20/02/2026
Hygiene and safety at work are mandatory in Portugal.
Portuguese legislation establishes a set of obligations for employers and workers, ensuring safe and healthy working conditions in every sector of activity.
📌 What the law says
This obligation is established in the Legal Framework for the Promotion of Safety and Health at Work, approved by Law No. 102/2009 of 10 September, with several subsequent amendments. This law defines:
The employer’s responsibility to protect the health and safety of workers.
The need to assess risks, implement preventive measures, and organize occupational safety and health services (internal, external, or common).
The worker’s right to perform their duties under conditions that do not endanger their physical or mental integrity.
🧭 Main obligations for companies
Ensure safe and healthy working conditions.
Carry out risk assessments and implement preventive measures.
Organize occupational safety and health services (OSH).
Inform and train workers about risks and prevention.
Ensure health surveillance appropriate to the risks of each role.
🛡️ Workers’ rights
Work under conditions that protect their health and safety.
Be informed about risks and preventive measures.
Refuse tasks that present a serious and imminent danger.
