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#Safety and health legislation - Safety and health at work

A wide variety of Community measures in the field of safety and health at work have been adopted on the basis of Article 153 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. European directives are legally binding and have to be transposed into national laws by Member States.

European Directives set out minimum requirements and fundamental principles, such as the principle of prevention and risk assessment, as well as the responsibilities of employers and employees. A series of European guidelines aims to facilitate the implementation of European directives as well as European standards which are adopted by European standardisation organisations.

Further information on safety and health at work can also be found at the website of the European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs. The EU Strategic Framework on health and safety at work 2014-2020 defines key strategic objectives with a view to reducing occupational accidents and diseases in the EU.

The following sections provide information on European legislation, its implementation and other practical documents on safety and health at work arranged by topic.