After the cold winter in Bulgaria that caused troubles, summer came and surprised people once again. In July temperatures reached around 40 C and affected the daily activities of citizens. August is also expected to be very hot. A number of Bulgarians have started their summer vacation, others headed for the swimming pools. Those who are still at work prefer the comfort of air conditioning. The General Labour Inspectorate reminded the employers that they should provide safe conditions at the work place.
Heat is especially dangerous to construction workers, farmers, policemen and others. Experts of the General Labour Inspectorate call on employers to adjust the working schedules according to the recommendations for work safety.
Laws in Bulgaria require that temperature at work must not exceed 31 C and that employers provide cold water to the employees. In the spring of 2012 Bulgaria adopted a National Programme on health and work safety. This has been the 4th plan since 2007 and aims at reducing risks at work. The measures are expected to reduce the number of sick leaves, too.
Statistics show that in the period 2009-2011 the number of accidents at work decreased by 12%. Metal production and construction are the most risky sectors with the biggest number of work accidents. During the past year the General Labour Inspectorate ran more than 53,000 checks related to work safety in 38,000 companies. 95% of the companies had a risk assessment, necessary for the effective prevention of accidents.
English version: A. Markov
