Safe working conditions save lives and money, said Ekaterina Asenova, head of the General Labour Inspectorate (GLI). She made these comments at a meeting for the Sofia branch of the Chamber of Builders in Bulgaria, the GLI press centre reported.
Asenova gave a presentation on health and safety during construction work. She told building firms about the main reasons for injuries in the sector. The talk covered common rule breaks, how to make sites safe, and data from recent inspections.
GLI data shows that falls from heights cause serious accidents in 40% to 50% of cases. Asenova said the most common causes of these accidents are unprotected holes in walls, floors, elevator shafts, roofs, and other parts of buildings.
The building sector is risky not just because of working conditions, but also because of undeclared work. Asenova noted that out of more than 2,600 workers found without contracts across all sectors, over 1,080 work in construction.
The presentation also included ways to stop accidents caused by electric shocks or digging work. Asenova gave advice on how to organize construction sites better.
Data from the first nine months of 2026 shows that labour inspectors carried out over 5,800 checks in the building sector. The GLI reported more than 27,300 breaches of labour law. Nearly 20,000 of these directly affect health and safety at work.