Occupational health and safety in Italy: a practical guide for foreign companies

Foreign companies operating in Italy, or employing workers in an Italian branch, plant, office or worksite, must comply with Italian occupational health and safety legislation. The fact that the parent company is based abroad does not remove the obligation to apply the Italian system where work is carried out in Italy.

The central legal reference is Legislative Decree no. 81/2008, commonly known as the Italian Consolidated Act on health and safety at work. It applies broadly to public and private sectors and establishes the employer’s duties, the company prevention system, risk assessment, training, health surveillance, emergency management and worker consultation.

This guide is designed for international employers, HR teams, HSE/EHS managers, compliance officers and plant managers who need to understand how workplace safety is structured in Italy. It is not a substitute for a legal or technical assessment of a specific company, but it provides a practical overview of the main obligations and the documents that usually appear in Italian safety training and audits.

Key points for companies operating in Italy

1. The Italian legal framework for workplace safety

The Italian system is based on European occupational safety principles and on national implementation rules. At EU level, Council Directive 89/391/EEC introduced the general framework for improving workers’ safety and health, including prevention, information, consultation and employer responsibility.

In Italy, these principles are mainly implemented through Legislative Decree no. 81/2008. For this reason, training courses and compliance documents in Italy frequently refer to specific articles of the decree, such as Article 17 on non-delegable employer duties, Article 18 on employer and manager obligations, Article 28 on risk assessment, Article 37 on training, Article 41 on health surveillance and Article 50 on the role of the workers’ safety representative.

The Italian system is therefore not limited to providing protective equipment or generic training. It requires a structured prevention model, with defined roles, written assessments, documented training, health checks where required and ongoing consultation with worker representatives.

2. Employer duties and non-delegable obligations

The employer is the central figure in the Italian prevention system. Some tasks may be delegated under specific legal conditions, but certain duties remain non-delegable. In particular, the employer must carry out the risk assessment and appoint the Head of the Prevention and Protection Service, known in Italian as RSPP.

For a foreign company, this point is critical. The appointment of a local consultant or service provider does not transfer all legal responsibility away from the employer. The company must ensure that the Italian entity has a clear organisational structure, formal appointments and documented procedures.

In practice, the employer must ensure that risks are assessed, preventive measures are implemented, workers are trained, the competent doctor is appointed when health surveillance is required, emergency procedures are defined and the company’s documentation is kept up to date.

3. Risk assessment and the DVR

The Documento di Valutazione dei Rischi, usually called DVR, is one of the most important documents in the Italian safety system. It is the written risk assessment document required by Legislative Decree 81/2008.

The DVR must identify and assess all risks related to the company’s activities, work organisation, equipment, substances, environments and tasks. Depending on the company, it may include risks related to machinery, manual handling, chemicals, biological agents, noise, vibration, work-related stress, display screen equipment, fire, confined spaces, work at height or other specific hazards.

The DVR is not a generic template. It must reflect the real organisation and activities of the Italian workplace. It must also be updated when significant changes occur, such as new processes, new work equipment, organisational changes, new premises, accidents, near misses or regulatory changes that affect the risk profile.

4. Mandatory training and the 2025 State-Regions Agreement

Training is a core obligation under Article 37 of Legislative Decree 81/2008. The duration, minimum content and rules for many training courses are defined by State-Regions Agreements. The most recent reference is the Agreement of 17 April 2025, published in the Official Gazette on 24 May 2025, which defines minimum duration and content for several health and safety training paths.

In general terms, Italian safety training includes general and specific training for workers, additional training for supervisors, training for managers, training for employers, training for RSPP and ASPP, and specific training or qualification for particular work equipment and high-risk activities. The exact training path depends on the role, risk classification, sector and tasks performed.

For international organisations, one frequent mistake is assuming that corporate global training automatically replaces Italian mandatory training. In many cases, global training may be useful but not sufficient. Italian courses must meet the legal requirements applicable in Italy, including content, duration, verification of learning, records and trainer requirements.

5. The main safety roles in the Italian system

The Italian model is based on several roles that interact with one another. These roles will be analysed in detail in a dedicated dossier, but companies should understand the general structure from the beginning.

The employer is the primary duty holder. Managers and supervisors implement and monitor safety measures according to their organisational powers. The RSPP supports the employer in identifying risks and defining preventive measures. The ASPP may support the prevention and protection service. The RLS represents workers on health and safety matters. The competent doctor manages health surveillance where required. Emergency officers are appointed and trained for first aid and fire prevention tasks.

