At least 20-30 people from the construction industry lose their lives each year, said Ognyan Atanasov, Vice President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria. In an interview with BNR, he commented on the tragic incident in Sofia, where one worker died and others were injured due to illegal repairs in a prefabricated reinforced concrete hall.

According to Ognyan Atanasov, there are 350 inspectors in Bulgaria, i.e.1 inspector per 10,000 people, and they cannot monitor everything that happens in the sector. In his words, there are 7,000 construction companies registered with the Bulgarian Construction Chamber. Ognyan Atanasov expects the Bulgarian Construction Chamber to take a stance on these cases. He pointed out that the Health and Safety at Work Act states that the responsibility for ensuring safe working conditions lies with the employer. Ognyan Atanasov added that fines for employers who fail to provide safe working conditions start from 2,000 Leva, and for a second violation, the fine rises to 15,000 Leva. According to him, these penalties should be significantly increased, as well as the compensation paid for work-related accidents.