Greece’s Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, Kostas Karagounis, participated in an event organized by the Independent Labor Inspectorate Authority in Thessaloniki, held on the sidelines of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF). The event put workplace health and safety at the forefront of government policy. In his address, the Deputy Minister emphasized that protecting workers’ health and safety is a non-negotiable priority, stressing that the government’s goal is not only to create more jobs, but to ensure those jobs are safe, high-quality, and dignified.
Digital tools for targeted workplace inspections
Karagounis outlined the modernization of the regulatory framework for occupational health and safety through Law 5239/2025, with a strong focus on prevention, scientific documentation, and the use of technology. He noted that the Labor Inspectorate is evolving into a modern prevention institution, leveraging data and cutting-edge tools to provide targeted worker protection and strengthen workplace compliance. He made particular mention of the digitization of the recommendations log used by safety technicians and occupational physicians, stating that this reform will reduce bureaucracy, enhance transparency, and give the Labor Inspectorate a clearer, more comprehensive picture of conditions across workplaces.
New framework for occupational diseases
A central highlight of the Deputy Minister’s address was the strengthening of the institutional framework surrounding occupational diseases. Karagounis announced the introduction of a mandatory reporting obligation for occupational diseases, an updated national registry, and the establishment of scientific criteria for their recognition — with the next step being the issuance of a relevant Joint Ministerial Decision. He underlined that the systematic recording of occupational diseases will both enhance worker protection and inform the design of more effective prevention policies, enabling authorities to identify risks more precisely across different sectors and workplaces. Karagounis also referenced the alignment of Greek legislation with European requirements on protection from hazardous substances, including asbestos, lead, and carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reproductive toxins, as well as efforts to strengthen collaboration between businesses, universities, research centers, and ELINYE (the Hellenic Institute for Occupational Health and Safety), for conducting exposure measurements to harmful agents.
Focus on worker education and first aid
Special emphasis was also placed on making workplace health and safety information accessible to all workers, regardless of language barriers, reading difficulties, or disabilities — ensuring that guidelines and regulations are clearly understood by everyone. Additional focus was given to basic first aid training and strengthening the role of the safety coordinator on technical and construction projects.
Closing his remarks, the Deputy Minister thanked the staff of the Labor Inspectorate for their work, noting that every institutional reform only gains true value through effective implementation on the ground. “Our goal is a system that is more modern, more functional, and more oriented toward the early identification and mitigation of risks — a system in which prevention is not a formal obligation, but our daily challenge and commitment,” Karagounis stated.
The event was also attended by Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Insurance Anna Efthymiou, Deputy Administrator of the Independent Labor Inspectorate Authority Charalampos Vourtzis, General Director of Labor Relations, Health, Safety and Work Integration at the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance Konstantinos Agrapidas, President of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry Loukia Saranti, as well as representatives from various productive and scientific organizations.
