This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Workplace health and safety for temporary workers
Workplace health and safety for temporary workers
Workplace health and safety for temporary workers
Workplace health and safety for temporary workers
SUMMARY OF:
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS DIRECTIVE?
It aims to ensure that EU countries enact legislation to improve health and safety protection for workers on temporary* or fixed-term* contracts, to bring it in line with the protection enjoyed by other workers.
KEY POINTS
Council Directive 89/391/EEC on the safety and health of workers applies equally to temporary workers*. The current directive supplements this with the following:
Information and training
Special medical surveillance
Where work is particularly dangerous to the safety or health of temporary workers, or requires special medical surveillance, EU countries have the option to prohibit their use. If temporary workers are used for such work, appropriate special medical surveillance must be provided by the employer, which could extend beyond the period of employment, if necessary.
Health and safetyservices
Health and safety services within an organisation must be informed of any assignment of temporary workers.
Employment businesses and agencies
Responsibility of EU countries
EU countries must report to the European Commission every 5 years on its implementation, including the points of view of workers and employers.
FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?
It applies from 15 July 1991. EU countries had to incorporate it into national law by 31 December 1992.
BACKGROUND
For more information, see:
* KEY TERMS
Temporary contract: an employment contract between a temporary employment business (such as an agency) and a worker, to carry out a task in an organisation under its supervision.
Fixed-term (or fixed-duration) contract: an employment contract directly between an employer and a worker for a specific duration or to complete a specific task.
Temporary worker: a term used for clarity in this summary to cover a person working under either of the 2 temporary employment relationships defined above.
MAIN DOCUMENT
Council Directive 91/383/EEC of 25 June 1991 supplementing the measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of workers with a fixed-duration employment relationship or a temporary employment relationship (OJ L 206, 29.7.1991, pp. 19-21)
Successive amendments to Directive 91/383/EEC have been incorporated in the basic text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work (OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, pp. 1-8)
See consolidated version.
last update 01.12.2016