Mandatory Safety Training: What Changes with Italy's New State-Regions Agreement

Safety training is not a courtesy from the company: it is a legal obligation. Article 37 of Italy's D.Lgs 81/08 requires the employer to ensure sufficient and adequate training for every worker, and the contents and durations are set by the State-Regions Agreements. In 2025 this framework was thoroughly revised: it is worth understanding what changes.

The framework we already know

For years, worker training has been split into a general part and a specific part, the latter proportionate to the activity's risk level (low, medium, high). Added to this is training for particular roles — such as the prevention service manager (RSPP), the supervisor, fire wardens and first-aiders — and periodic refresher training, which for workers is every five years. One principle remains at the heart of it all: training is not a one-off event but a process, as we describe in continuous training.

What the new Agreement introduces (17 April 2025)

The new State-Regions Agreement, ratified on 17 April 2025, reorganises the whole system into a single text and introduces a historic novelty: mandatory training for the employer. Until now the employer had no general training obligation (except when directly performing prevention duties). Under the new Agreement they must attend a base course of at least 16 hours, split into a legal-regulatory module and one devoted to safety organisation and management.

Other key points:

• Refresher training for the employer on a five-year cycle, lasting at least 6 hours.
• The course may be delivered in person, by videoconference or via e-learning, under the set conditions.
• For employers operating on temporary or mobile construction sites, an additional module on site-specific risks is provided.

Dates to keep in mind

The Agreement provides for a transitional period: until 24 May 2026 courses may still be delivered under the previous rules, while at full application the new provisions become the reference. Employers required to take the new course must complete it within the deadlines set by the Agreement. Since the implementing framework may be clarified by circulars and regional practice, always check the deadlines applicable to your case with your advisor or training provider.

What to do in practice

For a company, the most sensible way to handle the change is to make a map: who is already trained, with which certificates, when refreshers expire, and who — starting with the employer — will have to train from scratch. From this you build a multi-year plan that avoids both forgotten deadlines and last-minute rushes.

It is also a chance to rethink the quality, not just the quantity, of training. A course that meets the obligations but is experienced as a formality leaves little behind; a path using engaging methods — from hands-on experience to gamified new-hire training — turns those same mandatory hours into real competence.

In short

The new State-Regions Agreement is not merely an update of durations: it shifts training responsibility to the top of the organisation too, asking the employer to take a seat at the desk. It is an important cultural signal: safety is better led when those who decide truly know what they are asking. Checking deadlines and planning ahead is the best way to turn an obligation into an advantage.