 1 | EGP 5,000 to 100,000 |
| OSH units and committees, statistics and 24-hour reporting, training and consultancy licences (Arts. 259 to 262) | 296, para. 1 | EGP 5,000 to 100,000 |
| Medical examinations, first aid, nurse and doctor, transport, food and housing, social services (Arts. 266, 270 to 272) | 296, para. 1 | EGP 5,000 to 100,000 |
| Worker training and PPE, worker duties, daily inspections and periodic examinations (Arts. 267 to 269) | 296, para. 2 | EGP 5,000 to 100,000 |
| Obstructing inspection, ignoring a summons (Arts. 277, 278) | 297 | EGP 5,000 to 20,000 |
All of these are doubled for a repeat offence. Unlike several other penalty articles of the law, Article 296 does not multiply the fine by the number of workers affected.
Note: Article 254, first paragraph (a workplace free of harassment, bullying and violence), is also listed in Article 288, which sets EGP 500 to 5,000 multiplied by the number of workers affected. Which article a court applies to a given case is for the court; check both when assessing exposure.
Article 296 punishes "whoever" breaches the listed articles. Because Article 268 (worker duties: use protective equipment, follow instructions, do not misuse safety devices) is among them, a worker who breaches it can also be fined.
Closure, stoppage and direct action
Two articles give the authority powers without a court case:
- If an establishment fails to carry out its risk assessment and emergency duties within the deadlines set and this creates imminent danger, the authority must order full or partial closure, or stop one or more machines, until the danger is removed (Art. 253).
- On a report of the OSH inspectorate showing imminent danger to the establishment, workers, visitors or the work environment, the authority must order closure or stoppage, may remove the danger by direct action at the establishment's cost, and must lift the order as soon as the danger is gone (Art. 257).
Workers keep their right to wages during closure or stoppage.
Example: An inspector finds an unguarded press and no emergency plan at a 70-worker factory. The authority orders the press stopped until guarded. The breaches of Articles 247 and 253 are referred for prosecution and the court may fine the company between EGP 5,000 and 100,000; if the factory is convicted again later, the range doubles to EGP 10,000 to 200,000. The managing director can be punished personally if he knew and his failure contributed (Art. 298).
Liability beyond fines
Article 280 keeps any heavier penalty in the Penal Code or another law. A death or injury caused by negligence can therefore lead to criminal prosecution of the responsible persons, and the injured worker or family may claim compensation. Social insurance benefits for work injuries are governed by Law No. 148 of 2019.
Related on excodex
- Occupational safety and health in Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties
- What is the main OSH law in Egypt and who enforces it?
- How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in Egypt?
Standards and further reading
- Law No. 14 of 2025 issuing the Labour Law, Official Gazette No. 18 (supplement), 3 May 2025, Articles 253, 257, 268, 277, 278, 280 and 296 to 298: https://manshurat.org/content/qnwn-lml-ljdyd-rqm-14-lsn-2025
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 Egypt: law, authorities and employer duties