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

Record the accident in the workplace's special accident register and inform the local labour office (اداره کار و امور اجتماعی) in writing without delay. That is the duty in Article 95, Note 1 of the Labour Law. The law itself sets no hours. Peer-reviewed studies based on Ministry of Labour data and industrial practice describe a period of 72 hours, or three working days, using official forms. Accidents to insured workers are also reported on the Social Security Organization form.

Short answer

• Who: the employer or the responsible manager of the workplace.
• What: every work-related accident goes in the special register, in the format set by the Ministry of Labour.
• To whom: the local labour office of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, and the Social Security Organization (سازمان تأمین اجتماعی) for insured workers.
• When: "promptly, in writing" under the law. Published studies give 72 hours, or three working days, on official forms. Confirm the current form and channel with the local office.
• Then: labour inspectors, and often Social Security Organization teams, investigate serious accidents. The employer keeps the register available for inspectors (Article 98).
• Occupational disease: when the medical board finds an occupational disease or a risk of one, the worker must be moved to suitable work without loss of pay and the Ministry of Labour re-inspects the workplace (Article 92, Notes 1 and 2).

What the law says and where the 72 hours come from

Article 95, Note 1 obliges the employer or the responsible managers to record all work accidents in a special register whose format the Ministry of Labour announces. They must then inform the local labour office promptly and in writing. The Persian text uses the word "سریعاً", meaning quickly, and does not give a number of hours.

A 2015 study in the Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal used the accident database of the Ministry of Labour's inspection department. It states that employers must report accidents within three working days, or 72 hours, to the local branch of the ministry on special forms and checklists. Ministry experts then visit and investigate before recording the data. A 2025 study in BMC Public Health also states that Iranian OSH regulations require reporting to the Ministry of Labour or the Social Security Organization within 72 hours. It adds that it is unclear in practice which incidents must be reported, to whom and by whom. The implementing instruction behind the 72 hours could not be opened for this answer. The safe course is to report at once and never later than 72 hours.

Iran has also ratified the 2002 Protocol to ILO Convention No. 155, in force for Iran since 7 February 2024. The Protocol deals with the recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases, and the ILO describes it as recognising data collection and analysis as a key step towards prevention. Check the current national form and deadline with the local labour office.

Step by step after an accident

1. Make safe and give first aid. Call emergency services for serious injuries, stop the hazard and keep the scene as it is for the investigators.
2. Record it. Enter the accident in the special register the same day, with the date, time, place, injured person, injury, witnesses and immediate cause.
3. Notify in writing. Send written notice to the local labour office using its current form, and complete the Social Security Organization accident form for an insured worker.
4. Cooperate with the investigation. Labour inspectors may enter without notice, inspect registers and take copies (Article 98). Refusing information is an offence under Article 179.
5. Investigate internally. Review the root cause in the technical protection and occupational health committee, where there is one, and record the corrective actions.

Why prompt reporting matters

Under Article 95 the employer is criminally and civilly liable if an accident follows a breach of the safety rules. Accurate, prompt records help show what really happened and what means and training were provided, which is the Article 95, Note 2 defence. For insured workers, the Social Security Organization handles work injury benefits and can investigate whether the safety rules were followed.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for the full investigation before notifying. Send the written notice first and add details later.
• Reporting only lost-time injuries internally. The register covers all work accidents; keep near misses in a separate internal log as good practice.
• Relying on a phone call. The law requires written notice; a 2025 study found that many Iranian workplaces still report by telephone.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in Iran: law, authorities and employer duties
• What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in Iran?
• OSH law comparison: appointments and reporting deadlines
• Work accident and occupational disease reporting to SGK in Türkiye

Standards and further reading

• Labour Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1990, Article 95 and Notes: English translation, Iran Data Portal; Persian original (PDF).
• Analysis of occupational accident fatalities and injuries in Iran 2008 to 2012, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 2015: PMC4640057.
• Culture and practice of reporting occupational incidents in Iranian industries, BMC Public Health, 2025: PMC12754953.
• ILO: Iran ratifies C155 and its 2002 Protocol (2023).

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.