For foreign companies, it is important to translate these roles correctly into the Italian legal framework. A global HSE manager, for example, may not automatically be the Italian RSPP. The role must be formally assigned and must meet the requirements set by Italian law.

6. Health surveillance and the competent doctor

Health surveillance is required when workers are exposed to risks for which medical monitoring is provided by law or by the risk assessment. It is carried out by the medico competente, usually translated as competent doctor or occupational physician.

The competent doctor collaborates with the employer and the RSPP in risk assessment, performs medical examinations where required, issues fitness-for-work judgements and participates in the prevention system. Health surveillance is not a general medical benefit, but a legally regulated process connected to occupational risks and the specific job role.

Companies must therefore verify whether their workers’ tasks require health surveillance and must manage medical records, fitness judgements and restrictions in compliance with privacy and occupational health rules.

7. Emergency management, PPE and operating procedures

Italian workplace safety also requires practical emergency organisation. The company must appoint and train first-aid and fire-prevention officers, define emergency procedures, make workers aware of emergency arrangements and provide suitable equipment.

Personal protective equipment, known as DPI in Italian, must be selected according to the assessed risks and provided where risks cannot be eliminated or sufficiently reduced by technical and organisational measures. Workers must be trained and, where necessary, instructed in the correct use of PPE.

Operating procedures are particularly important in manufacturing, logistics, laboratories, construction, maintenance and any environment involving machinery, hazardous substances, work at height or contractors. In Italy, procedures are expected to be consistent with the DVR and with the actual way work is performed.

8. Inspections, documentation and traceability

Italian compliance is strongly based on traceability. During inspections or audits, companies are often asked to demonstrate not only that measures exist, but also that they are documented, communicated and applied.

Typical documents include the DVR, appointment letters, training certificates, training registers, health surveillance documentation, RLS consultation records, emergency plans, PPE delivery records, maintenance records, contractor documentation and specific authorisations or qualifications for equipment or activities.

Keeping documents in English may be useful for the parent company, but the Italian entity must ensure that documents used for legal compliance, training and worker information are understandable and suitable for the Italian workplace. In many cases, bilingual documentation can be the most effective solution.

9. Common mistakes made by foreign companies in Italy

Foreign companies often underestimate the formal structure of the Italian safety system. The most common mistakes include using foreign templates instead of an Italian DVR, failing to appoint the required safety roles, relying only on global e-learning, not involving the RLS, overlooking health surveillance, or not updating documents after changes in the Italian workplace.

Another frequent issue is treating safety as an HR-only topic. In Italy, health and safety requires coordination between management, HR, HSE, operations, maintenance, procurement and legal or compliance functions. Contractors and suppliers must also be managed carefully when their activities create safety risks in the workplace.

A preventive compliance check is usually more efficient than correcting gaps after an inspection, accident or client audit.

10. How to start: a practical checklist

A foreign company operating in Italy should begin by identifying the legal employer, the workplace locations, the activities performed and the categories of workers involved. The next step is to verify whether the DVR exists and reflects the actual activities.

The company should then check whether the required safety roles have been formally appointed, whether training is compliant with Italian rules, whether health surveillance is required, whether emergency officers are trained and whether documents are complete and traceable.

Finally, companies should plan a periodic review, especially after organisational changes, new activities, new equipment, changes in staff or updates to the regulatory framework.

FAQ for foreign companies

Does a foreign company with a branch in Italy have to follow Italian safety law?

Yes. If work is performed in Italy, the Italian workplace safety framework applies to the Italian workplace and to workers operating there, regardless of where the parent company is located.

Is the DVR mandatory for every company?

The risk assessment is a central employer obligation under Legislative Decree 81/2008. The form and complexity of the documentation depend on the organisation and risks, but the company must assess occupational risks and document the prevention system according to Italian law.

Can corporate global safety training replace Italian mandatory training?

Not automatically. Global training may support company culture, but Italian mandatory training must comply with national requirements, including the relevant State-Regions Agreement, duration, content, records and verification.

Who is responsible for workplace safety in Italy?

The employer is the primary duty holder, supported by a structured prevention system that may include managers, supervisors, RSPP, ASPP, RLS, competent doctor and emergency officers.

Why are Italian safety roles so important?

Because the Italian system assigns specific functions, consultation duties and technical support roles. Correct appointments and records help demonstrate that the company has organised prevention in line with the law.

Operational note for companies: Before starting or expanding activities in Italy, foreign companies should verify their workplace safety structure, the DVR, mandatory training, role appointments and health surveillance requirements. Frareg can support companies in assessing compliance and setting up a safety management system aligned with Italian law.