In the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia No. 118 of 26 December 2025, amendments to four rulebooks, as secondary legislation in the field of occupational safety and health were published. These amendments postpone the commencement of their application and the process of employers’ business compliance from 1 January 2026 to 1 July 2026.
The amendments do not alter the normative content of the Rulebooks, but exclusively postpone the deadlines for the application of certain employers’ obligations. Therefore, we take this opportunity to remind employers of the most significant obligations arising from this set of occupational safety and health secondary legislation.
Rulebook on Preventive Measures for Safe and Healthy Work at Height
The employer is required, in particular, to:
- provide employees with appropriate work equipment and personal protective equipment for safe work at height;
- conduct a risk assessment for work at height, taking into account all relevant factors (unprotected edges or openings, structures, weather conditions, natural characteristics of the workplace);
- organize work in such a manner that work at height is avoided whenever possible;
- ensure and implement preventive, organizational and technical measures, including emergency procedures and a work permit system;
- provide training and qualification of employees for safe and healthy work at height.
Rulebook on the Procedure for Inspection and Testing of Work Equipment, Inspection and Testing of Electrical and Lightning Protection Installations, and Testing of Working Environment Conditions
The employer is required to:
- ensure that inspections and testing of work equipment, as well as testing of electrical and lightning protection installations, are carried out exclusively by licensed authorized persons;
- ensure regular testing of working environment conditions (microclimate, physical, chemical and biological hazards);
- act in accordance with the findings of the authorized expert and remove defective equipment or installations from use, with clear and visible marking prohibiting their use;
- retain expert reports and findings as evidence of conducted inspections and testing.
Rulebook on the Method of Keeping Records and Retention Periods in the Field of Occupational Safety and Health
The employer is, in particular, required to:
- prepare and regularly update the Risk Assessment Act for all workplaces and the working environment;
- ensure that the Risk Assessment Act is based on expert findings of authorized persons;
- identify and systematize all hazards and harmful factors and classify them into appropriate risk categories;
- determine and implement specific measures for eliminating, preventing or reducing risks;
- align existing internal acts with the new methodology within the prescribed deadline – the deadline for aligning the Risk Assessment Act has been postponed by the latest amendments to 1 July 2026.
Rulebook on the Method and Procedure of Risk Assessment at the Workplace and in the Working Environment
The employer is required to:
- keep prescribed occupational safety and health records in accordance with the established forms;
- record data on workplaces with increased risk, occupational injuries and occupational diseases;
- keep records on employee training for safe and healthy work and proper use of personal protective equipment;
- record performed inspections and testing of work equipment;
- ensure retention of records for the legally prescribed periods (6 or 40 years, depending on the type of record).
For additional information or consultations, the Tasić & Partners team is at your disposal.