Labour Inspection Act (Austria)

The Health and Safety at Work Act was enacted in 1994 during Austria's accession to the European Union, and has been in effect since 1 January 1995. It constitutes an equivalent to Directive 89/391/EEC on the introduction of measures to encourage the safety and health of workers and individual EU directives, and introduced new elements and concepts into Austrian occupational safety and health legislation. Further details on safety and health for employees are included in the implementing regulations of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The Health and Safety at Work Act applies to the employment of all those who work as part of an employment relationship or training relationship. It also covers agency workers. Other legal provisions apply to those employed in the offices of federal and provincial government and local or municipal councils, in agriculture or forestry, in private households, and also to those who work from home. The Health and Safety at Work Act embodies the principles of worker protection, such as the general obligations of employers, e.g. the obligation to assess risks and how workers are deployed, providing information and instructions, the principles of prevention and the design of safe and healthy working conditions. The sections of the act relate inter alia to

• Workplaces and building sites
• Work equipment
• Chemical and biological agents
• Health surveillance
• Preventive services

A large number of regulations were enacted on the basis of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, a part of which are directly related to the implementation of European directives such as the Directive on noise and vibrations or the Directive on explosive atmospheres.