Spanish legislation

BST - First Aid (FA)

The section on Spanish National Legislation will be available soon.

BST - Fire Awareness (FAW)

Spanish National Legislation

1. Introduction

The safety and health of workers have been and continue to be a concern for governments, organizations, and entities worldwide.

2. Law 31/1995, of November 8, on Occupational Risk Prevention

Law 31/1995 establishes the general framework for occupational risk prevention in Spain. Its main objective is to ensure workers’ safety and health through the implementation of measures and the development of activities necessary to prevent risks derived from work.

3. Royal Decree 2267/2004, of December 3

This Royal Decree approves the Fire Safety Regulations for industrial establishments. Its most relevant aspects include:

Fire emergency response.
Construction requirements for industrial establishments, depending on their configuration, location, and intrinsic risk level.
Requirements for fire protection systems in industrial establishments.
List of mandatory UNE standards for the application of Fire Safety Regulations in industrial establishments.

4. Royal Decree 513/2017, of May 22

This Royal Decree approves the Fire Protection System Regulations. The regulated aspects include:

Fire protection products.
Installation and maintenance companies for fire protection systems.
Installation, commissioning, and maintenance of fire protection systems.
Periodic inspections of fire protection systems.
Sanctioning provisions (as established in the regulation itself).

Additionally, it includes several Annexes specifying technical and training requirements:

ANNEX I: Characteristics and installation of fire protection equipment and systems.
ANNEX II: Minimum maintenance requirements for fire protection systems.
ANNEX III: Minimum human resources for companies installing and maintaining fire protection equipment and systems.
ANNEX IV: Minimum knowledge required for qualified fire protection personnel.

5. UNE Standards

The UNE Standards (published by the Spanish Association for Standardization – UNE) are technical documents of voluntary application that establish requirements, specifications, and guidelines to ensure quality and safety in various fields. Regarding fire protection, many of these standards are mandatory when required by legislation (e.g., in the Fire Safety Regulations for industrial establishments or the Fire Protection System Regulations).

6. Royal Decree 1215/1997, of July 18

Royal Decree 1215/1997 establishes the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers, understood as any machine, device, instrument, or installation used at work.

Work Equipment Safety

All work equipment must be safe for its intended use.
Risks must be eliminated or minimized in both wind turbines and other equipment used within them (service lift, transformer, generator, etc.).
It must be ensured that wind turbines comply with EU regulations on machinery commercialization and commissioning.

Commercialization Regulations
The commercialization regulations require manufacturers to:

Have CE marking.
Provide a declaration of conformity.
Include an instruction manual.
Comply with essential safety and health requirements in their design and manufacturing.

Proper Maintenance
Article 3 of RD 1215/1997 obliges employers to take the necessary measures to ensure that, through proper maintenance, work equipment remains in compliance with the provisions of this regulation.

7. Technical Prevention Notes (NTP) from INSST

There are various Technical Prevention Notes (NTP) published by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (INSST). Although they are not mandatory (unless included in a current legal provision), they serve as highly relevant good practice guides. Notable examples include:

NTP 1022 (2014): Operation and regulatory framework for occupational risk prevention in wind turbines.
NTP 1023 (2014): Occupational hazards in wind turbine maintenance operations.
NTP 1024 (2014): Prevention and protection measures during wind turbine maintenance.

7.1 Recommendations for Fire Risk Prevention in Wind Turbines

Design with flame-retardant materials in high fire-risk areas of the machine.
Electrical installation compliance with specific electrotechnical regulations.
Fire risk prevention measures for different origins (electrical, mechanical, etc.):

Use of non-sparking tools.
Use of fire blankets in operations like welding.
Smoking prohibition.
Avoid storing flammable materials in turbines.

Appropriate fire suppression means:

Manual extinguishers specific to the fire type.
Fire detectors.
Effective and safe automatic suppression systems for workers.

Specific training and drills on emergency response and coordination with external emergency teams.

Summary

Spanish regulations on occupational risk prevention and fire safety encompass laws and royal decrees regulating general aspects (Law 31/1995 and RD 1215/1997) and specific fire protection regulations in industrial facilities (RD 2267/2004 and RD 513/2017). Additionally, the Technical Prevention Notes (NTP) from INSST provide recommendations and best practice guidelines to enhance safety and accident prevention.

BST - Manual Handling (MH)

The section on Spanish National Legislation will be available soon.

BST - Working at Heights (WAH)

National Legislation

1. European Standards (EN)

1.1. Definition of an EN Standard (European Standard)

A harmonized EN standard is:

A technical specification.
Not mandatory, unless a legal provision prescribes compliance with a specific standard.
Approved by a European Standardization Body (CEN, CENELEC, etc.).
Developed under a mandate from the European Commission.
Published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (DOCE) in accordance with Directive 83/189/EEC.

In Spain, these harmonized standards are typically coded as UNE-EN (A Spanish Standard).

