Safety duties for foreign construction workers in Albania

An employer of foreign construction workers in Albania must train each worker before the first day on site, hold a written risk assessment, supply protective equipment at no cost and keep an accident register. These duties come from Law 10237/2010, last amended by Law 99/2024.

The typical breach

A foreign worker arrives in Albania and starts on site the same day. He has not received the training article 19 requires, and there is no risk assessment on file. During an inspection visit, the labour inspector records both gaps, and the sanction procedure opens under articles 31 to 35 of Law 9634/2006.

Throughout May 2026 the State Labour Inspectorate ran a national awareness and inspection campaign in construction under the slogan Healthy Workplaces. In a notice of 5 June 2026 the inspectorate reported that an ILO training programme had certified all Albanian labour inspectors in safety and health, with a focus on construction and on textiles, clothing, leather and footwear.

The employer's core duties

Article 6(1) of Law 10237/2010 makes the employer responsible for preventing risks, informing and training workers, organising collective and individual protection and equipping the workplace. Several rules carry particular weight on a building site.

For an employer that brings workers in through a subcontractor, article 6(6) applies directly: the main contractor and the subcontractor coordinate prevention and appoint the coordinator, even when the foreign workers are on only one of their payrolls.

Risk assessment and the accident register

Article 9(1)(a) and (b) require a written risk assessment that covers groups exposed to particular risks and sets the protective measures and equipment. Newly arrived workers, who do not yet know the site or the working language, should be addressed explicitly in that document.

Article 9(1)(c) and (ç) require a register of work accidents causing more than 3 working days of temporary incapacity, and a report of those accidents to the authorities. The register covers every worker, whatever the nationality.

Training before the first day

Article 19 sets the training duties.

1. Before starting work, each worker receives safety training (article 19(1)).
2. Training is repeated on new equipment, a changed work process or a transfer to another workplace.
3. Theoretical and practical training takes place during working hours and is paid for by the employer (article 19(3)).
4. The employer runs mandatory theoretical and practical tests (article 19(4)).
5. Labour inspectors may order training adapted to the specific workplace (article 19(5)).

For foreign crews, training delivered in a language the worker understands, with a documented test, is the clearest evidence during an inspection.

Sanctions and the inspection file

Article 43 of Law 10237/2010 provides that breaches which are not criminal offences are sanctioned under articles 31(1), 32, 33 and 35 of Law 9634/2006 on labour inspection. A complete file for each site holds the written risk assessment, the act assigning the protection and prevention service, training and test records for each worker, the list of protective equipment issued and the accident register.

For the general inspection rules, see the guide to labour inspection of foreign workers and the guide to fines for illegal employment of foreign workers. Current construction vacancies are on the job board.