Working in Spain: Occupational Risks

This activity seeks to promote improvements in working conditions so as to raise the level of protection of workers' health and safety. The objective is achieved by means of a series of actions to be carried out by:

• Employers
• Workers
• Public administrations

The obligations of each of these groups must be fulfilled and the respective rights exercised in order to improve the level of health and safety of workers.

Employer's Occupational Risk Prevention Action

Employers must guarantee the health and safety of their workers in all work-related aspects, to which end they must:

• Prevent risks
• Assess risks
• Plan and apply preventive action

Workers' Participation in Occupational Risk Prevention

Workers' participation in connection with matters that affect occupational safety and health is based on the current system of collective representation. They are assigned to:

• Prevention representatives
• Safety and Health committees

All this is without prejudice to the possibilities the law grants to collective bargaining to coordinate in a different way the tools for workers' participation, including on the basis of establishing areas of activity different from those particular to the place of work.

Action of the Social and Employment Authorities

In this area, the Ministry for Employment and Social Affairs and the Autonomous Communities develop a range of actions, the purpose of which is to prevent industrial accidents and occupational diseases and to stimulate and develop the knowledge and activities of employers and employees as regards occupational risks and their consequences.

Prevention activity is developed by means of the following actions or measures:

• Drafting of regulations
• Supervisory and monitoring action
• Application of penalties
• Prevention promotion activities

Text last edited on: 06/2005

Source: European Union
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Reproduction is authorised.