LEGISLATIVE UPDATE | Decree-Law no. 159/2025
Decree-Law no. 159/2025 of 31 October placed workplace safety back at the centre of the legislative agenda in late 2025. The package strengthened prevention measures, reinforced the focus on training quality and developed the enforcement architecture surrounding construction and agricultural work.
Italian law already imposes extensive duties on the employer under Legislative Decree no. 81/2008. Where several businesses operate in the same workplace, the allocation and coordination of risks are as important as the documents held by each contractor. Outsourcing does not make the principal invisible.
International groups may be familiar with supplier codes and global safety standards, but Italian compliance requires named statutory roles, local risk documents, appropriate training and evidence of cooperation. Construction-site credit requirements and contractor checks add another operational layer.
Italian entities should refresh their contractor-onboarding process, verify training and authorisations before access is granted and ensure that interference risks are addressed in practice. Procurement, facilities and HR need a shared process; safety cannot remain solely with an external consultant.
UPDATE: Decree-Law no. 159/2025 was converted into Law no. 198/2025 on 29 December with minor adjustments.