The new Law on Occupational Safety and Health (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 35/2023, the “Law“) entered into force in 2023, but the deadline for its implementation has been set for May 7, 2025. By that date, all employers are required to align their operations with the provisions of the Law, as monetary penalties are prescribed for non-compliance, which may reach up to one million dinars.
The Law is further elaborated and clarified through a set of by-laws in the field of occupational safety and health, including the following:
1. Rulebook on Preventive Measures for Safe and Healthy Work at Height
The new Rulebook entered into force on April 28, 2025. Its objective is to introduce adequate preventive measures aimed at minimizing potential workplace injuries and health hazards for employees performing tasks at height—such as on scaffolds, trees, vessels, or vehicles.
According to the Rulebook, work at height is defined as any work performed at least two meters above a solid surface, in the absence of adequate protective measures.
Employers are primarily obliged to:
- Provide employees with appropriate equipment for safe work at height;
- Conduct a risk assessment, taking into account unprotected edges or openings, sharp structures, weather conditions, the natural environment of the workplace, surface conditions, etc.;
- Implement preventive measures, including: avoiding unnecessary work at height, providing personal protective equipment, ensuring emergency procedures and resources, and issuing work permits.
2.Rulebook on the Procedure for Inspection and Testing of Work Equipment and Inspection and Testing of Electrical and Lightning Protection Installations and Workplace Environment Conditions
This Rulebook prescribes the engagement of a certified person authorized to carry out preventive inspections of work equipment, as well as electrical and lightning protection installations. Such tasks may only be performed by a licensed individual, who is required to prepare an expert report during inspections.
If it is determined during the inspection that the equipment or installations are unsuitable for ensuring the health and safety of workers, the inspector is obliged to affix a visible label on the defective equipment/installation stating: “DEFECTIVE! USE PROHIBITED!”
This Rulebook also sets out procedures for testing workplace environment conditions, such as testing the microclimate, and identifying chemical, physical, or biological hazards. The results must be presented in an expert report issued by a licensed individual.
The latest amendments to this Rulebook from April 2025 extended the deadline for employers to comply with its provisions until June 1, 2026.
3.Rulebook on the Method and Procedure for Risk Assessment at the Workplace and in the Work Environment
The principle of prevention served as the foundation for the development of this Rulebook, which prescribes the procedure for assessing all factors in the work process and identifying potential threats to employee health and safety.
The assessment process primarily considers the organization of work, work processes, work equipment and tools, all of which are summarized in a Risk Assessment Act, which every employer is required to maintain.
It is of particular importance that the Risk Assessment Act is based on expert findings from licensed individuals—primarily assessments of work environment conditions, safety of work equipment, harmful environmental influences, etc.
The Act must categorize all hazards and harmful influences to health and safety of employees and, based on the risk assessment, prescribe appropriate measures for elimination, prevention, or reduction of risks—such as organizational, technical, medical measures, or employee training.
The latest amendments to this Rulebook from April 2025 extended the deadline for the preparation of the Risk Assessment Act in accordance with the Rulebook until June 1, 2026.
4.Rulebook on the Method of Keeping Records and Deadlines for Retention of Occupational Safety and Health Documentation
This new Rulebook entered into force on April 28, 2025.
It imposes an obligation on employers to maintain regular records, primarily concerning:
- Workplaces with increased risk;
- Occupational injuries;
- Occupational diseases;
- Biological hazards to which employees are exposed;
- Employees exposed to carcinogenic and chemical substances;
- Employees trained for safe and healthy work and for the proper use of personal protective equipment;
- Performed inspections and verifications of work equipment, etc.
Annexes to the Rulebook contain templates for maintaining different types of records. Depending on the type of form, different legal retention periods are prescribed—either 6 or 40 years.
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