What I need from occupational safety and fire protection when opening a company or trade

27. October 2020.

I am opening a company/business - what do I need for occupational safety/fire protection (hereafter referred to as OS/FP) - is one of the most frequently asked questions that troubles future owners.

Before I give you the answer, I would like to sincerely and wholeheartedly congratulate you on deciding to venture into the entrepreneurial waters! I truly believe that we need more people who are ready to take on challenges and do not shy away from the responsibility of finding their own business path. I hope you will succeed in your endeavor and that you will successfully tackle all the challenges you encounter.

One of the challenges that every entrepreneur faces at the very start is certainly the sea of laws, rules, and regulations that you did not have to think about as an employee. Some give up at this point because it is not easy to be an owner or director, accountant, economist, marketing expert, and occupational safety expert all at the same time. It is too much bureaucracy for one person. I can't help with everything, but I can answer the question in the title. The question what do I need for occupational safety / fire protection when opening a company/business actually has a very simple answer: It depends. Yes, now I seem smart because that answer doesn't help you at all since the occupational safety law has many things causally linked, so I'll expand it a bit by asking you two questions:

Will you have a business premises? Will you be the only one working in the business entity or will you be employing other people?

If you will have a business premises, you need to conduct electrical installation testing (for insulation resistance and indirect contact), and you need to obtain one or more fire extinguishers (the quantity depends on the area and purpose of the space). If you are hiring employees from the start, you fall into the category of an employer and are a full-fledged obligor of the Occupational Safety Act / Fire Protection Act. You can read more about these obligations in the article: Hiring my first employee - what do I need according to the Occupational Safety Act / Fire Protection Act? Which you can find on our website (*article will be published on 10/11/20', we will post the link here upon publication).

To summarize;

You are an entrepreneur, have no employees, and no business premises? You do not need anything from the OS and FP field. Example: You have opened a company, drive a taxi, and work alone. The vehicle has passed technical inspection, and you have a driver's license – that is all you need because you do not perform activities in a space under your control, and the vehicle is regulated by traffic laws.
You are an entrepreneur, have no employees, and have business premises? Electrical installation testing is required, and adequate fire extinguishers must be obtained (depending on the area and purpose of the space).
You are an entrepreneur, have employees, and have business premises? Everything you have read above applies to all business entities (LLC, sole proprietorship, etc.). Likewise, if you use the space, it does not matter if you own the space or rent it; what matters is that it is a space you use for your business purposes. I hope this text has helped you breathe easier regarding this question. If you need additional clarifications, feel free to contact me; my details are at the bottom of the page, Branimir.