1.2. Related Technical Standards (Harmonized)

EN 353-2:2002 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Guided type fall arresters on a flexible anchorage line.
EN 354:2011 – Personal protective equipment against falls. Lanyards.
EN 355:2002 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Energy absorbers.
EN 358:2000 – Personal protective equipment for work positioning and fall prevention. Work positioning belts and work positioning lanyards.
EN 360:2002 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Retractable fall arresters.
EN 361:2002 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Full-body harnesses.
EN 362:2005 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Connectors.
EN 363:2018 – Personal protective equipment against falls. Personal fall protection systems.
EN 365:2005 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. General requirements for instructions for use, maintenance, periodic examination, repair, marking, and packaging.
EN 795:2012 – Fall protection. Anchorage devices.
EN 813:2009 – Personal protective equipment against falls. Sit harnesses.
EN 1497:2008 – Personal protective equipment against falls. Rescue harnesses.
EN 1868:1997 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. List of equivalent terms.
EN 1891:1999 – Personal protective equipment for fall prevention from height. Low stretch kernmantle ropes.
EN 12841:2007 – Personal protective equipment for fall prevention from height. Rope access systems. Rope adjustment devices.

1.3. Related Technical Standards (Non-Harmonized)

EN 341:2011 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Descender devices.
EN 353-1:2014 – Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Guided type fall arresters on a rigid anchorage line.
EN 1496:2018 – Personal protective equipment against falls. Rescue lifting devices.
EN 1498:2007 – Personal protective equipment against falls. Rescue loops.
EN 795:2012 – Personal protective equipment against falls. Anchorage devices.
(Note: This standard also appears in the harmonized standards section but may be referenced in different contexts.)

2. Legislation on Temporary Work at Height

2.1. Royal Decree 2177/2004, of November 12

Amends Royal Decree 1215/1997, of July 18, which establishes the minimum safety and health provisions for the use of work equipment by workers.
Regulates provisions for the use of work equipment in temporary work at height.
Mentions the use of rope access and positioning techniques and requires that systems must have at least two independently secured ropes:

Anchor line or working rope: for access, descent, and support.
Anchor line or safety rope: as an emergency measure.

Employers must provide workers with appropriate harnesses (body-holding devices) connected to the safety rope.
According to UNE-EN 12841, both ropes must be equipped with rope adjustment devices:

Type A for safety ropes.
Type B and C for working ropes.

Tools and accessories used by workers must be attached to their harnesses or seats, or by other suitable means.
Work must be properly planned and supervised to ensure that in case of an emergency, the worker can be rescued immediately.

3. Legal Responsibilities

3.1. Article 19 of Law 31/1995, of November 8

Obligates employers to provide job-specific training tailored to the worker’s role or function.
Training must adapt to evolving risks and the emergence of new hazards, and be repeated periodically if necessary.
Workers must receive appropriate and specific training for their tasks, focusing on:

Rope progression techniques and working on structures.
Positioning systems.
Rules on the care, maintenance, and inspection of work and safety equipment.
Fall protection systems.
Rescue techniques for suspended injured workers.
Measures for adverse weather conditions that may affect safety (monitored by the company’s procedures).
Safe manual handling techniques when working at height.

3.2. Exceptions

Under exceptional circumstances, if a risk assessment concludes that using a second rope would increase the danger, a single rope may be used, provided that:

The technical reasons justifying this decision are documented.
Adequate measures are taken to ensure safety.

4. Other Legal Provisions

Royal Decree 1407/1992, of November 20 – Regulates the conditions for the marketing and free movement of personal protective equipment within the European Union.
Royal Decree 773/1997, of May 30 – Establishes the minimum safety and health provisions for the use of personal protective equipment by workers.

5. Technical Prevention Notes (NTPs)

The Technical Prevention Notes (NTPs) are guides for good practices that are not mandatory unless referenced in current legislation.

As companies and job opportunities in work at height have increased, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Hygiene (INSHT, now INSST) published three complementary NTPs (NTP 682, NTP 683, and NTP 684) with recommendations to protect workers from the risks associated with working at height.

5.1. NTP 682

The most comprehensive of the three, outlining the risks of working at height, mainly falls of people and materials.
Highlights the need to establish preventive and protective measures.
Describes the importance of work equipment, specifying:

Applicable standards and requirements.
Proper maintenance.

Work at height equipment includes:

Ropes
Connectors
Harnesses
Anchorage lanyards
Progression devices
Seats
Auxiliary PPE
Work bags

Provides guidance on perimeter zoning for work at height and other protective measures against risks such as:

Falling materials
Cuts and injuries
Burns
Electric shocks
Fatigue

Also covers operator training requirements and lists general applicable regulations.

5.2. NTP 683

Complements NTP 682, focusing on operational techniques for working at height:

Knot techniques: different types of knots used for work positioning.
Installation techniques: head installations, anchors, and vertical installations.

5.3. NTP 684

Also complements NTP 682, describing other operational techniques:

Vertical progression techniques.
Horizontal progression techniques.
Special techniques: climbing structures with and without support.
Evacuation techniques: rescuing workers in ascent and descent.

Did you know…?

NTP 683 and NTP 684 complement NTP 682 and work together to develop necessary operational techniques for work at height.

BST - Working at Heights & Manual Handling (WMH)