Safety in agriculture

Overview

Agriculture, forestry and fishing employed about 218,300 people in Georgia in 2025, 15.7% of all employment and more than any other sector (Geostat). Yet agriculture does not appear among the five sectors with the most recorded deaths and injuries in 2019–2023 (Fair Labour Platform data). Worldwide the picture is the reverse: the ILO estimates that one in three fatal occupational injuries occurs among agricultural workers (ILO, 2023). The gap between Georgia's agricultural employment and its recorded accidents reflects the informal, self-employed character of farm work and the limits of inspection in the sector, not its safety.

Key figures

Employment

Most agricultural work in Georgia is on family holdings: own-account and contributing family workers made up 384,500 of the 1,389,700 employed in 2025 across all sectors (Geostat), and the ILO finds informality concentrated in agriculture, micro-enterprises and construction (Pignatti, 2026).

Hazards and standards

• Machinery, animals, pesticides, falls, heat and long hours are the hazards addressed by ILO Convention No. 184 and Recommendation No. 192.
• Labour inspection in agriculture is the subject of Convention No. 129; Georgia has ratified neither No. 81 nor No. 129.
• The Organic Law on Occupational Safety applies to employers; self-employed farmers and family workers fall largely outside its practical reach.
• Heat exposure in field work is rising with climate change; see Heat and climate.

What employers must do

The duties below summarise what Georgian law requires and what the EU and ILO benchmarks add; "benchmark" marks instruments Georgia has not yet adopted. For a full self-assessment with an action plan, use the GILS Risk Assessment Checklist.

• Where workers are employed, designate a safety specialist and assess risks from machinery, animals, pesticides, heat and manual handling
  Basis: Organic Law on Occupational Safety (2019); ILO Convention No. 184 (benchmark)
• Keep pesticides in original labelled containers, follow safety data sheets, provide protective equipment and washing facilities
  Basis: ILO Convention No. 170 (benchmark); International Chemical Safety Cards
• Guard machinery and power take-off shafts; train and authorise tractor and machinery operators
  Basis: ILO Convention No. 119 (benchmark)
• Plan heavy work for cooler hours in summer; provide water, shade and rest
  Basis: ILO (2024) heat guidance; Organic Law on Occupational Safety (2019) (general duty)
• Do not employ children under 16, and no one under 18 in hazardous work
  Basis: Labour Code of Georgia; ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182, ratified
• Keep first-aid supplies and a means of calling help in the field
  Basis: Organic Law on Occupational Safety (2019)

This summary is general information, not legal advice; the written risk assessment and the accredited safety specialist remain the legal requirements under the Organic Law on Occupational Safety.

Sources

• Geostat (2026). Employment by economic activity; employment status. www.geostat.ge
• ILO (2023). Nearly 3 million people die of work-related accidents and diseases. www.ilo.org
• Georgia Fair Labour Platform (2024). Workplace Death & Injury Statistics (archived copy). web.archive.org
• Pignatti, C. (2026). Recent trends on informal employment in Georgia. ILO Working Paper 159. doi.org
• Eurostat. Fatal accidents at work by NACE activity (hsw_n2_02). ec.europa.eu

Figures are from the GILS Evidence Register and the official sources shown. GILS is independent of government, trade unions, employers' organisations and the ILO.

In this section

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