Spain’s ratification of ILO Conventions on Health and Safety in Construction and Agriculture

At a glance

• Spain has ratified the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Conventions on Health and Safety in Construction and in Agriculture, signed in Geneva on 22 June 1988 and 21 June 2001, respectively.
• Both ILO Conventions will enter into force in Spain on 11 June 2025.

Spain has ratified the ILO Convention on Health and Safety in Construction, signed in Geneva on 22 June 1988, which was published in the official gazette on 31 July 2024. However, it will not enter into force in Spain until 11 June 2025.

The ILO Convention on Health and Safety in Construction outlines a set of obligations for member states, workers, employers, and their respective organisations and unions. Despite this, the health and safety standards stipulated in this international agreement will not bring about significant changes to the existing Spanish regulations on occupational risk prevention. This includes the health and safety clauses of the general construction agreement, which was negotiated by the leading trade union organisations and employers’ association.

Likewise, on 1 August 2024, Spain's accession to the ILO Convention on Health and Safety in Agriculture, signed in Geneva on 21 June 2001, was published in the official state gazette. In accordance with the Convention on Safety and Health in Agriculture, it will enter into force in Spain on 11 June 2025.

The health and safety requirements provided for in this international instrument do not differ significantly from the current labour and occupational risk prevention regulations in Spain. However, in the agricultural sector, it will serve as an additional tool to ensure the effective enforcement of these obligations, particularly in businesses that heavily rely on temporary immigrant labour.