Guide to Doing Business
in Suriname

Safety standards

Pursuant to article 1614 x of the Suriname Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek), the employer is obliged to do all that is necessary to ensure a safe working environment for his employees. More specific provisions regarding the safety of the work environment of employees can be found in the Safety Act (Veiligheidswet) and secondary regulations derived from the Safety Act.

The manager or the director of a business is, pursuant to the Safety Act, obliged to make sure that his business is compliant with all safety regulations. Supervising personnel are obliged to make sure that the business is safe for the personnel that fall under their supervision.

It is assumed that the head, director or supervisory staff has fulfilled the abovementioned obligation, when they can demonstrate to have taken the necessary measures, provided the necessary means, and held supervision which could be reasonable expected, to ensure compliance with the regulations

Pursuant to the Safety Act, an employee is obligated to strictly follow those regulations and use the safety equipment which is meant for him.

If an employer fails to take the necessary safety measures into account, he must compensate the employee for the damages suffered, unless the damages were caused by force majeur or gross negligence of the employee.