Course and certificate
Basic Occupational Health and Safety (Spain)
For anyone working in Spain who wants to learn the basics of occupational risk prevention (PRL in Spanish). Nine plain lessons on basic concepts, rights and duties, safety risks, the working environment, ergonomics and psychosocial factors, risk control, emergencies and first aid, followed by a 25-question test. It is not the 30- or 50-hour basic-level training, nor is it valid for construction or the metal sector.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Languages
- Español, Български, English, Français, Italiano, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 9
- Time needed
- About 50 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- No set period
- Content updated
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- €14.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- People starting a job in retail, hospitality, offices, cleaning, logistics or services in Spain
- Anyone who wants to refresh their rights and duties in occupational health and safety
- FOL and vocational training students preparing the prevention subject
- Workers from other countries who want to understand the Spanish prevention system
- Small businesses that want to give general training before a worker starts the job
02Syllabus
- 01Work, health and work-related harm
- 02Rules, rights and duties
- 03Safety risks: premises, machines, electricity and fire
- 04The working environment: noise, temperature, light and substances
- 05Workload, ergonomics and psychosocial factors
- 06Controlling risk: assessment, protection and signs
- 07Emergencies, evacuation and health surveillance
- 08Basic first aid
- 09How prevention is organised and what this course is not
03Assessment
25 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- INSST, primeros auxilios
- Ley 31/1995, art. 4
- Ley 31/1995, art. 29
- Ley 31/1995, art. 15
- RD 486/1997
- RD 485/1997
06Questions
Is this the 30- or 50-hour basic-level course?
No. The basic-level training under article 35 of Real Decreto 39/1997 (the Spanish regulation on prevention services) prepares people to carry out basic-level preventive duties in the company. It lasts at least 50 hours in companies with Annex I activities and 30 hours in others, follows the programme and the allocation of hours in Annex IV and is evidenced by a certificate from a prevention service or from a body entitled to give that training. This course takes some blocks of that programme as a guide, but it does not have that duration, does not cover the specific risks of each sector and does not qualify you to carry out those duties.
So what is this certificate?
It is a certificate of completion: it shows that you have completed the course and passed the test. It is not a regulated qualification, it is not accredited, approved or authorised by any authority and it is not a prevention certificate with regulatory value. It is your employer who decides whether this training covers what your job needs.
What else does my employer have to do?
Article 19 of Ley 31/1995 (the Spanish Occupational Risk Prevention Act) requires your employer to give you sufficient and adequate theoretical and practical training, focused on your job, when you are hired and when your duties or equipment change, within working hours wherever possible and at no cost to you. They must also inform you about the risk assessment for your job, explain the emergency measures of your workplace and give you the protective equipment that applies. A general course replaces none of that.
Is it valid for construction or the metal sector?
No. In construction, the sector's general collective agreement sets its own prevention training, which is evidenced by the Tarjeta Profesional de la Construcción (Construction Professional Card). In the metal sector, the national collective agreement also sets its own training, especially for those who work on building sites. This course does not meet those requirements and is not designed for those jobs.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 25-question test in about two hours. You can stop and carry on whenever you like from the same device.
What if I fail the test?
You are not charged anything. You will see which lessons are worth going over again, and you can retake the test as many times as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass: €14 for the certificate. The course and the test are free.
How can my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. When it is scanned, or when the number is typed into our verification page, your name, the course and the date you passed appear.
How long is the certificate valid?
The law sets no renewal period for this training: article 19 of Ley 31/1995 only says that it must be repeated periodically if necessary. That is why the certificate shows no expiry date. Your employer or your collective agreement may require a refresher at a different interval.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.