Mandatory training for all workers
Every worker without exception must receive safety training under Legislative Decree 81/2008. This includes standard employees, trainees, occasional INPS workers and coordinated collaborators working on company premises.
When must training take place?
Training must be delivered upon hiring and in all cases before work begins.
What does the training involve?
Workers must follow mandatory training in two parts.
General training (4 hours) is common to all workers and covers basic safety concepts, rights, duties and safety roles.
Specific training depends on the company’s ATECO risk level stated in the DVR: 4 hours for low risk, 8 hours for medium risk and 12 hours for high risk, in addition to general training.
Information and training
Workers must be informed of the risks listed in the DVR and receive the personal protective equipment required for their role before work begins.
Training is certified to the worker, so existing certificates should be requested before hiring and checked for validity and currency. Valid training need not be repeated.
When must training be updated?
- Five years after previous training.
- After changes of duties or moves to roles with different risks.
- When new machinery, technologies or substances are introduced.
Penalties for inadequate training
Financial penalties
Italian law provides fines of €1,200 to €5,200 for each worker who has not received sufficient training. The penalty applies per worker, not per company, and may be higher in medium- or high-risk sectors or particularly dangerous conditions.
Criminal penalties
When lack of training is connected with an accident, penalties may include two to four months’ arrest for the employer, an additional fine of up to €6,400 and, in the most serious cases, charges of negligent injury or manslaughter.
