Health and safety for domestic workers in Spain: a guide for employer families and the new official tools
Families employing domestic workers in Spain now have health and safety obligations. We explain the new official tools, the free training course and how to comply step by step.
Quick answer
Occupational health and safety in domestic service is no longer something that stops at the front door of the family home.
Since Royal Decree 893/2024 was approved, domestic workers in Spain have a recognised right to effective protection of their health and safety at work. The rule marked a turning point: for the first time, domestic work clearly falls within the occupational risk-prevention framework, with specific obligations for employer families and new official resources to help them comply.
A set of new official tools has now been published to make the rules easier to apply: a free tool to assess the risks of the home, a technical guide from the INSST (Spain's national institute for health and safety at work), a protocol for situations of violence and harassment, and a free prevention course for domestic workers.
| Tool | What it is | Who it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Prevencion10.es | Free risk assessment of the home with a document of preventive measures | Employer family |
| Fundae course | Free 5-hour online training in risk prevention | Domestic worker |
| INSST Technical Guide | Practical criteria for applying Royal Decree 893/2024 | Both parties |
| Harassment protocol | Action guidelines for violence and harassment in the home | Both parties |
This article walks through each tool and how to use it. For the full detail of every obligation under the rule, see our guide on health and safety requirements for domestic workers in Spain.
What has changed with the new rules?
The main change is that families employing domestic staff must now pay attention not only to the contract, Social Security registration and salary, but also to the safety conditions in which the work is carried out.
That means identifying possible risks in the home, informing the worker, applying preventive measures and providing the corresponding training.
The aim is not to turn a family home into a company, but to make sure everyday household tasks are performed safely: cleaning, cooking, caring for people, using chemical products, handling loads, night work, live-in arrangements, driving, gardening or looking after pets.
Prevencion10: how to carry out the risk assessment of your home
The Ministry of Labour and the INSST have made Prevencion10.es available to families — a tool designed specifically for domestic employment.
It lets you assess the risks of your home, generate a document with the recommended preventive measures and download the information materials you must give to the worker. It also lets you record the date each measure is put in place and track compliance.
Official link: https://www.prevencion10.es
Note that the official platforms are only available in Spanish. If you need help in English, we can take care of the process for you.
Free health and safety course for domestic workers
Another important development is Fundae's free course: Risk prevention in the family household service.
It is free, online, basic-level training aimed at domestic workers. It takes about 5 hours and provides accredited risk-prevention training in line with Royal Decree 893/2024.
The course covers the specific risks of domestic work — cleaning, food preparation, caring for people, driving, gardening, night work, live-in arrangements and dealing with pets — and includes practical cases to apply day to day.
Official course link: https://www.efundae.es/course/index.php?categoryid=793
On 15 May 2026 the Official State Gazette (BOE) published the Resolution of 8 May 2026, which regulates the self-assessment and certification process for this preventive training.
The training runs on the eFundae platform and leads to either a certificate of participation or a diploma of achievement, depending on attendance and self-assessment results.
The INSST Technical Guide and the harassment protocol
The INSST has also published the Technical Guide for the prevention of occupational risks in the family household service, an official document that develops and clarifies how Royal Decree 893/2024 should be applied.
The guide is aimed at both employers and workers and offers technical criteria and practical guidance for interpreting the new obligations correctly.
Official link to the guide: https://www.insst.es/documentacion/material-normativo/guia-tecnica-prl-en-el-servicio-del-hogar-familiar-2025
Alongside the guide, the INSST has published a Protocol for action in situations of violence and harassment in the family household service.
This matters because domestic work takes place inside a private space, where difficult situations can be hard to detect or manage. A clear protocol protects both the worker and the employer family, setting out how to act in the event of conflict, violence or harassment.
Official link to the protocol: https://www.insst.es/documentacion/material-normativo/protocolo-de-actuacion-frente-a-situaciones-de-violencia-y-acoso-en-el-servicio-del-hogar-familiar-2025
What must employer families do now?
If you already employ — or are about to hire — a domestic worker, review these points:
- Carry out the risk assessment of your home on Prevencion10.es.
- Give the worker the corresponding prevention information.
- Encourage your employee to take the free Fundae course and keep the certificate or diploma once available.
- If the job involves higher-risk tasks — caring for dependent people, frequent use of chemical products, driving or night work — review the applicable preventive measures with special care.
Bear in mind that these obligations are already enforceable: the deadline for having the risk assessment in place expired on 14 November 2025, so if you have not done it yet, it is best to act now.
If you would rather delegate the paperwork, our labour and legal assistance service for household employers can handle these obligations for you — in English.
Another step towards the professionalisation of domestic service
These tools should not be seen as just an administrative obligation.
They are also a significant step forward in the professionalisation of domestic service.
For families, complying properly with the rules reduces risks, prevents conflict and builds a clearer, safer employment relationship.
For domestic workers, it means better protection, more information and better conditions in which to do their job.
At Maids & Co we believe a good hire does not end when you find the right person. It also means building a serious, legal, safe and stable employment relationship for both parties.
That is why we recommend every employer family review these new official tools and use them as part of running their home responsibly.
Ready to hire with confidence?
We guide you from the start and present verified candidates in under 3h.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the risk assessment of the home mandatory?
- Yes. Royal Decree 893/2024 requires the employer family to guarantee effective health and safety protection, and the deadline for having the assessment done expired on 14 November 2025. It can be done for free with the official Prevencion10.es tool, which generates the document of preventive measures.
- How much does the Fundae prevention course cost?
- It is free. It runs online on the eFundae platform, takes about 5 hours, is basic level and is aimed at domestic workers.
- What is the difference between the certificate and the diploma?
- Under the Resolution of 8 May 2026, completing at least 75% of the course earns a certificate of participation; passing the self-assessments as well earns a diploma of achievement.
- What happens if the family does not comply?
- Non-compliance can lead to liability before the Labour Inspectorate and puts the family in a worse position if a workplace accident happens at home. Complying protects both parties and prevents conflict.
