Spanish year of safety & health at work

Make 2026 your year of health & safety

The Spanish government has declared 2026 their Year of safety and health at work, marking the 30th anniversary of the Occupational Risk Prevention Act. The initiative seeks to reaffirm the commitment to safeguarding workers’ lives and wellbeing in a changing world of work.

In 2024, according to the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, 796 people – more than two per day - died either while carrying out their work or commuting to/from their workplace. (For comparison, Arinite’s August 2025 blog noted 138 workplace deaths in the UK, excluding commuting accidents).

The Spanish Ministry noted that economic growth has often been linked to an increase in workplace accidents, but believes this to be not inevitable. They found a direct relationship between unstable employment and increased occupational risks. The formal declaration of Spain’s Year of Health & Safety claims that, thanks to labour reform which boosted job stability, the accident rate resulting in sick leave decreased by 7.4% across all age groups. (The timescale for this decrease is not, however, readily apparent).

Emerging challenges

Spain’s Declaration draws attention to the diverse transformations that are reshaping the world of work and the need to strengthen a preventive culture capable of addressing new and evolving risks. The principal challenges identified include:

• The marked rise in psychosocial risks, such as work-related stress and fatigue
• Gender inequalities in exposure to, and recognition of, occupational hazards
• The implications of an ageing workforce, requiring tailored preventive measures
• The effects of climate change, including extreme heat and adverse weather events
  • In this regard, Spain has introduced new legal instruments to protect workers from the effects of climate change, including mandatory action plans to prevent adverse weather event impacts on workers’ health, and the introduction of the “climate leave”. However, more has to be done in order to protect workers in a more interconnected labour market.

A collective responsibility

The Declaration emphasises that ensuring safe and healthy working conditions is a fundamental right and a shared responsibility of public authorities, employers, workers, and society more broadly. It also underscores that:

• Safety and health at work is a fundamental right and a shared responsibility.
• Regulatory adaptation of prevention measures to emerging risks will continue to be promoted.
• Permanent outreach, awareness and information campaigns will be promoted.
• Research, innovation and knowledge transfer will be strengthened.
• A policy of national and international cooperation in preventive matters will be promoted.
• Educational activities adapted to each teaching environment will be promoted.

For the Spanish Government, the “Year of Safety and Health at Work” represents an opportunity to intensify collective efforts to ensure that every worker, regardless of their occupation or circumstances, can enjoy conditions that protect their health, safety, and well-being.

No change there, then…

In a way, Spain’s Declaration is little different from what Arinite’s blogs have been saying for many years. The world of work is changing, and many employers need to up their game to face the health & safety challenges ahead.

Contact us

Arinite clients appreciate we provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment.

Our team of global, locally based health and safety and fire safety consultants take pride in keeping health and safety simple.

If you need to call upon our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our office +44 (0) 207 947 9581 or type an enquiry to: https://www.arinite.co.uk/contact-us/.