Health and Safety at Work (Italy): The Content of General Worker Training

No. The general training of workers (d.lgs. 81/2008, Article 37) is an obligation of the employer and must comply with the Accordo Stato-Regioni of 17 April 2025 (Rep. Atti no. 59/CSR): at least 4 hours, qualified trainers, an attendance register, a final assessment and an attestation issued by the training provider. This course presents the content of that training, as preparation or revision. Our certificate is not the attestation required by the Agreement and does not, on its own, satisfy the obligation. Only the employer can decide, within the rules of the Agreement, whether and how to take it into account. The specific training on the risks of your job is a different matter and is not included.

No. It is a certificate of completion: it shows that you have taken this course and passed the test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification, it is not issued by a body recognised by the State or the Regions, it is not the attestation required by the Accordo Stato-Regioni, and it does not entitle you to perform safety roles such as RSPP, preposto or emergency officer. The employer decides whether the training is enough for its needs.

The course does not replace the employer's obligations. The employer must still assess the risks and draw up the DVR (risk assessment document), designate the RSPP, appoint the occupational physician where needed, designate the emergency officers, provide PPE, identify the prepositi, inform the workers and organise the general and specific training under the Agreement, with qualified trainers, a register, a final assessment and an attestation. The employer must also provide practical instruction where needed, repeat the refresher training (for workers, every 5 years for at least 6 hours) and give instructions on the workplace, the equipment and the emergency plan.

D.lgs. 81/2008 (the Consolidated Act on health and safety at work), in particular Articles 2, 15–20, 25, 33–37, 41, 43–44, 47–51 and 55–59, and the Accordo Stato-Regioni of 17 April 2025 (Rep. Atti no. 59/CSR, Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 119 of 24 May 2025). Rules can change: you will find the current texts on the website of the Ministry of Labour and on Normattiva.

The Consolidated Act provides for custodial sentences (arresto) and fines (ammenda) for summary offences, and for administrative penalties. For example, an employer who does not provide sufficient training risks a custodial sentence of 2 to 4 months or a fine, which doubles or triples when the violation concerns more than 5 or more than 10 workers (Article 55). The amounts of the fines are revalued by law and are now higher than those written in the original text. Prepositi and workers can also be penalised (Articles 56 and 59). After an accident, criminal and civil liability may be added. The last part of the course explains who carries out the checks: the ASL, the National Labour Inspectorate and the fire brigade.

The course explains the content that is common to all jobs. The risks of your own job, for example on a building site, in a kitchen, in a warehouse or in an office, are covered by the specific training, which the employer must provide on the basis of the risk assessment. Particular jobs, such as forklift trucks or work in confined spaces, need dedicated courses.

Most people need about an hour and a half for the eight lessons and the 25-question test. You can take a break and continue later on the same device. The length of this course has nothing to do with the 4-hour minimum of the general training required by the Agreement.

It costs nothing. You see which lessons to read again and can retake the test as often as you like.

Only after you have passed the test: €12 for the PDF certificate. The course and the test are free.

Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Anyone who scans the code or enters the number on our verification page sees your name, the course and the date you passed the test.

The certificate of completion has no expiry date. The training of workers required by the Agreement, on the other hand, must be refreshed periodically, every 5 years for at least 6 hours. Rules can change, so always check the text currently in force.