Georgia’s Labour Inspection Service documented 1,847 workplace accidents in 2023. With fewer than 5% of workplaces inspected, the official figure understates the true incidence significantly.
The Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons, Labour, Health and Social Affairs (MLHSA) published the 2023 Labour Inspection annual report in March 2024, disclosing that the Labour Inspection Service documented 1,847 workplace accidents over the course of the year, including 42 fatalities. The report also disclosed that the service conducted 4,247 inspections in 2023, representing less than 2.5 percent of the estimated 180,000 registered employers in Georgia.
Labour safety experts and trade union representatives have noted that the official accident statistics almost certainly understate the actual incidence of workplace injury. The documentation of a workplace accident in Georgia requires that it be reported to the Labour Inspection Service by the employer, reported by the injured worker, or discovered during an inspection. Given the low inspection rate and the frequent informal employment status of workers in high-risk sectors, systematic underreporting is an expected feature of the reporting system rather than an anomaly.
The construction sector accounts for approximately 34 percent of documented fatal accidents — a proportion that significantly exceeds the sector’s share of employment. The mining sector, concentrated in Chiatura (manganese) and the Tkibuli coal basin, accounts for 18 percent of fatalities, reflecting the historically hazardous conditions in those facilities. Agricultural fatalities — primarily related to farm machinery and falls — are likely to be the most undercounted category, as agricultural workplaces are rarely inspected and workers are typically in informal employment.
GTUC has called for a substantial increase in Labour Inspection staffing, from the current complement to a minimum of 400 inspectors — a level that would still leave Georgia below the ILO recommended minimum of one inspector per 10,000 workers but would represent a significant improvement in coverage. GEA has supported increased inspection in principle while opposing what it describes as “punitive” fine levels for first-time violations, arguing for a compliance-assistance model before enforcement for minor technical infractions.
GILS Note: This reporting is directly relevant to GILS analysis on OSH law implementation. The gap between the documented 1,847 accidents and the likely true incidence — which GILS estimates at a minimum of 15,000–25,000 workplace injuries per year based on population-adjusted comparisons with countries of similar industrial structure — represents a significant public health failure. For full context on Georgia’s OSH legal framework and its implementation gaps, see the Law on Occupational Safety and Health analysis.
Read the full GILS analysis: https://labour.edu.ge/law-occupational-safety/