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

Immediately. Under Article 114(2) of Iraq's Labour Law No. 37 of 2015, the employer must report incidents, work injuries and occupational diseases to the relevant health authority as soon as they occur and inform the National Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. The law sets no hour or day limit, so treat it as a same-day duty, and check the separate social security and environmental reporting routes.

Short answer

• When: as soon as the accident, injury or disease occurs; no fixed number of hours or days in the law.
• To whom: the competent health authority, and the National Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (المركز الوطني للصحة والسلامة المهنية) must be informed.
• Content: the enterprise and employer, the injured person, the nature of the injury or disease, the workplace and the circumstances; for diseases, the exposure circumstances on the Centre's standard form.
• Social security: work injury benefits run through the workers' social security administration (Retirement and Social Security Law for Workers No. 18 of 2023); confirm its form and deadline.
• Environment: oil and gas exploration and production operators must give the Ministry of Environment the causes of fires, explosions, leaks, wellhead releases and pipeline accidents and the measures taken (Law No. 27 of 2009, Article 21); any enterprise must notify the Ministry of an accidental release of dangerous substances (Article 20).

What the law says

Article 114(2), item 6 of the Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 (قانون العمل رقم 37 لسنة 2015) requires the report of incidents, work-related injuries and occupational diseases "once they occur" to the relevant health authority, with information to the Centre. The notice must identify the enterprise and employer, the injured person, the nature of the injury or disease, the workplace and the circumstances of the accident. For an occupational disease, the health risk exposure circumstances are documented on a standard form of the National Centre for OSH. The Centre prepares an annual report on incidents and injuries in workplaces with more than 50 workers.

The labour inspection directorate also publishes yearly statistics on industrial accidents, occupational diseases and work injuries (Article 133), and inspection committees may examine the employer's records (Article 129).

At a 2022 workshop held with the ILO in Basra, participants called for activating the notification and recording system for accidents and work injuries that the ILO had developed in Iraq, which suggests that reporting channels were not yet fully in use. Ask the National Centre's branch in your governorate how reports are accepted (form, e-mail, in person) and keep proof of submission.

Social security and compensation

For insured workers, the Retirement and Social Security Law for Workers No. 18 of 2023 applies, and the Labour Law refers to it for work injuries (Article 124). We could not open its text, so confirm the employer's notification form and deadline with the social security administration.

For workers who are not insured, Article 124 of the Labour Law applies the work injury rules of the social security law and makes the employer pay the social security administration 50% of the worker's wage for one year where the injury causes partial disability, and 100% for one year where it causes disability or death.

A practical sequence after an accident

1. Give first aid, call medical help and make the area safe.
2. Preserve the scene and evidence as far as safety allows.
3. Report the same day to the health authority and inform the National Centre for OSH; record the time and the person contacted.
4. Notify the social security administration for insured workers, and the Ministry of Environment if dangerous substances were released or, in oil and gas production, if there was a fire, explosion, leak or pipeline accident.
5. Investigate, record root causes and corrective actions, and keep the file for the inspection committee.

Example: A scaffolder falls 4 m on a refinery project and fractures a leg. The contractor's site physician treats him and he is taken to hospital. The same afternoon the contractor reports to the health authority and the local branch of the National Centre for OSH with the employer details, the worker's identity, the injury and how it happened, and informs the client under its contract procedure. The social security file is opened the next working day after confirming the required form.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for a "deadline": the law requires reporting on occurrence.
• Reporting only to the client: the legal recipients are the health authority and the National Centre for OSH.
• Forgetting occupational diseases, which must also be reported, with exposure details.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Iraq: law, authorities and employer duties
• What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Iraq?
• Accident reporting deadlines in Türkiye, the EU, the UK and the US

Standards and further reading

• Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 (قانون العمل رقم 37 لسنة 2015), Articles 114, 124, 129, 133; unofficial English translation: alnoor.edu.iq
• Law No. 27 of 2009 on the Protection and Improvement of the Environment, Articles 20 and 21: faolex.fao.org
• ILO, OSH in the Iraqi oil and gas sector (November 2022): ilo.org
• ILO, Retirement and Social Security Law for Workers No. 18 of 2023 (December 2023): ilo.org

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.